The long wait for Battlefield 6 is nearly over, but that isn’t stopping fans from arguing about whether multiplayer is better with Open or Closed Weapon classes.
EA and the four-company team at Battlefield Studios will let loose their new entry in the large-scale military shooter series this Friday, October 10, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S (find out when, exactly, here). Along with a new campaign, guns, gadgets, and maps, the developers behind Battlefield 6 have told fans to look forward to a return to form following the disappointment that was Battlefield 2042.
Beta and Battlefield Labs players have largely come away excited for what Battlefield 6 promises, but the debate surrounding Open and Closed Weapons is the main thing on fans’ minds just two days out from launch.
The conversation picked up when players went hands-on during the August Battlefield 6 beta tests. While many past Battlefield games feature Closed Weapons – a design decision that locks classes to a specific set of guns – many were surprised to see the new Battlefield game add and prioritize an option for Open Weapons, which largely removes gun restrictions between classes.
This Open style is similar to the system used in Battlefield 2042, but it’s not the bad taste in players’ mouths that has them bickering. Closed Weapons defenders argue these restrictions encourage players to not only think on their feet but also rely on teamwork, a key element for many longtime fans of the series. The system could also pour cold water on meta gameplay strategies that could result in an unbalanced number of players relying on one particularly powerful gun.
Those on the other side of the fence feel Open Weapons offer players of all skill levels more freedom to craft a loadout that fits their playstyles while rewarding those who choose specific loadouts. Though perhaps not quite as vocal, there are plenty of players who feel Open loadouts are the way to go – and BF Studios agrees.
Battlefield Studios Says Players Prefer Open Weapons
Debate continued up to earlier this week, when BF Studios offered a pre-release breakdown for its Battlefield 6 launch day plans, previewing the contents of its day one patch for those looking forward to in-game changes following post-beta feedback. It came hand-in-hand with confirmation that data pointed to “a vast majority of players” preferring the Open system more than the Closed system after trying both options between different playlists.
“This reinforces our belief that Open Weapons is the right path forward for Battlefield 6,” the message from BF Studios says. “At the same time, we recognize that some players prefer the Closed Weapons experience. To support them, official Closed Weapons playlists will be available at launch.”
No matter how loud fans of the Closed method are, BF Studios is adamant that players mostly gravitate toward an Open system, even if Battlefield 6 will continue to support both options. Meanwhile, many have used this latest update only as fuel to continue their mission to see this week’s new Battlefield game shift its focus to the Closed system.
Their argument revolves around the notion that open beta players only favored Open Weapons because relevant playlist options are the first to appear on the Battlefield 6 multiplayer menu screen. So, the idea is, if your average player, who is unfamiliar with the discourse, boots up the game, they’ll need to dig for a Closed option, resulting in skewed data.
It’s a criticism many are leaning on that EA and BF Studios have already stepped in to stomp out. Lead Battlefield producer at DICE David Sirland took to X/Twitter to explain how the team came to their conclusion. He addresses the argument that Closed playlist options were hidden from players, reminding displeased fans that playlist and mode tiles often moved around, and their data accounted for that.
“Yes they moved around alot, as you may have noticed,” Sirland said in response to a fan asking for clarification. “We did this to all tiles, [Conquest] vs [Breakthrough] etc. See how much tile placement impact pick rates and how single mode vs playlist with multiple modes differed, etc.”
Sirland’s explanation still hasn’t quite quelled the uproar, as one third of the Battlefield 6 community demands more answers while another third is voicing their support for Open playlists more than ever. That final third mostly just wants the fighting to come to an end.
Brutal truth:
Casuals won’t care about Closed Weapons. Or Open Weapons. Or even what weapon they’re using most of the time.
They just wanna play Battlefield 👍 https://t.co/3x2CQYxgXl
— Westie (@MrProWestie) October 6, 2025
Preparing for Launch
As BF Studios and EA barrel toward the launch of Battlefield 6, disgruntled fans continue to take to comment sections across social media to ask the developers to give Closed playlists more time in the spotlight. Complaints and memes poking fun at the situation have flooded Reddit, in particular, with many replies from users calling out debaters as simply being a vocal minority.
“I would be surprised if the open vs closed weapon debate represents more than 10% of players,” one popular comment said. “I think 10% is being very generous lol,” another replied.
Battlefield 6, Open vs Closed pic.twitter.com/hffyEz2npw
— IT’S REAL. (@TheAgentOfDoom) August 14, 2025
We asked Ripple Effect about its feelings surrounding the Open vs. Closed Weapon debate during an interview last month. At the time, senior console combat designer Matthew Nickerson said the team didn’t want to “make a decision or really pigeonhole” how players experience Battlefield 6.
“I think it’s ongoing, and I think it’ll continually evolve, but again, from a design side, we don’t want to make a decision for the player base at the end of the day,” Nickerson added. “We want to support both moving forward, and again, a key mantra for Battlefield 6 is, ‘Play Battlefield how you want to,’ so we’re making sure we support both open and closed systems. We just don’t want to make the decision for the player.”
It’s unclear if EA and BF Studios have any plans to address the Open vs. Closed Weapons debate further ahead of the launch of Battlefield 6. With the recent acknowledgment reaffirming its commitment to the Open system while reassuring players that Closed options will remain available, it seems unlikely BF Studios will change course anytime soon.
Based on our time with the Battlefield 6 beta, we’ve got a BF6 Beginner’s Guide and Tips, plus the best Battlefield 6 Loadouts and how to use the Range Finder, deploy the Bipod, and how to turn off Haptic Feedback in Battlefield 6.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
