The Top Gun franchise carries a significant weight. The original 1986 film was a smash hit at the box office and quickly entrenched itself into the cultural fabric of the world – its iconic quotes, its music, its leather jackets, and of course, that extremely famous beach volleyball scene.
A major sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, followed in 2022 – and like its predecessor, it eclipsed all expectations. It was (and remains) one of the biggest box office hits of the 2020s. It was roundly praised for its narrative and music, as well as its realistic depiction of flight scenes. It also helped to boost the careers of a new generation of actors: Miles Teller, Lewis Pullman, Glen Powell, Danny Ramirez and Monica Barbaro among them.
With a new sequel in development, there are plenty of eyes on what comes next for the Top Gun film franchise. But for those looking to return to this universe early, there’s now fresh opportunity as Battlefield 6‘s latest season features a major crossover with the films.
Featuring Miles Teller as Rooster, Lewis Pullman as Bob and Charles Parnell as Warlock, the new expansion allows you to embody some of the characters of Top Gun: Maverick and take them through two new modes, in recognisable jets from the films.
According to Brian Torrence, Gameplay Design Director, EA worked closely with Paramount Pictures to create its new Top Gun-inspired DLC, but they were largely given ‘a lot of rein’ to make the game’s new content fun and enjoyable – and as ‘cool as possible’.
Battlefield 6: Top Gun DLC interview – quick links
Battlefield 6’s Top Gun DLC feels authentic to the films
Stepping into the new content for Battlefield 6, the attention to detail and care in depicting the Top Gun universe is immediately clear. The new seasonal banner features music directly from the film, and there are lush cutscenes for the two new themed game modes, narrated with plenty of gusto by Charles Parnell.
Entering these modes, you’ll be given a mission briefing about hitting particular targets as NATO calls on Top Gun for their deployment against Pax Armata (one of Battlefield‘s key factions), and for their investigative skills. Squadding up, you’ll run from a naval carrier to new awaiting aircraft, including the F-74A Seacat and the F/A-81F Super Spectre, both of which serve as skybound sentinels in skirmishes against enemy forces.
In practice, you will need to be quick about getting on board these aircraft as they only fit two pilots and you can miss out if you take too long in choosing, or if someone fires off a jet before you’re on board. It’s all about committing, then rushing forward into the tumble of multi-layered battle.
The real novelty, beyond getting the full ‘danger zone’ treatment, complete with a brief cutscene, is being able to meet the characters of Top Gun in your travels.
As mentioned, Teller and Pullman are both part of this DLC, voicing Rooster and Bob respectively. Their likenesses are also included and can be equipped as custom skins when you’re on the side of good. When you’re facing off against them it’s entirely discombobulating to be put away by a model-accurate Teller – but good fun if you’re going for complete immersion in the world of Top Gun.
Working with Teller and Pullman on Battlefield 6
Per Torrence, working alongside the actors was a buoyant experience because they brought a lot of energy and passion to their roles, as well as some important requests.
‘In terms of design, I know they had some particularities, in them looking cool,’ Torrence says. ‘They really wanted their characters to look cool.’
Actors were hands-on in recording sessions, not only recording lines, but efforts and soundbites to ensure authenticity in their portrayal. Torrence was particularly enamoured by the work of Parnell.
‘He does some of the “Commander Voice”, which is the voice that tells you when you’re going into battle and what’s happening,’ Torrence says. ‘He does some of those lines, and he does an amazing job. I kind of wish he could do all the commander lines, because he’s got such a gravitas that he brings to the role.’
As for the other Top Gun-esque elements, they were largely the creation of the Battlefield 6 development team, with audio and design talents working together to create realistic fighter jet sounds and details on each new aircraft.
‘It starts with actual scans. They go out and scan certain vehicles, and they really get it down to the rivet in terms of detail,’ Torrence says.
While nobody got a chance to actually fly in one of the vehicles, the team spent time looking at specifics and watching a lot of footage to replicate the feeling of flying – even the minutiae like frame bending with high Gs, and how the planes move and creak as they fly.
‘They’ve got some really amazing sound that they brought these vehicles to life with,’ Torrence says.
The challenges of introducing new aircraft in Battlefield 6
In addition to nailing down the exact sound and feeling of the key Top Gun aircraft, another challenge for the team was ensuring balance and fun in piloting them. As Torrence explains, these are two-seater jets with a pilot and a weapon systems officer in the back seat.
A lot of time was spent on play testing to ensure the feeling was right, and that these aircraft could be powerful weapons while not overshadowing other vehicles in the game.
‘We’ve kind of kept [the new jets] corralled with each other, so that we really had to balance them off each other,’ Torrence says. ‘There’s just a certain amount of effectiveness that I think you’re going to get when you have two players operating the controls of this one jet.’
While there will be a feedback loop to ensure balance is felt by all players when the Top Gun DLC is available, there has been ample work to ensure the new aircraft don’t feel too overpowered, and that players can feel the fantasy of flight without having an unfair advantage on the battlefield.
‘It’s a balance between approachability and verisimilitude,’ Torrence says.
What players can expect when Battlefield 6’s Top Gun DLC launches
As shared by Torrence, the Battlefield 6 team has poured a lot of passion into the game’s latest DLC crossover, inspired by a love for the game and the Top Gun films.
‘We really try to deliver that experience [depicted in the film] in the game, and in Fighter Sweep – dogfighting against other planes,’ Torrence says. ‘I think that really does come through. There’s been some moments in play tests where it feels like scenes from the movie, where there’s three planes coming in and all dogfighting and shooting at each other, and watching one splash down and you fly through the wreckage.’
‘It’s very cool, in my opinion.’
Those players looking to experience Battlefield 6‘s Top Gun crossover will be able to dive in from 18 August, as part of the game’s fourth season. There are a handful of items to unlock as part of the DLC, including aerial vehicle skins, character skins, player profile items, weapon packages, and more.
Per the Battlefield 6 team, these will all unlock by completing challenges through gameplay, although there are paid bundles available for those looking to grab new skins and accessories earlier.
Whether in full Top Gun regalia or not, players will be able to jump into two new themed game modes during the crossover, Carrier Strike and Gauntlet: Fighter Sweep. Both begin with a core mission briefing for flavour, before letting players loose on the skies.
You’ll need to work closely with your allies to ensure victory in these rounds as combat can be brutal whether on you’re on land, in the sea or in the sky. The heroes of Top Gun are depending on you, after all.
A PC code for Battlefield 6 and early access to its Top Gun DLC was provided to ScreenHub by the publisher.
