Battlefield 6 Fans Are Mad About a Goofy Skin, and I Don’t Understand Why

Battlefield 6 is the latest entry in the long-running military shooter, with a continued focus on realism in combat that helps it stand out from all the other FPS shooters on the market. However, this focus on realism has led to some fans calling out anything they see as breaking that illusion, including a fairly unoffensive skin.

While other shooters like Fortnite and Call of Duty get away with far more cartoonish player designs, Battlefield 6‘s focus on more realistic gameplay means that players expect the same from the visuals. This even extends to stuff like the “Wicked Grin” skin, a blue-tinted set of fatigues that was met with such derision by a section of the game’s fan base that it was promptly removed from the game. I’m just so confused why this is the hill that so many gamers are willing to die on, especially for such an inoffensive addition to the game.

Why Battlefield 6 Fans Don’t Like “Goofy” Skins

Battlefield 6 fans were in an uproar when the Season 1 skins were revealed, and I don’t understand why. The game has positioned itself as a more realistic contrast to the more arcade-y shooters like Fortnite and even other military-heavy Call of Duty. The game producers even announced that it’s important to them that the cosmetics of the game “feel grounded” to help ensure that the realistic tone is consistent. It’s an admirable approach, but one that was called out almost immediately. Specifically, a certain subset of Battlefield 6 players have been decrying some of the distinct cosmetic options available for players.

One in particular that seemed to generate a lot of controversy in the fandom was the “Wicked Grin” skin, which gives player soldiers a blue color scheme and a smiling fanged face-covering. It’s nothing too extreme, not necessarily a ridiculous or even unrealistic design. The blue stands out, sure, but the fatigues look overall consistent with the standard soldier load-out. If anything, the blue helmet color recalls the real-life uniforms of soldiers affiliated with the United Nations. Likewise, the face mask isn’t anything that feels too unrealistic compared to what some real soldiers wear into combat.

It’s a far cry from the cartoon skins of Fortnite or licensed and cross-promotional operators of Call of Duty, albeit with a bit more distinct flavor than the typical Battlefield 6 player design. However, the Battlefield fanbase complained so much that the Battlefield 6 devs have quietly tweaked some of the cosmetics options, like the “Monster Energy” skin, and outright removed the “Wicked Grin” skin from the game. It just seems like such an odd place to direct rage, especially given the natural ways a video game like Battlefield 6 can’t be 100% realistic.

Why Battlefield 1’s Colorful Skins Don’t Break The Game

The thing that makes this controversy so odd is the way it reflects a version of Battlefield 6 that only really exists in the minds of gamers. The title is still painfully realistic compared to other military shooters, allowing it to continue to distinguish itself from its rivals. The gameplay still reflects this, even when it adds a bit of variety to the hordes of players making their way around the battlefield. However, the interactions of players and the general gaming community’s habits of deploying colorful language, impromptu callsigns, and distinct turns of phrase were never going to allow the game to be truly realistic.

The gamer ethos can still be felt in every Battlefield match-up. The “Wicked Grin” skin may have stood out, but it had the added benefit of being a unique visual marker on the battlefield and an easy way to get spotted by opponents — reflecting the way flashy and distinct outfits in the battlefield can get someone singled out and taken down. The skin fit the overall aesthetic of the game without breaking the visual mold. I could understand if Battlefield 6 had incorporated Peter Griffin or Leatherface, how it would have gone against the idea of realism.

However, the Battlefield 6 player base turning so hard against “the blue crayola” skin seems like an overreaction. Some claimed they wouldn’t revive a player wearing that skin, which itself feels like the sort of petty “unrealistic” approaches to military shooters that also naturally breaks the immersion. I’d argue that the “Wicked Grin” outfit still fits in the relatively grounded approach to the military shooter, but with a bit of flavor that doesn’t necessarily need to be reflected everywhere in the game. It even lends itself to the lessons of wartime combat, highlighting how a distinct uniform can stand out like a sore thumb on the battlefield — for better and for worse. The level of negative response to this “unrealistic” skin, especially when other players are going to be dropping all sorts of unrealistic commentary throughout the matches, just feels oddly detached from the reality of gaming in the modern era.