I’ve played 1,500 hours of Battlefield — here’s why Battlefield 4 is still the most essential entry in the series

The author has logged over 1,500 hours across the Battlefield series, averaging more than 0.7% of their entire life spent gaming. Their enthusiasm for the franchise was piqued by the recent release of Battlefield 6, which has quickly become the best-selling FPS game of 2025. However, several aspects of Battlefield 6, such as its compact maps, weapon balance, and seasonal update cadence, have left the author wanting more.

To address this, Battlefield Studios announced a roadmap in April 2026, which includes a third season aimed at recapturing the nostalgia of Battlefield's past present-day installments, Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4.

Having invested 675 hours in Battlefield 4, the author considers it one of their most played titles, far surpassing their 135 hours in Battlefield 6. Recently, they took the opportunity to revisit Battlefield 4, using the server browser to find games on the few remaining official PS4 servers. The author was pleasantly surprised by the game's slower pace, larger and sparser maps, and greater emphasis on coordinated squad tactics.

Compared to Battlefield 6, Battlefield 4's class-lock system forces players to think more carefully about their in-game roles, making suppressive fire and objective rushes more rewarding. With a total of 33 maps and 107 primary and secondary weapons, Battlefield 4 offers a vast array of settings, factions, and weapons that keep the game feeling fresh even after hundreds of hours.

The destruction elements, such as 'Levolution' gimmicks, add to the game's creative and engaging maps. However, the author notes that Battlefield 6's graphical fidelity far surpasses that of Battlefield 4, and the campaign in Battlefield 6 stands out as a mixed bag, lacking real-world grounding in its story but delivering impressive early-game sequences.