Key Highlights:
- Wake Island returns to Battlefield 6 on August 18 as part of Season 4 Phase 2: Top Gun.
- The reimagined map supports land, naval and air combat, with offshore aircraft carriers playing directly into the battle.
- The same update adds Carrier Strike, two-seat Top Gun jets and the Interdictor, Battlefield 6’s longest-range sniper rifle.
EA has released the first dedicated gameplay trailer for Wake Island in Battlefield 6, showing the classic map rebuilt around the game’s modern combined-arms systems.
Wake Island launches on August 18 as part of Season 4 Phase 2: Top Gun. Battlefield 6 Season 4 itself began on July 21 with the Pacific Front phase, Tsuru Reef and the return of naval warfare.
The new trailer shows infantry fighting across the shoreline, tanks pushing through the island and naval vessels attacking from the surrounding water. Fighter jets also operate above the map, while offshore aircraft carriers provide another route into the battle.
Wake Island first appeared in Battlefield 1942 and has returned several times across the franchise. Battlefield Studios says the Battlefield 6 version is based on its most recent appearance in Battlefield V: War in the Pacific. The map has been rebuilt to suit Battlefield 6’s larger scale, modern setting and current gameplay systems.
Players can patrol the coastline, attack fortified positions and demolish bunkers with C-4. The surrounding ocean is also playable, allowing squads to approach objectives using Battlefield 6’s renewed naval combat systems.
I think that combination is what gives this version of Wake Island more value than a straightforward remake. Battlefield Studios is preserving the recognisable island layout while using aircraft carriers, naval vehicles and modern destruction to change how squads can attack it.
The water itself now affects combat. Battlefield 6’s Season 4 wave system produces changing ocean conditions, while boats generate wakes and buoyant gadgets react to the surface. Underwater explosions are supported, and bullet penetration through water varies depending on calibre. Players can also drag and revive teammates while swimming.
Wake Island arrives alongside the Battlefield 6 x Top Gun event, which introduces two new combat modes and a dedicated aviation unit called CJTF Helix. Event challenges award themed cosmetics and use a limited-time currency.
Carrier Strike is the main Battlefield 6 multiplayer mode. Ground, naval and air squads work together to attack the opposing team’s aircraft carrier. Teams must push through objectives before ultimately destroying the enemy carrier.
The structure draws from an older Battlefield idea. Carrier-focused objective warfare previously appeared through Titan mode in Battlefield 2142 and later Carrier Assault in Battlefield 4. Battlefield Studios has reworked that concept around Battlefield 6’s combined-arms combat rather than simply restoring the older ruleset.
The second mode, Gauntlet: Fighter Sweep, belongs to REDSEC. Squads use the new two-seat jets in a dedicated aerial mission built around dogfights and avoiding anti-aircraft fire.
Battlefield REDSEC launched as a free 100-player Battle Royale experience in October 2025. Fighter Sweep expands its Gauntlet format beyond the ground-based competition available at launch.
Two new aircraft arrive with the Top Gun phase. The F/A-81F Super Spectre and F-74A Seacat both support two players, allowing a pilot and wingman to fight from the same jet.
The update also introduces the Interdictor sniper rifle. EA describes it as the longest-range sniper rifle in Battlefield 6 and says it can be used to eliminate pilots from their cockpits. Players unlock the weapon through the limited-time event rather than the standard Season 4 launch Battle Pass.
| August 18 addition | Confirmed detail |
|---|---|
| Wake Island | Reimagined classic multiplayer map |
| Carrier Strike | Land, sea and air assault on enemy carriers |
| Fighter Sweep | Jets-only REDSEC Gauntlet mission |
| F/A-81F Super Spectre | Two-seat Top Gun jet |
| F-74A Seacat | Two-seat Top Gun jet |
| Interdictor | Longest-range BF6 sniper rifle |
| Custom Lobbies | Battlefield Labs in Live |
| Spectator Mode | Battlefield Labs in Live |
August 18 will also introduce Custom Lobbies and Spectator Mode through Battlefield Labs in Live. Initial Custom Lobby support covers Conquest and Battle Royale Quads. Hosts can assign players to teams and adjust selected match settings, while Spectator Mode adds first-person, third-person and free-camera viewing.
Battlefield Studios says the new Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep modes are not currently planned as permanent additions. The team will evaluate how players respond before deciding whether to rotate them back in or extend them to additional maps.
That makes the August 18 update larger than the Wake Island trailer alone suggests. The map headlines the release, but the same phase expands Battlefield 6’s aviation, objective modes, weapon pool and community tools.
Season 4 will then move into its final phase on September 15. Tidal Strike adds another Collection Event and begins testing Proximity Chat in REDSEC through Battlefield Labs in Live.
Wake Island and the Battlefield 6 x Top Gun event launch on August 18 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
