Major disappointment in the shooter community: A core feature long demanded by fans for Battlefield 6 will no longer launch this year. As announced by publisher Electronic Arts and developer DICE, the return of the Platoons – the series' clan-specific social system – must be postponed at short notice. Instead of launching as promised in December 2026 with Season 5, the feature will now remain “MIA” (missing in action) until at least 2027.Missing in Action.

The promise from spring: Return of the 100-player squads

Anticipation for the system was high. Already during the era of Battlefield 3 Platoons acted like an MMO guild for the tactical shooter, allowing friends and larger gaming communities to organize, compete, and reconnect beyond mere squad boundaries. After the feature was sorely missed in recent installments of the series, EA officially announced its return in the roadmap in April 2026 for Season 5.

A comprehensive modular system was planned:

  • Communities of up to 100 members: Players should be able to create their own squads, assign clan tags, and easily set up shared lobbies.

  • Management tools: Custom ranks and detailed join settings for group leaders.

  • XP bonuses: Rewards and experience boosts for matches played together with Platoon members.

The package was meant to lay the foundation for community engagement during winter, launching in early December alongside the classic server browser and new map updates.

Last-minute brake: Neither Platoons nor the "B-81 Cavalry" ready for action

The timing of the cancellation has caused particular frustration among players: On October 21, EA officially reaffirmed that Platoons would debut as planned in Season 5. Only two weeks later, the development team surprisingly pulled the plug on X (formerly Twitter):

"We remain committed to delivering high-quality experiences to our players. However, we have determined that the B-81 Cavalry and our Platoons feature are not ready for deployment as they do not meet our internal quality standards."

In addition to the clan system, the delay also affects the new vehicle B-81 Cavalry. The studio plans to present a revised roadmap for 2027 only after the holidays at the start of the new year.

Community reacts with frustration and incomprehension

Sharp criticism erupted immediately after the announcement across social networks and forums. Many veterans are frustrated that a system which was standard in the franchise over a decade ago is causing such development issues in 2026.

Particularly criticized is the lack of clear communication: Since the feature was promoted just days ago and is a prominent part of the official key art for Season 5, disappointed players accuse DICE and EA of still not having fundamental features under control on schedule. For Battlefield clans that had been waiting for December, this now means further waiting well into the next year.