One of the standout criticisms is that Battlefield 6’s UI feels amateur at best and pandering at worst. The Call of Duty influence is obvious—not subtly borrowed but downright yelled from the rooftops. Social media went ablaze with disgruntled players calling it, well, you guessed it, “a Call of Duty hand-me-down.”
Battlefield fans take pride in the game’s identity being distinct and unique, a stark alternative to the fast-twitch, blow-your-toe-off, candy-ridden world of CoD. Seeing Battlefield morph into what feels like a clone in progress is, to them, not just disappointing, but borderline sacrilegious. A lot of the frustration comes from a valid place too. Multiplayer performance can hinge on your ability to act swiftly, and the UI in its current form looks more like a wall to climb than a tool to use efficiently.
What Makes a Great UI Anyway?
For the uninitiateda strong UI in a game like Battlefield means clarity. It means easily navigating weapon loadouts, tweaking game settings, or team adjustments without peeling away at the game’s immersion. It shouldn’t feel like you’re trying to locate the hidden Easter eggs just to change your sensitivity settings.
The interface serves its best purpose when it’s intuitive, clean, and stays out of your way. Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 5 weren’t leaders in the UI Hall of Fame, but they got the job done with a sense of functionality. That’s why the Battlefield 6 UI’s erratic complexity sticks out like a sore thumb–it’s a step backward, not forward.
Can EA Fix This?
Now, many in the developer community know that UI designs are naturally iterative. The backlash has prompted EA to promise that they’re actively gathering feedback to improve the user interface. That’s good to hear, but fans have expressed how often feedback in early stages of development feels like hot air when unresolved issues rear their head in the final release.
If EA listens to their audience the way Battlefield strategies listen to well-placed sniper shots (aka not at all sometimes), there’s hope here. Developers need to strip down the UI, keeping elements useful and simple without throwing in a CoD-style digital mall display. Gamers don’t want aggressive promotions in the same space where the tactical gameplay decisions should take place.
Final Thoughts
When we talk about defining a franchise, we’re not just talking about its gameplay mechanics. Everything that makes you feel part of its identity—from the UI to the soundtrack—is key. For Battlefield 6merging immersive warfare with usability is where the game’s UI needs to land, not in a chaotic, CoD-inspired, flashing-lights-extravaganza void.
Here’s a PSA for EA: Keep Battlefield, Battlefield. Use this backlash as an opportunity. Fans are talking because they care, and you’d be surprised how far a clean, user-friendly redesign would go.
Until then, we’ll be here, ready with pitchforks and memes.
