Battlefield 6 goes free-to-play as huge Top Gun crossover is revealed

Battlefield 6 goes free-to-play for a limited time to celebrate a huge Top Gun crossover we never knew we needed until now.

Alongside Activision’s Call of Duty series, EA’s Battlefield is right up there as one of the best and most popular military first-person shooters. However, it’s not had the best of times in recent years, largely due to the disappointing Battlefield 2046 in 2021.

That being said, the series found itself getting back on track with the release of Battlefield 6 last year, which brought back the “boots on the ground” concept that had made the series so popular to begin with, followed by the free-to-play battle royale, Battlefield REDSEC, just a few weeks later.

Battlefield 6 Top Gun crossover and free-to-play promotion announced

This week, EA announced an awesome crossover with Battlefield 6 and the legendary movie franchise starring Tom Cruise, Top Gun. And to celebrate that crossover, the Battlefield 6 multiplayer will be free-to-play for a limited time.

“Be the best of the best,” tweeted the official Battlefield X account, accompanied by a fantastic trailer. “Take to the skies in Season 4's Top Gun with new two-seat fighter jets, Carrier Strike, Gauntlet: Fighter Sweep, and the legendary return of Wake Island.”

“This gave me… ‘Goose” bumps,’ replied Bonni3.

“Damm looks dope!” said TeganCombatti.

“Looks awesome,” added RawnDawn. “Really looking forward to playing it, especially the carrier game mode!”

"Dam… a video came company that actually wants to make money," exclaimed mrobvious007.

The Top Gun crossover will include the iconic fighter jet from the OG movie, the F-14 Tomcat, as well as the F/A-18 Super Hornet. It will also feature three characters from the movies: Rooster, Bob and Warlock, voiced by their real actors, Miles Teller, Lewis Pullman and Charles Parnell. Sadly, there is no Pete “Maverick” Mitchell or Tom Cruise in the crossover.

What’s more, there will also be Top Gun skins and cosmetics for players to acquire, and a new themed mode called ‘Carrier Strike’ that combines land, air and naval combat. Battlefield REDSEC will also have a Gauntlet inspired by the fighter jets from Top Gun.

READ MORE: Battlefield 6 player gets refund after 470 hours played following controversial game update

When is Battlefield 6 going free-to-play and what’s included?

The Battlefield 6 multiplayer will be free-to-play from Tuesday, August 18 to Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

The free-to-play week will include six modes and four maps, as well as the Top Gun content, of course. The six modes are: Top Gun: Carrier Strike, Conquest, Breakthrough, Escalation, and Casual Breakthrough. As for the maps, those are: Wake Island, Tsuru Reef, Cairo Bazaar, and Hagental Base.

How to access the free Battlefield 6 trial

You will need to download Battlefield REDSEC on your platform of choice to access the free Battlefield 6 multiplayer trial. Once it’s all downloaded, you’re good to go. If you do decide to purchase the full game, your stats will carry over.

Battlefield 6 and Battlefield REDSEC are available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.