DICE is overhauling Battlefield 6’s vehicle combat in next month’s Season 3 update, fundamentally reworking how tanks take damage, regenerate health, and handle on the battlefield. The changes, revealed by Game Designer Chris Matte, aim to replace unpredictable engagements with what the studio calls “calculated risks”.
The vehicle rework stems from consistent player feedback about inconsistency in vehicular combat. “The moment to moment experience hasn’t always felt as satisfying as it should, particularly when it comes to how vehicle strengths and drawbacks play out in combat,” Matte acknowledged in a developer deep dive.
The studio identified that the most effective vehicle playstyles currently lean toward “low-risk, long-range engagements,” and wants to make front-line, objective-pushing strategies more viable.
The most significant change involves damage calculation. Most anti-tank weapons will now require three hits rather than two to destroy a tank, with “the exception of some specialized tools”. Damage variance based on impact angles and hit locations is being drastically reduced, creating what DICE describes as “a small number of predictable damage values”. Guided weapons will now deal consistent damage regardless of where they strike.
On the defensive side, repairs are being completely reworked. They will start strong but diminish over time as a vehicle remains in combat, with diminishing returns for multiple Engineers repairing the same target.
Health regeneration now begins after a longer 12-second gap (up from six seconds) but regenerates at approximately double the rate—up to 10% per second. Even critical damage won’t fully halt regeneration, though it will slow it by roughly 80%.
Tanks will feel more responsive with improved acceleration, turning, and turret rotation speeds. Mobility kills will no longer occur from general damage but will be tied to specific tools like anti-vehicle mines. Aircraft receive new UI indicators for better threat awareness.
DICE is also streamlining vehicle loadouts. The Reinforced Plating customization is being removed entirely, with baseline durability increased to compensate. A new passive ability will speed up countermeasure recharge while the vehicle is at low health. The Engineer class will receive “a full balance pass on launchers,” including improvements to underused options like the 9K38 IGLA and MBT-LAW .
Season 3 launches in May, alongside two returning maps—Railway to Golmud and Cairo Bazaar—and the introduction of Ranked Play for REDSEC Battle Royale . DICE has indicated further vehicle adjustments will follow throughout the season. For players who have grown frustrated with unpredictable vehicle engagements, these changes represent the most substantial rework since launch.
More News:
Take-Two CEO is “Terrified” About the Release of Grand Theft Auto 6
PS5 Gets Microsoft Flight Simulator for PSVR2, While Xbox Users Are Still Waiting
Nearly 80% of Crimson Desert Players Haven’t Made It Halfway Through the Story
