Battlefield 6 gets a free week — but only after a 60 GB detour through REDSEC
From August 18 to 25, anyone who hasn't tried Battlefield 6 yet will get the chance to play it for free. The week-long trial will include several multiplayer modes, such as Conquest, Breakthrough, Escalation, Casual Breakthrough and Top Gun: Carrier Strike. Battles will take place on the Wake Island, Tsuru Reef, Cairo Bazaar and Hagental Base maps, so players will not only be able to try two of the newest maps but also get a taste of the current Top Gun crossover.
The free trial will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC — via Steam, the Epic Games Store or the EA App. A convenient feature: all unlocks earned during the free period will carry over to the full game. However, the promotion does come with a catch. To access the trial, players first have to download the free-to-play REDSEC mode, Battlefield 6's battle royale spin-off — and that's no small detour, as REDSEC requires between 27 GB and more than 60 GB of storage space depending on the platform.
Insider Gaming suspects that EA may have deliberately introduced this access requirement to steer new players toward REDSEC. After all, the battle royale spin-off remains installed on the system once the trial ends. Anyone who has already overcome the biggest hurdle — the sizable download — may be more inclined to keep playing it afterward. Insider Gaming also points to the fact that REDSEC has reportedly failed to attract the level of attention EA had hoped for, which could explain why the publisher is looking for new ways to funnel players into the mode.
On Reddit, this theory has sparked a lively debate. Some players believe the REDSEC download requirement is a clever marketing move designed to boost the mode's player base, while others see it simply as an inconvenience that may discourage part of the audience from taking advantage of the free week altogether. Critics argue that forcing a massive download before allowing access to the trial could backfire, especially for players with slower internet connections or limited storage space on their consoles. Others, however, note that the carry-over of progress makes the trial genuinely worthwhile for those planning to buy the full game, and that the extra download is a minor price to pay for a week of free access to one of the year's biggest multiplayer shooters.
