Why is Battlefield 6 so afraid of big maps?

Blackwell Fields, another needlessly small map, shows a worrying pattern with Battlefield 6.

Last week: Fired up Halo: Combat Evolved on the Steam Deck and decided it's the last game that needs another remake.

One day is not enough time to confidently declare Blackwell Fields the worst map in Battlefield 6, but that hasn't stopped folks from doing it anyway. I'm enjoying its glorious exploding oil derricks and the way its rolling hills and minimal building cover emphasizes vehicle play, but its major flaw is abundantly clear, because it's the same flaw that's been grinding everybody's gears since Battlefield 6's beta: several of the maps that Battlefield 6 considers "large" are actually pretty small.

Blackwell Fields isn't big enough. New Sobek City isn't big enough. Siege of Cairo isn't big enough. Iberian Offensive isn't big enough. Empire State isn't big enough.

We're beyond coincidence. There's a serious disconnect between what DICE and the rest of Battlefield Studios believe Battlefield maps should look like and what a lot of players obviously want, and I think I've identified an important reason why.

Here are the layouts of Blackwell Fields and New Sobek City, two "large" Conquest maps that feel cramped.

And here's Mirak Valley and Operation Firestorm, Battlefield 6's two largest maps that are also widely considered its best.

The four maps have similarities. All flags are connected by contiguous roads, and the flags themselves are close to the equator, not scattered in the outskirts. The main difference, and the reason why Mirak and Firestorm feel so open, are the pockets of "empty" space to the north and south (marked by pink).

Nothing exciting exists in those pink spaces. It's all dirt, hill, or tree cover, but they're super important for a Battlefield map because empty space represents options. On Mirak, Firestorm, and countless Battlefield classics that many hope will be remade someday, outskirts are where flanks are formulated. They're where hot z

Source: PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com)