Electronic Arts has introduced a major new phase for its long-running military shooter series with the launch of Battlefield REDSEC, a free-to-play companion experience to Battlefield 6. Built around the franchise’s signature blend of large-scale combat and destruction, REDSEC expands the universe with a battle royale mode, a competitive squad format called Gauntlet, and expanded creative tools through Battlefield Portal. The release coincides with Battlefield 6’s first season, titled Rogue Operations, which introduces new maps, weapons, and gameplay modes set across Southern California.

REDSEC’s arrival signals a broader shift in Battlefield’s strategy, with EA positioning it as an open, evolving platform rather than a single premium release. Players can access REDSEC at no cost, starting today, across all major platforms. Its central playspace, Fort Lyndon, is the largest Battlefield map to date and serves as the foundation for multiple game types. The new battle royale mode drops up to 100 players into a dynamic environment where tactical destruction plays as critical a role as gunfire. Players can use the environment to their advantage, altering terrain or triggering structural collapses to shift the momentum of a fight.

In addition to the battle royale, REDSEC includes Gauntlet—a squad-based competitive mode where eight teams of four compete in fast elimination rounds with changing objectives and settings. Each match lasts roughly five minutes per round, emphasizing adaptability and teamwork. The Gauntlet format introduces more structure and pacing than the traditional large-scale chaos Battlefield is known for, appealing to players looking for a focused competitive challenge.

Players can also leverage the expanded Battlefield Portal system to modify or create their own REDSEC experiences. The toolset allows users to design custom modes, weapon rules, and match conditions within Fort Lyndon’s sandbox. The Portal mode, first introduced in Battlefield 2042, now integrates directly into REDSEC, supporting community-led creativity within a free-to-play environment.

According to Byron Beede, General Manager of Battlefield, REDSEC marks “the next chapter” for the franchise. While his comments highlighted player engagement and record-breaking launch numbers for Battlefield 6, the broader intent appears to be expanding Battlefield into a more persistent and flexible ecosystem. Vince Zampella, Executive Vice President at EA, also described the current roadmap as the studio’s “most ambitious” to date, underscoring a shift toward sustained, incremental content delivery rather than isolated releases.

Season 1 of Battlefield 6 introduces three major phases over the holiday season. The first, Rogue Operations, launches with three new weapons, a new map called Blackwell Fields, and a 4v4 close-quarters mode called Strikepoint. Blackwell Fields takes players to the arid outskirts of Southern California for large-scale combat, while Strikepoint offers a condensed version of REDSEC’s intensity, emphasizing small-team tactics and single-life rounds around a central capture point.

Subsequent updates, California Resistance and Winter Offensive, arrive on November 18 and December 9, respectively. California Resistance brings a new suburban map and a mode called Sabotage, focused on demolishing targets before time runs out. Winter Offensive will introduce seasonal content and limited-time events to close out the year. EA has committed to making all gameplay-affecting content free or earnable, reinforcing a shift toward fair-access live service.

REDSEC’s launch continues Battlefield’s long-standing emphasis on player-driven warfare, but it also represents an evolution in how EA approaches its flagship shooter. Instead of relying solely on premium releases, the company is embracing a hybrid model that combines traditional boxed games with free-to-play and community-building components. The move aligns Battlefield with broader trends in the shooter market, where live ecosystems like Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends have reshaped expectations for multiplayer engagement and longevity.

Battlefield 6 remains the anchor of the franchise, offering both a full single-player campaign and multiplayer modes built around destruction, vehicles, and emergent team dynamics. It is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, EA App, and the Epic Games Store. REDSEC and its accompanying Season 1 content mark a significant step toward a more fluid and accessible Battlefield experience—one designed to evolve continuously alongside its community.

What’s next

EA describes REDSEC as the “third pillar” of the Battlefield universe, sitting alongside the core multiplayer and campaign offerings. Regular seasonal updates will expand all three REDSEC modes, and the developers have already hinted that new maps, vehicles, and limited-time events will arrive in early 2026.

Whether REDSEC can successfully blend Battlefield’s large-scale warfare with the speed and unpredictability of battle royale remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this isn’t just an add-on. It’s a full-fledged experiment — and perhaps EA’s most ambitious attempt yet to redefine what Battlefield means in the live-service era.