What next for the Battlefield RedSec esports scene?

The release of Battlefield 6 marked the reemergence of a storied FPS series. And in the first phase of Season 1, we also got Battlefield RedSec. More than a bolt-on, the standalone BR experience from Ripple Effect Studios could give EA another popular esports contender: potentially drawing BR fans from Fortnite, Warzone, and EA’s own Apex Legends.

Reinforcing RedSec’s potential, EA had hoped that launching the free-to-play BR into esports would bolster take-up by gamers and pros alike. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone smoothly, and the current state of RedSec and its esports future seems to be mired in problems. And as we’ll see, it’s unclear if RedSec will successfully exfiltrate itself. 

Quietly released as part of Battlefield 6’s Season 1 Phase 1 “Rogue Ops” update, RedSec appeared after months of speculation. Initially, eyes were wide, and praise was plentiful. With combined BF6 and RedSec player numbers just over 300,000 (on Steam) the day before RedSec arrived, players then spiked to over 500,000, showing an immediate impact.

We’ve found RedSec fun, and it certainly offers a viable alternative to Warzone and other BR games, channelling Battlefield’s destructive and vehicle-based action. Its closing circle is deadly, and its Gauntlet Squad mode is a novel and fresh option. However, with no separate player numbers from BF6 itself, it’s hard to gauge success on Battlefield RedSec’s platforms.

While initial reviews, including ours, were mostly positive, recent community feedback has been mixed. This is due to reported technical issues, like hit registration and netcode concerns, as well as the lack of a Battlefield RedSec Solos option and an absent ‘no-fill squad’ toggle. Furthermore, claims of instability are exacerbated by accusations that bots are ruining matches.

With Battlefield 6 numbers on a clear downward trend, under 50,000 on Steam as we write, RedSec seems to have only confused matters when it comes to BF6’s potential success. Unfavourable comparisons of RedSec vs Warzone, also struggling for sentiment, have become louder, and these may have been easier to quash with thriving RedSec esports.

Sadly, that’s not the case. EA announced RedSec’s entry into esports in November, laying out the Battlefield RedSec Open Series for amateurs and the Battlefield RedSec Elite Series for professional gamers. The combined $1 million circuit was due to kick off this month, but this hasn’t happened. A December 8 post on the official Battlefield X account reads:

Three days later, on December 10, a second announcement confirmed that the Elite Series was postponed due to an ‘unforeseen technical issue’. That leaves both of Battlefield RedSec’s esports tournaments on ice until further notice, and means that the future of RedSec in the esports scene is, as of right now, uncertain, as live player counts tumble.

Regarding the Elite Series, the official Battlefield accounts’ statements make clear the title remains “fully committed” to “creating a competitive scene that’s built to last.” But a genuine question may be: how much of an audience will there be, given the declining player sentiment in the Battlefield community?

What is clear is that EA has the potential to dust off minor issues and knows plenty about competitive esports titles. Apex Legends’ Global Series is well-established, and the title has a solid following in the competitive scene, even as its popularity has waxed and waned over the last couple of years. This could encourage those keen to see RedSec succeed.

However, it does feel like EA having two Battle Royale titles vying for space and attention could be problematic. This is particularly so given that Battlefield 6 and RedSec are both struggling to stabilise, let alone foster flourishing communities of their own. Not ignoring that BF6 now has a lower player-count baseline than Apex, and it doesn’t feel like the falling line has quite bottomed out yet. EA may need to commit resources to game fixes and its profile.

Still, the publisher will likely continue to support both titles’ esports aspirations. While players may currently be less inclined to play RedSec (or Battlefield 6), a “build it, and they will come” approach may work for RedSec esports if the spectacle is big, slick, and loud enough. But we’ll have to wait until the New Year for the Open and Elite Series to emerge.

The Battlefield RedSec esports scene has gotten off to an inauspicious start, with the Elite Series and then the Open Series both postponed until the new year due to technical issues. Such issues can usually be fixed, but other problems may threaten RedSec’s potential as a fan-favourite esports title.

The Battle Royale experience is already up against another EA BR title in the shape of Apex Legends. But more importantly, player sentiment and game and feature issues both need attention to quell concerns arising in the community. The RedSec Elite and Open Series will return, but we’ll have to see how they register and if BF6 and RedSec can rally.