Battlefield 6 is still a ways off from its official launch on October 10, but that hasn’t stopped its passionate community from diving deep into the game’s mechanics during its ongoing second open beta weekend. And right now, no weapon is facing more backlash than the grenade launcher, which many testers say just doesn’t pack the punch you’d expect.
Why so many players are hating on the Grenade Launcher
Let’s start with the most glaring issue: the grenade launcher’s area of effect (AoE). According to users across Reddit and other forums, this thing barely scratches enemies unless you nail them directly. That’s right: instead of being the trusty indirect-fire weapon many Battlefield players remember, it’s more like a high-risk spitball gun.
Redditor Nameless908 captured the mood perfectly by calling it “almost completely useless” and likening it to, of all things, a spitball pen. Ouch.
Rocket Launchers get the same cold shoulder
But wait: the grenade launcher isn’t getting roasted alone. Rocket launchers are taking shrapnel too. Players argue that their splash damage is laughably low, to the point that if your rocket doesn’t directly hit an enemy, all it does is politely suppress them. That’s not exactly what anyone signs up for when they equip a freaking ROCKET.
Even worse? These babies can’t take down walls or static structures: another puzzling design decision considering the series’ long-standing embrace of environmental destruction. That’s part of Battlefield’s DNA at this point, so the sudden impotence of explosive weapons feels … off. Like showing up to a fireworks show and getting sparklers instead.
Popular creators echo the sentiment
It’s not just Reddit threads igniting the debate. YouTuber Jason “videogamedunkey” Gastrow dove into the issue in a recent viral video, highlighting both the grenade and rocket launcher shortcomings within the first 10 seconds of the clip. When someone with Dunkey’s reach is publicly roasting your explosive arsenal, you know it’s probably time for a rethink.
But maybe this was the plan all along?
Now, before we throw the whole explosive category in the trash can, let’s talk balance. It seems DICE may have intentionally nerfed these launchers to avoid players turning them into overpowered infantry wipes. By limiting their AoE and destructive power, they may be trying to push these weapons toward anti-vehicle roles. Makes sense … on paper at least.
You can even equip two launcher types in Battlefield 6, which already makes things tough for vehicle operators. Cranking up splash damage might tip the scales too far and risk breaking the delicate unit balance. There’s also the existence of ammo variants, like Thermobaric Grenades. These fire types don’t need pinpoint accuracy to be useful — they stunlock enemies and set them ablaze. Niche? Yeah. Effective? Definitely, in the right hands.
Will DICE make changes before launch?
As of now, DICE hasn’t publicly confirmed any tweaks for either the grenade or rocket launchers. But with the second beta running through August 17, and chatter across the community reaching a boiling point, there’s still time for the devs to gather feedback and possibly reconsider their explosive philosophy.
Could we see a last-minute balance pass before the full release? Maybe. DICE has a history of reacting to early feedback, but also of sticking to gameplay ideas they believe in. We’ll know soon enough when Battlefield 6 explodes onto platforms October 10 … hopefully with grenades that actually explode like they’re supposed to.
Right now, if you’re hoping for Battlefield 6 to scratch that explosive chaos itch, you might be slightly underwhelmed by the current state of its launcher arsenal. Whether that’s intentional balance or a beta oversight remains to be seen. Either way, you can bet the conversations around grenade and rocket efficiency aren’t going away any time soon.