EA and Battlefield Studios confirm the patch notes for the upcoming January 20, 2026 update for Battlefield 6which aims to further improve the overall feel for players. Battlefield 6 came out swinging last year with beta tests that were incredibly popular with players, with most feeling that the old feel of the franchise has returned. While that feeling lasted through launch, it unfortunately faded through Season 1, with EA and Battlefield Studios working to revive the player base.
Season 1 of Battlefield 6 has certainly seen its fair share of ups and downs, which also saw the launch of Battlefield RedSec. Redacted Sector, or RedSec for short, is Battlefield's take on the Battle Royale genre, although the game hasn't been the success EA probably hoped it would be. Coupled with the fact that the core game also saw its fair share of frustrations and issues, including criticism over cosmetic rewards and AI usage, has resulted in Battlefield 6s player count drops to affected levels. However, DICE and the rest of the Battlefield support studios intend to turn things around, and the first update of 2026 aims to set the stage for doing so.
What to expect from Battlefield 6 2026
Battlefield 6's first season may have been mixed, but it's the game's 2026 support that will really determine its fate as a live-service title.
Even if Battlefield 6 Season 2 is missing its original start date, improvements and fixes are planned to launch much earlier. The first of these efforts arrives on January 20 with what Battlefield Studios is calling a “smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency across Battlefield 6.” Even with a smaller list of fixes, longtime fans will likely find some encouraging changes in the patch notes for this one.
One of the major complaints of many players is with the UI and HUD i Battlefield 6as the main menu uses many horizontal boxes similar to what you would find on a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. Battlefield Studios has started making changes to the look and feel with this update by improving the menu navigation, mask mask presentation, and armor field visibility. Players even have the option to customize the crosshair color inside the weapon and gadget scopes if they wish.
Balance adjustments were also applied across the game, including reducing jet cannon damage against other air vehicles by 40%. Melee was another major player feedback item and in this update the attack speed of the knife was improved, the buffering behavior of the knife and hammer attacks was also upgraded, and sprint was reworked to only cancel until the melee attack hits its target instead of for the duration of the animation. Not only that, vehicles will no longer have the potential to explode when a player performs a takedown on someone lying on top of them.
Battlefield 6s assault ladder gadget also saw a handful of fixes to help them feel better to use. Specifically, soldier animations when used have been improved, and a couple of fixes were applied that prevent players from potentially being booted when using them. The second fix allows players to interact with ladders placed above them.
As part of efforts to further improve the game and the franchise as a whole, EA has hired Julian Gerighty from Ubisoft. The former franchise manager of Tom Clancy's The DivisionGerighty took to social media to announce his departure from Massive Entertainment and assured fans that the team he was leaving was in good hands. Gerighty joined DICE, another studio based in Sweden, to work on the Battlefield series. It's not yet clear what his role is, and Season 2 is way too far along for him to have any influence over, but as time goes on, fans will likely see Gerighty make his mark on the game and the franchise as a whole.
Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.5 Patch Notes
Major updates for 1.1.3.5
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Improved responsiveness, consistency and sprint behavior for melee attacks, including knives and sledgehammers.
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Updated jet combat balance by reducing jet cannons effectiveness against other air vehicles.
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Updated and refined the UI and HUD across Multiplayer and REDSEC, improved armor bar visibility, mask mask presentation and menu navigation.
CHANGE LOG
VEHICLE:
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Fixed an issue where vehicles could explode when performing a takedown on an enemy soldier lying on top of them.
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Reduced jet cannon damage against other jets and helicopters, requiring about 40% more hits to destroy enemy aerial targets.
ARMS:
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Bipod attachments no longer appear to always grant a hipfire accuracy bonus, as this bonus only applies while the bipod is deployed.
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Fixed an issue where the GRIM 1.50x optic on the DB-12 cost fewer charge points than intended (15 instead of 25).
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Fixed an issue where the RPKM iron sight would shoot low when the short barrel was used.
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Fixed an issue where the TR-7 Light Barrel was incorrectly improving muzzle velocity.
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Fixed bipod mount input behavior for Alternate, Left Left Alternate, Southpaw, and Legacy Southpaw presets so that the bipod mount now follows the melee button.
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Improved attack speed for knife melee attacks.
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Improved buffering behavior for knife and hammer attacks.
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Improved consistency of melee damage against enemies and the environment.
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Improved consistency of recoil modifiers when using a controller across different weapons.
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Improved sprint cancellation when performing melee attacks. Sprint is now interrupted only until the attack reaches its target, rather than for the duration of the animation.
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In the firing range, target dummies can now take damage while they are getting back up.
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Shooting with a suppressor now emits a small muzzle flash only when viewed up close.
ACCESSORIES:
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Fixed an issue where GDPIS was not destroyed when targeting the XFGM-6D Recon Drone, Defibrillators, or the Repair Tool.
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Fixed an issue where the Sniper Decoy wasn't properly hiding scopes from nearby snipers.
Assault ladder
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Fixed an issue where ladders placed above the player could not be entered.
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Fixed an issue where soldiers could be unexpectedly fired when trying to enter a ladder.
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Improved the soldier animations when climbing ladders.
UI & SKIN:
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Added a new option that allows players to customize the crosshair color inside weapon and gadget scopes.
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Fixed an issue where focus navigation on the home screen could be locked to the bulletin.
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Fixed cases where weapon menus displayed incorrect Reload Time stats for LMGs.
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Soldier lightning improvements in the front
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Improved front lighting to improve the visual quality of soldier characters.
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The reticle color option now updates reticle colors for thermal scopes and other supported gadgets.
VFX and Video:
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Adjusted explosion particle effects by lowering shockwave power.
REDSEC
ARMS:
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Fixed an issue where reducing the speed of the landing movement behaved inconsistently in REDSEC compared to other multiplayer experiences.
MAP & MODES:
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Fixed an edge case in Gauntlet mode “Data Extraction” where the drone could disappear permanently if units were deposited at the exact moment it landed.
UI & SKIN:
Battle royale
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Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear periodically.
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Fixed an issue where the Airburst Incendiary Launcher icon appeared as a grenade in the loot feed.
Gauntlet
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Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear after quick editing a charge.
- Released
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10 October 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, User Interaction
- Developer
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Battlefield Studios
