What Is Battlefield REDSEC?
Battlefield REDSEC launched on October 28, 2025 as EA and DICE's free-to-play battle royale built on the Battlefield 6 engine. Unlike Battlefield V's short-lived Firestorm mode, REDSEC operates as a standalone platform designed to persist across future Battlefield releases.
The game doesn't require Battlefield 6 ownership. It's a separate 98 GB download, though players who already own BF6 receive REDSEC as an update rather than a second installation.
Three modes are available at no cost: Battle Royale (100-player squad survival), Gauntlet (32-player tournament elimination), and Portal (custom game creation). All content is accessible without spending a dime.
Platform Availability
REDSEC is current-gen only, available on PC (Steam, EA App, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. No PS4 or Xbox One support exists. Cross-platform play works across all platforms.
Console players don't need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass subscriptions to play. Free-to-play means free-to-play.
Connection to Battlefield 6
Account progression, cosmetics, and Battle Pass advancement sync between REDSEC and Battlefield 6. Weapon skins earned in one game appear in the other immediately.
This integration has sparked significant controversy among the player base, detailed later in this guide.
Battle Royale Mode
Battle Royale drops 100 players onto Fort Lyndon in either Quads (25 teams of four) or Duos (50 teams of two). Solo queue wasn't available at launch.
The Map: Fort Lyndon
Fort Lyndon is the largest map in Battlefield history. The terrain mixes dense urban neighborhoods, open fields, industrial zones, and underground military facilities. Different areas favor different engagement ranges, forcing loadout adaptation based on drop location and circle movement.
The entire map runs on Frostbite's destruction physics. Walls can be breached for new sightlines. Buildings can collapse on squads camping inside. Cover can be eliminated to flush out enemies. Static camping carries far more risk here than in battle royales with indestructible structures.
Respawn Systems
Two separate mechanics handle respawns.
Second Chance gives every player one automatic redeploy after their first death. It triggers instantly without squad input. Players who survive without using it receive bonus XP at match end.
Redeploy Towers handle respawns after Second Chance is gone. Teammates must hold position at a tower for several seconds while a loud audio cue broadcasts their location. High risk, high reward.
Loot and Equipment
Standard battle royale looting applies. Players collect weapons, armor plates, and ammunition with color-coded rarity throughout the match.
Contracts and Intel Caches
Intel caches and contract missions are scattered across Fort Lyndon. Completing them levels up Training Paths (in-match class progression), unlocks custom gear, and provides keycards. These keycards grant access to rare vehicle spawns at designated locations, including attack helicopters and main battle tanks.
Class System in Battle Royale
All four Battlefield classes carry over into Battle Royale with tweaks for the mode's mechanics. Class choice determines passive traits and available gadgets.
Assault focuses on frontline aggression. Faster armor plate recharge and shorter gadget cooldowns keep the pressure on. Access to rocket launchers and explosives makes this class ideal for breaching buildings and shredding vehicles.
Engineers specialize in vehicles and equipment. They repair damaged vehicles, deploy anti-vehicle mines and EMP devices, and enter/exit vehicles faster than other classes. Any squad running heavy vehicle play needs an Engineer.
Support keeps squads sustained in prolonged fights. Extra armor plate capacity for the whole team, increased heavy weapon ammo, and deployable ammo crates and light cover let squads fight longer without constant looting.
Recon handles intelligence and long-range elimination. Motion sensors and spotting scopes reveal enemy positions. Faster ADS movement with snipers improves ranged combat. Marking enemies for the entire squad helps avoid third-party ambushes.
Training Paths
Training Paths provide class-specific abilities and gear that unlock as rounds progress. Intel caches and mission completion level them up, allowing further specialization throughout the match.
Vehicles in Battle Royale
Vehicles set REDSEC apart from other battle royales. The full Battlefield sandbox is present: cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, helicopters, golf carts, and tanks.
Light vehicles move fast but offer zero protection. Armored vehicles dominate open ground but become coffins in tight urban areas where C4 and rockets excel.
Attack helicopters and main battle tanks don't spawn through normal looting. Keycards from contracts and intel caches unlock them at designated spawn points. These high-tier vehicles shift late-game power dramatically and force infantry to carry anti-vehicle weapons.
Gauntlet Mode
Gauntlet is entirely new for Battlefield. Eight squads of four (32 players total) compete in objective-based missions within a confined map area.
How Gauntlet Works
Four rounds, four randomized missions. After each round, the lowest-scoring squads get eliminated:
- Round One: Eight squads
- Round Two: Six squads remain
- Round Three: Four squads remain
- Round Four: Two squads battle for the win
Matches run about 15 minutes. Double points activate in the final minute of each mission.
All Eight Mission Types
Gauntlet cycles through eight mission types. Scoring changes completely between missions, so reading the pre-round briefing matters.
| Mission | Objective | Key Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit | Domination-style terminal capture | Hold more consoles, earn points faster |
| Contract | Team deathmatch with squad wipe bonuses | 15 points for wiping an entire squad |
| Deadlock | King of the Hill central zone control | Points accumulate based on time holding |
| Decryption | Secure and transmit beacon pickups | 50 seconds of transmission earns 10 points |
| Extraction | Gather data from consoles A and B | Points awarded per successful extraction |
| Heist | Capture the Flag variant | Steal objectives from enemy bases |
| Vendetta | Eliminate enemy High Value Targets | Points for kills and HVT survival |
| Wreckage | Rush mode with bomb planting | Points for destroying M-COM-style targets |
Portal Mode
Portal brings Battlefield 6's custom game creation tools to REDSEC, now accessible to all free players.
Customization Options
Portal allows modification of player counts, weapon and vehicle pools, health regeneration rates, sprint speed, and playable map areas. A Spatial Editor enables map section remixing, while visual scripting tools handle custom logic and rules.
Free vs. Battlefield 6 Owner Access
Free players can create modes using REDSEC content and join any community server.
Battlefield 6 owners unlock cross-game content mixing. Weapons, vehicles, maps, and modes from both titles can be combined.
Popular Community Modes
Monetization and Battle Pass
Battlefield Coins (BFC) serve as premium currency for cosmetic purchases. Soldier skins, weapon camos, vehicle decals, and the seasonal Battle Pass are all available. No pay-to-win mechanics or stat-boosting items exist.
Battle Pass Integration
The Battle Pass syncs between REDSEC and Battlefield 6. Progress in either game counts toward unlocks.
This has become a pain point for BF6 owners. Many weekly Battle Pass challenges are locked exclusively to REDSEC modes. Players who paid $70 for the main game feel forced into the free-to-play title to complete progression they already paid for.
Battlefield 6 Integration Controversy
REDSEC launched to overwhelmingly negative Steam reviews despite solid gameplay. The backlash targets business decisions and ecosystem integration, not combat quality.
- Gauntlet mode feels genuinely fresh
- Destruction physics enhance BR gameplay
- Vehicle sandbox adds unique dynamics
- Solid gunplay and movement mechanics
- Forced Battle Pass progression in REDSEC
- Perceived Warzone clone accusations
- No solo queue at launch
- Resource allocation concerns over BF6
Context
Most negative reviews acknowledge that REDSEC plays well. Gauntlet receives consistent praise even from critics of the BR mode. Players approaching REDSEC without existing BF6 investment won't notice most of these issues.
System Requirements
PC Specifications
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i7-10700 / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 55 GB | 80 GB (SSD recommended) |
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 5600 XT / Intel Arc A380 | NVIDIA RTX 3060Ti / AMD RX 6700-XT / Intel Arc B580 |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
Quick Reference