You are now entering Battlefield: REDSEC.
This free-to-play Battlefield* experience is open to all those who are not only interested in FPS Battle Royale games, but who also want to explore the high-octane team tactical competitive mode known as Gauntlet.
If you are already familiar with Battle Royale and FPS games, then we advise reading the Battle Royale 101 and Gauntlet 101 guides, as they speak to core game mechanics, including differences that sets Battlefield REDSEC apart from the rest, and finer details. However, if you are unfamiliar with these video game genres and are completely new to Battlefield, then consider this your bootcamp:
Battlefield in Summary
Before understanding what REDSEC is, what is Battlefield?
Since 2002, the Battlefield franchise is known for producing iconic all-out warfare FPS experiences, built on the concepts of tactical destruction - environments that react to your in-game actions and may help you gain an advantage - and high-intensity team-based combat.
REDSEC is Battlefield’s first-ever “free-to-play Battle Royale” game, but it’s not just Battle Royale: this experience includes Gauntlet, a round-based elimination mode that samples from the franchise’s rich Multiplayer history, as well as REDSEC’s Portal Community Creations, an ever-evolving sandbox from our community developers.
However, your first steps into REDSEC - or rather, your Initiation - will more than likely come in the form of the Battle Royale Initiation playlist:
Battle Royale Initiation
In BR Duos, eliminate hostels, track intel, and dodge the chemical ring on a condensed map.
Battle Royale Initiation is built for new players: in this Battle Royale variant, you and a squadmate can drop into a match with the following key differences:
This version of Fort Lyndon is significantly smaller than its full version. Specifically, only the southeast portion of the map is accessible, with the Marina, Fleetview Ridge and Golf Course serving as the northern border, and the Defense Nexus as the western border.
Players who can access this mode are limited to newer players.
A 48 player maximum, inclusive of Bots.
Essentially, this is a low-stakes learning environment to learn how Battle Royale is done the Battlefield way. Specifically, your path towards victory will involve the following:
Dropping In
Choose your Class, which comes with its own benefits such as Gadgets and a “Training Path” that grants passive traits as you and your squad perform in-game actions.
ASSAULT - The ultimate frontline fighter, skilled at punching through enemy defenses. Dominate close to mid-range encounters and limit the enemy’s ability to fight.
ENGINEER - The battlefield’s leading vehicle and equipment technician. Execute repairs to keep allies combat effective, or strike hostile armor with force to break their attack.
SUPPORT - The backbone of any combat unit for defense and sustained fighting. Heal and resupply friendly forces, while fortifying defensive positions to keep them protected.
RECON - The perfect intelligence and counterintelligence operative. Neutralize targets from a distance, or infiltrate, gathering intel and disrupting hostile forces.
You also get to choose a Sidearm, a small personal defense weapon that is great in a pinch, but is not meant to carry you through an entire match.
Next, get ready to parachute into Fort Lyndon! Either you or your duo will be labelled as the “Squad Leader;” when the Squad Leader calls for a jump, both of you will leap out of the infiltration plane.
At any point, the non-Leader can “break away” from the formation and continue dropping on their own. However, we highly recommend that new players stay in formation. Your parachute will automatically deploy when you get close to the ground (unless you switch this Setting off, which we don’t recommend to new players). Alternatively, you can manually deploy the parachute to delay landing in favor of a more intentional landing spot, but remember that every second off the ground is another second for every enemy to start getting better weapons.
Securing Better Weapons, Ammo and Armor
Your sidearm can only get you so far. That’s where scavenging for weapons, ammo and armor become the tools for survival.
These are all available through a variety of crates found in the map; look for giant rectangular boxes that are green (Common), red-and-black (Rare), or red with Class symbols (Class Chests). Class Chests are the rarest of the trio, but often contain rewards that fit your chosen Class. Look for vehicles that can be opened to contain more items, as well as locked vaults that the Engineer Class can open with their Repair Tool.
Crates can also contain Ammo, which is shared between all weapons in a given weapon category. For example, picking up Assault Rifle ammo will grant ammo to any and all Assault Rifles you use. While there are other ways to gain more ammo like picking it off eliminated enemies or getting an Ammo Resupply Call-In, the easiest way to restock is to use the Support Class’ Supply Box, which grants the ammo of the weapon you’re currently using whenever it is interacted with.
Completing Contracts
Your primary mission in Battle Royale is to eliminate all enemies. Second to that are Contracts, objectives that can be accepted on your full map screen and reward powerful items. Whenever a Contract becomes available to choose, you will receive a prompt below the compass on your HUD.
Here are some of the Contracts to look for out of the many, due to their simplicity and minimal risk of having to fight another team for rewards:
Signal Decryption - Run towards two marked antennas on your map, then interact with them to get them in alignment. There is a horizontal and vertical meter that indicates the perfect antenna position. Be warned, however, that you will be left completely defenseless while aligning antennas.
Weapons Cache - An excellent loadout-building Contract; a set of bolt cutters will be marked on your map to pick up. After grabbing them, the location of a valuable weapons cache will be revealed, which contains a few rarer weapons and other items for the whole squad to use.
Data Extraction - A computer on the map has intel on the collapsing ring that threatens Fort Lyndon. Interact with the computer to encrypt a data drive; after several seconds, you’ll be able to extract the drive and take it to an extraction drone for safekeeping. Other squads can shoot the drone down, so be ready for a fight once that drive is collected.
Avoiding the Circle of Death, Respawning and Achieving Victory
Enemies are not the only danger to avoid: the Circle of Death is what it means, as one step into this area will near-instantly down and eliminate you. Mind the red-shaded areas on your mini-map, or heed the warnings on your HUD (the heads-up display you see while in-game) when it shows a red skull icon and a distance.
Whether you die by enemy hands, venture too far out of the safe area, or fall out of the sky at terminal velocity, death is not always finite. In every Battle Royale’s first few minutes you automatically get a Second Chance, redeploying immediately from the sky to try to survive again. If you don’t use your Second Chance, you get a sizable chunk of XP, which is great for ranking up and unlocking more Loadout items.
Alternatively, Battle Royale includes Respawn Points where squad members can revive their allies. After activating a Respawn Point, stay within its radius for a short period of time to respawn all dead allies. If you are spectating from beyond, you are able to request a respawn, but do so sparingly to avoid being ignored, especially if you are playing with random squadmates.
The last remaining Battle Royale squad wins the match. If you win a Battle Royale Initiation, then congratulations! You’re ready to graduate to the full Battle Royale experience.
Graduating to Battle Royale - Tips for Survival and Victory
At the end of your Initiation journey, either by choice or by hitting the playlist’s imposed limit, you should be ready to drop into Battle Royale.
STICK TO YOUR INITIATION ZONES. All that training in Battle Royale Initiation should make you familiar with major points of interest like the massive Main Street district. Learning the backstreets, rooftops, and corridors can give you an advantage over other new players who may be unaware of the surroundings.
KNOW YOUR CLASS. From starting gadgets to abilities earned in game, these are the tools that grant advantages before, during and between engagements. Remember to use everything your Class offers and ask a battle buddy with more experience to walk you through its basics.
WORK WITH YOUR TEAM. Battle Royale is about surviving as a squad; don’t stray too far from squadmates, be sure to share enemy locations and precious high-value items, and remember to revive them whenever it is clear to do so.
Gauntlet - Round-Based Elimination Multiplayer
Battle Royale is not the only REDSEC experience: in Gauntlet, eight squads of four players each go head-to-head in a series of special operations that push every squad to their limit. If you like traditional Multiplayer FPS experiences, then you’ll love Gauntlet.
Gauntlet is extremely similar to how you get started in Battlefield 6 proper, which we detail here. It involves creating a custom loadout - detailed in our loadout guide and our class guides throughout our onboarding hub - and pits squads against each other in a series of high-octane missions, most of them centered around objective play. Every mode includes a helpful in-game description and demonstration of how to play, including what actions score points for your squad. Failure to secure enough points results in elimination, while winning four modes in a Gauntlet match means victory.
Here are three quick tips to get started in this pick-up-and-play experience:
WATCH THE BRIEFING. The small sequence before each operation gives a short demonstration of how it is played, as well as the points earned for each action. Ignoring this is an invitation to one-and-done matches.
PLAY THE OBJECTIVE. Although one mode (Contract) is all about kills and deaths, all other Gauntlet experiences reward objective play over player eliminations. Using what you learned in the briefing, focus on the actions that will score your team the most points, and don’t worry as much about that K/D ratio so long as you make tactical advances towards the objective.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY. Winning Gauntlet teams are able to define their plans for capturing objectives clearly and concisely. Use the ping system, voice chat and text chat to effectively plan and execute coordinated efforts, otherwise be prepared to be reassigned or get sent back to the start of the Gauntlet.
*Includes optional in-game purchases. Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. Persistent internet connection and EA account required.