Why Battlefield 6 is Skipping Ray Tracing at Launch
For years, the Battlefield franchise has been chasing consistency. After some highs and lows across the past decade, Battlefield 6 looks like it might finally be the entry that regains ground against its biggest rival, Call of Duty. A large part of that comeback strategy is tied to performance and accessibility. In a surprising but calculated move, EA and DICE have confirmed that Battlefield 6 will not include ray tracing at launch—and it may not arrive anytime soon.
A Bold Choice in a Ray Tracing Era
Speaking with Comicbook.com, Christian Buhl, the technical director for Battlefield 6, made things clear:
“No, we are not going to have ray tracing when the game launches and we don’t have any plans in the near future for it either.”
In an industry where ray tracing is increasingly marketed as a must-have feature for realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections, this decision stands out. While many AAA titles lean on ray tracing to showcase next-gen visuals, EA’s decision shows a strong preference for raw performance and optimization instead.
Why Skip Ray Tracing?
The simple answer: performance. Ray tracing can make any game look gorgeous, but it also pushes hardware to its limits. It often requires support from technologies like DLSS or FSR to remain playable, even on powerful rigs. EA has been vocal about wanting Battlefield 6 to run smoothly without leaning too heavily on upscaling or frame generation.
Buhl explained the reasoning behind the move:
“We wanted to focus on performance. We wanted to make sure that all of our effort was focused on making the game as optimized as possible for the default settings and the default users.”
This approach reflects a practical mindset. Instead of catering only to players with high-end GPUs, the developers are trying to ensure smooth gameplay for the widest possible audience.
What the Beta Showed
The Battlefield 6 beta confirmed the lack of ray tracing. There were no shiny reflections on water or glass, nor the intricate ray-traced shadows that fans of Battlefield V may remember. And yet, the game still looked solid. Explosions were punchy, lighting effects were convincing, and the overall presentation felt polished even without the tech flourish of ray tracing.
For many players, the absence of ray tracing wasn’t a dealbreaker. In fact, the stability of the beta’s performance may have been more reassuring than chasing eye candy.
A Shift in Battlefield’s Visual Identity
The Battlefield series isn’t new to ray tracing. Battlefield V was among the first big titles to showcase the technology back when Nvidia was pushing RTX cards. At that time, it was seen as a glimpse into the future of graphics. Battlefield 6’s choice to move away from it marks a clear shift, not just in optimization but also in art direction.
Without ray tracing, developers have more freedom to refine traditional rendering methods, and in some ways, this can result in a more consistent visual style across different hardware setups.
Hardware Considerations and Player Accessibility
Many gamers worry about minimum requirements as much as they do about maximum graphical fidelity. With Battlefield 6, EA seems intent on striking a balance. Reports suggest that a meaningful percentage of beta players were running the game on minimum spec machines. By avoiding ray tracing, DICE makes sure that older and budget systems can still join in without becoming a burden on performance.
This could pay off in the long run. A healthier player base requires accessibility, and a competitive shooter thrives on full servers. After all, even the most stunning reflections mean little if players can’t find a match.
As one PC gamer put it: better to have stable Ultra settings that don’t cripple a GPU like the RTX 4070 Super than to force ray tracing at the expense of smooth performance.
Will Ray Tracing Come Later?
While EA has no plans to add ray tracing “in the near future,” it’s possible that support could be patched in later. Post-launch updates often expand graphical settings, and many players would welcome the option to toggle ray tracing once stability is locked in. Still, for now, Battlefield 6 is prioritizing consistent frame rates, broader accessibility, and balanced performance over chasing graphical benchmarks.
The Bigger Picture
Battlefield 6’s decision to skip ray tracing at launch is more than just a technical note—it’s a statement about where the franchise is headed. EA is aiming to win players back by focusing on what matters most in a competitive shooter: performance, stability, and community size.
Sure, reflections and detailed shadows are nice to have. But for most players, a smooth experience and active servers are far more important than glossy visuals. In the long run, this could prove to be one of the smartest choices DICE has made in years.
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