Battlefield REDSEC is a by-the-numbers battle royale thats lacking a sense of character, but theres no question that Battlefield fits the genre perfectly

Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:25:20 +0000

Battlefield REDSEC arrives seven years after the battle royale genre began
in earnest, boasting a free-to-play structure, a whole lot of destruction,
and of course, a Battle Pass. It launched as a surprise free-to-play update
to Battlefield 6 , but it can also be downloaded separately.

Review info
Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro
Available on: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S
Release date: October 28, 2025

I imagine you now have a clear picture in your head as to what Battlefield REDSEC looks like, what mechanics it uses to push players further and further into the map, and can practically see the various icons for currencies both paid for and free.

While Battlefield REDSEC does have a few interesting design choices, Id
almost guarantee that youve pretty much played this one before. You'll no
doubt recognize key mechanics lifted from several of the best FPS games to
come out in recent years, with very little that jumps out as new.

The highlights then. Battlefield is a perfect fit for battle royale design,
and its destructible environments are easily the best I've ever seen in the genre.

The class system borrows from the main game and offers genuinely enticing and decidedly distinct ways to play. Theres tanks too - yes, tanks in a battle royale game. Theyre brilliant, but also balanced in a way that makes them extremely difficult to manage, especially if your enemies have brought in an Engineer.

Even the gunplay is tight and enjoyable, and really gives Warzone a run for
its money. All in all, Id recommend Battlefield REDSEC if youre a fan of shooters, and if you want a more streamlined experience when compared to the bloated monster that main competitor Warzone has become over the years.

The main issue with REDSEC is timing. Had it launched 3 years ago, I reckon
it wouldve been a rather exciting proposition.

Instead, it joins Apex Legends , Warzone , Fortnite , and other battle royale games, all jostling for your attention. Its not just those games either, as 2025 has been a veritable goldmine of innovative multiplayer experiences like Peak , R.E.P.O , and most recently: Arc Raiders . With the arrival of the latter in particular, Ive found it very difficult to justify sinking hour
after hour in Battlefield REDSEC when theres another game that Id desperately rather be playing.

In my mind, PUBG: Battlegrounds kicked off the ongoing fascination with
closing circles and last survivor-victories all the way back in 2018. Battlefield REDSEC then, has quite a bit to borrow from, and borrow it does, rather masterfully in fact. Theres the map design of Warzone , the squad-formation drop-ins from Apex , and the Battle Pass structure perfected
by Fortnite . All of this is spliced together into quite a neat package,
making Battlefield REDSEC a sort of best-of compilation of games youve
probably played over the last seven years.

Theres very little fat to trim here, and if youre looking for a battle royale game that feels the way you remember Warzone feeling in 2020, youve found it. Inventories are clean and simple, armor plates arent stored in some extra
menu or bag that you have to manage on the fly, and matches are all action,
all the time.

My favorite quirk of Battlefield REDSEC is the closing circle of flame.
Rather than slowly doing damage over time, the flames will instantly kill you if it catches you, and youll even take burn damage just by being anywhere
near the closing wall.

This does two things: it prevents players from using the closing circle as a hiding spot, while encouraging players to move inwards at all times. That
first effect is a very welcome one indeed, and anyone whos played Warzone
over the years can attest to how frustrating it is to get to the final circle and learn that the opposing team is using gas masks and health stims to stay alive in the gas.

Best bit

Dont sleep on Gauntlet mode,
which pits teams against each other in a variety of different mini-modes set
on the battle royale map. For those that dont want to invest in Battlefield 6, its a great sampler of what to expect from the more structured gameplay sessions of the base game. Its the perfect way to learn the gunplay, as well.

The second effect can be felt dramatically throughout matches, as you and
your team frequently have to change position and make quick decisions before the flames get too close. Given the rapidity with which the deadly flaming circle contracts, vehicles become vital means for repositioning.

Gatling gun-mounted buggies feel weighty and fun to drive, while helicopters are hilariously complicated beasts that require careful practice, and a whole lot of bravery to pilot. Add in the tanks and youve got a winning formula, as you send vehicles careening through buildings, charging across debris-ridden plains, and soaring across a sky filled to the brim with missiles.

EA has been hammering on about Battlefields Iconic DNA in the marketing for REDSEC . Presumably, this refers to the destructability and class-based
warfare that Ive certainly enjoyed while playing the main games multiplayer modes. In REDSEC , however, Im left wanting a bit more of a signature style, something to differentiate it from the countless others vying for my
attention.

Part of this identity crisis stems back to the overall design mentality of
this new era of Battlefield. After the floundering performance of Battlefield 2042 , EA has stripped everything back to the bone, choosing to appease Battlefield 3 and 4 purists rather than risk anything remotely new.

This has been an overcorrection, and while I do enjoy both Battlefield 6 and REDSEC , theres very little thats truly memorable about either. This all translates over to REDSECs Battle Pass, which is woefully dull, filled with generic military skins and green-brown color swaps of boilerplate character designs.

Im genuinely left wondering why anybody would spend real money on any of it, and while I understand the need for EA to avoid the wacky and often-maligned cosmetics of Call of Duty , theres got to be a middle ground.

Theres a mission system in Battlefield REDSEC which gives players varied objectives to complete in addition to the main goal of looting and shooting. These range from bomb defusals to tasks that have you aligning satellite beacons. Theyre almost always worth doing, and often serve as sneaky ways to bring rival teams closer together. Its all little more than Contracts in Warzone , or missions in Fortnite , but I do like the implementation better
in Battlefield REDSEC .

Similarly, the way loot is labelled and upgraded is sleek and intuitive.
Orange crates give you loot thats specific to your class, while weapon kits
can be used to upgrade an aspect of your held weapon.

Custom weapon caches drop from the skies periodically, leading to yet more opportunities for skirmishes between squads. Battlefield REDSEC really excels in pacing, and Ive found the majority of matches to be action-packed and just bit-sized enough to encourage me to jump back in.

In terms of incentives, however, REDSEC is once again held back by the trappings of the battle royale genre. Theres really no reward for winning,
par for the course at this point, but other games like Fortnite have managed
to use victory crowns and exclusive Gliders as a reason for players to want
to win again and again. Theres an XP bonus that ties nicely into the shared progression of guns across REDSEC and Battlefield 6, but given the lacklustre nature of the Battle Pass rewards, I find very little reason to keep playing night after night.

By positioning Battlefield REDSREC as a separate, free to play, title, EA has at least made the barrier to entry fairly low. Id recommend it for those that love battle royale games, as its solid enough, and often fun enough, to
warrant getting a full squad together to give it a go.

Unfortunately, theres only Duos and Quads right now, so be aware that you
will need to play with randoms often, and theres really no way to play solo, which is disappointing. For those thatve gotten their fill from years of Warzone , Fortnite and Apex Legends , however, theres very little that differentiates REDSEC from titles youve already played.

Should I play Battlefield REDSEC? Play it if...

You live and breathe battle royale games
While Battlefield REDSEC doesnt bring anything new to the genre per se, it is
a great culmination of elements borrowed from some of the best that weve seen so far. The destructible environments are well worth checking out, at a minimum.

You have a full squad
REDSEC only offers Duos and Quads, and partnering with randoms is a mixed
bag at present. The Ping system isnt perfect, and it can be difficult to coordinate without a mic. Get a full team of pals together to really
experience the best of what a Battlefield-branded battle royale has to offer.

Youre enjoying Battlefield 6
Theres shared progression between Battlefield 6 and REDSEC , and the battle royale mode is likely already installed on your hardware. Theres challenges
to complete in REDSEC , and the classes line up nicely with those in the main game. You can bring in your custom weapons as well, granted you find a cache that spits them out.

Don't play it if...

Youre looking for something new
I think its fair to say that the battle royale genre has lost much of its appeal over the last couple of years. REDSEC is very much by the numbers, and you wont really find anything in here that you didnt get in Warzone over five years ago.

You want to progress and unlock new rewards
The battle pass and rewards system is pretty lacking in REDSEC at the moment. If you dont really want to dig into its various loadout options and grind out attachments, theres very little to incentivize you to play regularly.

Accessibility features

Battlefield REDSEC has some decent accessibility settings like Menu
Narration, customizable color elements for the HUD, and Tinnitus-related
audio sliders. Theres also color profiles for Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, and Protanopia color blindness options. Custom color blind settings can be
applied too.

Subtitles can be increased in size, and tweaked to alter outline, background opacity, text opacity, and more. Camera effects like motion blur and HUD
motion have sliders, and you can dial down camera shake and turn off camera sprint camera bobbing.

How I reviewed Battlefield REDSEC

Ive played around 15 hours of Battlefield REDSEC , predominantly in Quads
mode. Ive also spent around an hour of that time in Gauntlet mode. All of
this was on PS5 Pro in Auto (Performance) mode, using a DualSense Edge
wireless controller with back buttons assigned to jump and interact.

While playing Battlefield REDSEC , I used an LG Ultragear 27GR93U 4K monitor, as well as a Steel Series Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 headset. For one play session,
I also tested the game on PlayStation Portal , and found Gauntlet mode to
work well, and it looked great on the handheld screen.

First reviewed November 2025 ======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/battlefield-redsec-is-a-by-the-numbers-battle -royale-thats-lacking-a-sense-of-character-but-theres-no-question-that-battlef ield-fits-the-genre-perfectly
$$
--- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
* Origin: Capitol City Online (42:17/1)