Battlefield 6 Rush mode: Does the latest iteration miss the mark?

Battlefield’s Rush mode is a much-loved staple of the series at this point. However, if you’re new to Battlefield and missed the beta, then we’re here to give you the background and let you know exactly what it’s all about and why it matters. And it does. Although BF6 has multiple multiplayer modes, Rush is up there with Conquest in importance. 

For some, it’s more than a game mode; it’s a part of Battlefield’s identity. For that reason, it’s a huge point of discussion for BF6, given the approach that appears to have been taken. Below, we’ll dive into that, the specifics of the mode itself, and our view on whether it’s worth playing in the future. 

Rush is one of the eight multiplayer game modes in Battlefield 6. And it’s a hugely appreciated mode in the world of Battlefield, where the objective is pretty much as the name suggests. The idea is to rush through a progressively attacked (consistently defended) map and areas of a map, while throwing everything you can at the other team. 

At least, that is how the mode was played in titles like BF3 and BF4. Large-scale warfare, including ground and air vehicles, where every push towards the objective can be rebuffed, led to tense and frantic tactical thinking to carry out the key objective. Traditionally, Rush was a 64-player mode (32v32), almost a straight-line Conquest.

That’s because there aren’t multiple points to take at once around a map, but just two focused targets in one area, and then replaced by further specific objectives in sequence as needed, depending on how the match is going. There’s no swanning off to a flag all by yourself for a moment’s breather. It’s a boots-to-the-ground, straight-ahead battle. 

The objectives of Rush are simple and familiar to players of tactical shooters like VALORANT or CS. But in the simplicity lies its brilliance. Two ‘M-Coms’, A and B, must be targeted by the attacking team, and must be destroyed by planting a bomb, while the defending team does its best to hold off the enemy attack and defuse either if needed. 

Once both of the M-Coms are destroyed, the map opens up and moves to a new area. Here, two more M-Coms (A and B) must be targeted by the attackers. The defender spawn area falls back in the map, and the attacker spawn area moves forward. Naturally, if the attackers fail and run out of respawns, the defenders win. 

This makes the mode frenetic and hugely enjoyable. While sometimes it may be possible to completely landslide through the stages of M-Coms and win in attack, it may be possible to defend so stoutly that you don’t budge an inch as the defenders. The in-betweens are the stuff of Battlefield legend: last-gasp wins or losses, and epic comebacks.

The ultimate objective of pushing the defenders to defeat, through several successfully bombed M-Coms, or defending so well that attackers fall at the first hurdle, sounds simple. It is, but in previous Battlefield titles, keeping an eye on all 32 players, vehicles, flanks, and outrageous manoeuvres is far harder than it sounds. 

The issue that Battlefield 6’s Rush mode has, and that may be why you’re here, is a big one. For many, this mode is simply broken in BF6 compared to what it used to offer. For others, there’s some hope that it can be fixed. The core issue is scale: Battlefield 6’s 12v12 setup may be ‘large-scale’ on paper, but even as a BF6 mode, it finds itself pretty light on numbers.

It’s not just that there are 40 fewer players in this mode versus Battlefield 3/ 4, but the revealed maps are so small, and there are no vehicles! I cannot tell you the number of times I played a Rush game that was all but done, but for an aerial squad deployment saving the day, or a team pushing at once behind a tank, creating havoc to take one M-Com.

The utter chaos and brilliance of Rush is in those moments, and it’s why you’ll see plenty of “disappointing” (hat-tip Enders), “can it be fixed?”, and “Rush is ruined” if you look around at gameplay reviews from the Battlefield 6 beta. It’s not the same as it was, and this isn’t about gatekeeping, but (in my view) shouting that Battlefield 6’s Rush is fun, but not as much fun.

The flip side here is that the Breakthrough exists in BF6. It’s good and a sort of watered-down version of what Rush used to be. In Breakthrough, 48 players (not 64, though) can use (limited) vehicles to take objectives and break through to the next phase. It’s more fun than new Rush, but old Rush it still is not. 

Honestly, I could go on, but throwing an entire 32-player team and vehicles at two little machines that need to be destroyed… is (or maybe was) an art form. Artistic in the ridiculousness of the setup – jets fighting overhead! – and pure brilliance in the enjoyment. BF6’s 12v12 infantry Rush feels more ‘Haste’ based on beta. Dice, please defuse. 

Rush is a 12v12 ‘large scale’ multiplayer map mode that debuted in Battlefield Bad Company 2, and arguably peaked in Battlefield 3. In Battlefield 6, Rush returns as a 12v12 infantry-only mode where teams must still push or defend point A and B ‘M-Coms’ to destroy or protect them before the map opens up.

The controversy around this slimmer approach to the mode, lacking all-out warfare and vehicles, is one of the biggest topics from the Battlefield 6 betas, with fans wondering whether the mode can be adjusted. Meanwhile, it remains fun, not as fun as Breakthrough, or the Rush mode old-school fans appear to prefer.