The Battlefield 6 reveal trailer is here, and not a single helicopter is safe

Today is a big day for anyone who loves the thrill of seeing an open tank while selecting a spawn point or frantically throwing ammo bags at your massed comrades during a firefight. EA just released the reveal trailer for Battlefield 6, giving us our first official look at what to expect from series' next outing while we pretend not to have seen all the stuff that's already been leaking out.

While it's maybe the last thing most of us think about when we hear the phrase "Battlefield," the BF6 reveal trailer—which you can find embedded above—is focused on its campaign. That campaign, it seems, will follow the events of an armed conflict between NATO forces and Pax Armata, a private military company that has two apparent goals: toppling the military status quo, and blowing up as many helicopters as possible.

The trailer opens with a fictional president addressing the United States after a "monstrous unprovoked attack" from Pax Armata, which proves that "no country is safe from their reach." As he begins speaking, we're shown clips of American landmarks turned into battlegrounds; judging from visible wounds on the president's hands, the implication is that the PMC launched a surprise assault with the goal of overthrowing the US government.

"For all those serving on our behalf, our prayers go with you," the president says. "For the Pax Armata mercenaries who are watching now, I have a message: It's over."

And then a bunch of Battlefield happens.

The remaining minute and a half of the trailer is a cacophony of mechanized warfare, missile bombardment, and guys yelling while all manner of destructible environments are detonated into sprays of miscellaneous debris. At one point, soldiers march past a carousel that's on fire. I don't even know how carousels catch on fire. War is hell.

"Witness the vicious path of destruction carved by Pax Armata, the world’s leading private military company," EA said in the trailer's description. "PAX pursues the destruction of NATO and its allies, stopping at nothing to uphold their motto: 'Our Protection, Your Peace.'"

Despite the visible intensity of the conflict, there's one thing that NATO forces and Pax Armata can agree on: Not a single military aircraft can be allowed to remain airborne. This trailer is an apocalypse of crashing planes and helicopters. They crash into apartments, construction sites, mountains, the ground—at one point, two helicopters crash into each other. It's bad out there.

But it is a technical showcase. It's hard to know how well it'll hold up when we're actually playing it until we see gameplay footage, but there are shots of an amphibious assault on a coastal city that I'd love to emulate in a few rounds of Conquest.

It looks like we won't have to wait long for a proper look at Battlefield 6 multiplayer. EA says there'll be an official multiplayer reveal on July 31. You can visit its eventual streaming location on YouTube now, if you want to watch the countdown firsthand.

You can wishlist Battlefield 6 on Steam now.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Battlefield 6 was being developed by DICE. Battlefield 6 is being developed by Battlefield Studios, which includes developers from DICE, Criterion Games, Motive Studio, and Ripple Effect.