Last week, an army of video game journalists, critics, and content creators, myself included, descended upon Los Angeles to get a sneak peek at EA’s upcoming AAA military shooter, Battlefield 6. You can read my full preview here and my thoughts on one of the game’s coolest features here. But this isn’t an article about Battlefield 6. Instead, it’s about what it’s like to travel to and take part in a massive, extravagant, very expensive multi-day video game reveal event. Once upon a time, such events were fairly commonplace, but those days feel long gone.
We’re in an odd time for the industry, with every studio and publisher cutting costs, enacting layoffs, and cancelling games to save money, which made EA’s big two-day event in L.A. all the more strange. So I decided to document as much of it as I could to provide some behind-the-scenes information, photos, and stories, offering what insight I can into this aspect of the industry marketing machine and communicating how odd it is to be a part of something as big, expensive, and kind of absurd as a new video game preview event.
Day One – July 29 – Checking In, Sitting Around
I arrived in L.A. on July 29, the day before the event got underway. Electronic Arts put all of us critics and journos up at the same fancy hotel, and I was a bit shocked by how luxurious it was. When I saw the price of a single night at the place, I started realizing just how much money EA was spending on Battlefield 6‘s big multiplayer reveal. “Damn,” I thought to myself. “They really need this thing to be a mega hit.”
Inside the hotel, I was greeted by Battlefield 6 posters and signage in the lobby and on the elevators. Most of the non-gamer guests seemed not to notice any of it. I checked into my room and was handed a letter from EA and Battlefield Studios about the event, as well as my room’s key card. It featured the Battlefield 6 logo.
In the lobby, I spotted two EA PR people at a Battlefield 6 table. I asked them if I needed to do anything, and they said nope. There was nothing planned for today besides a small mixer in the hotel’s lounge area later that night. I had some time to kill. So I visited the Santa Monica pier, ate some churros, watched some Golden Girls on the hotel TV, took a picture of a seal, and splurged on room service because I wanted seafood and was lazy. I crashed that night early and woke up ready to play some Battlefield 6 the next day.
Day Two – July 30 – A Gray Warehouse, Limp Bizkit, And Playing Battlefield 6
Leaving my hotel room bright and early, I headed down to see what kind of breakfast spread EA had laid out for all the attendees. In a back area of the hotel I found a large room filled with empty tables and chairs where a smattering of random people had gathered, some I recognized as other writers and gaming media folks, and others whom I had never seen before. The menu was scrambled eggs, sausage, tiny baked potatoes, some fruit, orange juice, and coffee. The food was fine but also free, so I ate a lot of it and then made my way to the front of the hotel, past the Battlefield 6 table in the lobby, and boarded a large bus along with all the other games press and we headed over to where EA had set up the big BF6 multiplayer reveal event.
On the bus ride I chatted with some people, like PC Gamer‘s Morgan Park, about what we expected. (We also somehow got onto the topic of how bad MindsEye was.) About 20 minutes later, we pulled up to a large gray warehouse in the middle of a section of Los Angeles filled with similar buildings. Someone on the bus behind me who had been to more events commented: “It’s always a gray warehouse.” Another person replied: “Yup.”
As we walked closer to the warehouse, I started to spot signs sporting the Battlefield 6 logo. I also saw a shocking amount of security. A moment later, a trained dog walked by us, guided by a handler as it sniffed everyone’s bags and bodies. Once we reached the security checkpoint, I could hear explosions and gunfire coming from a single speaker haphazardly placed on a table nearby. I guess they wanted to recreate the atmosphere of a Battlefield game. The speaker was loud, and the looping noises were annoying. I felt bad for the PR people and security folks stationed at the checkpoint for that day and the next one.
Once through the checkpoint, I saw a large military APC vehicle near a big tent set up in the parking lot. Battlefield 6 signs and logos were plastered everywhere, with one large sign letting me know the tent area was called the “Mess House.” The efforts to create a military-themed atmosphere went way beyond that, with barrels and sandbags as decoration and more speakers scattered around playing loud war noises. Really loud war noises. It was hard to hear others talk if you stood near them.
Suddenly, I spotted two large Red Bull coolers and dashed over to one. You’d never guess, but they were packed full of ice-cold Red Bull cans. I drank one. And then another. And then way too many over the course of the next 48 hours. I spotted many other members of the press doing the same. Some of us even took a few back to our hotel rooms. Every few hours, I’d spot some staff wheeling out more Red Bulls and refilling the fridges and coolers dotted around the warehouse with more caffeinated beverages. I can only imagine how many Red Bulls were consumed during the event. This truly was an expensive shindig.
After everyone had arrived and enjoyed some complimentary Red Bull, EA PR ushered us into the warehouse. Not to play Battlefield 6, but instead to sit in a large dark room and watch a stage show featuring devs from Battlefield Studios talking about the game. The first people up included Vince Zampella, the head of Respawn and the guy in charge of fixing Battlefield. A screenshot of a map was displayed on the wall behind him and the others. It started out small, but suddenly that image filled the room around us, effectively placing us “inside” the map, using technology akin to the “Volume” set on which much of The Mandalorian was shot. It was a genuinely neat trick, and when a few minutes later the level exploded around us, I’ll admit I smiled.
Then, Zampella and the others left the stage and we saw the first gameplay trailer for Battlefield 6, which featured the musical stylings of Limp Bizkit. I saw some people around me looking confused. I giggled to myself. I guess Limp Bizkit is old enough now that its music can be used as a needle drop in a trailer in an unironic fashion. Weird shit. After the trailer, more people came on stage to talk about BF6. And like before, the room around us showcased an area of the game which, in turn, also blew up. That bit got old after EA did it five times. (They did win the crowd over at one point, though. After we were transported to New York City and it blew up, people cheered.) Between these segments, videos would play showing the devs digitally inserted into combat zones. EA really wanted us to know that this game is filled with explosions, destruction, and war. And if this all sounds familiar, it’s because EA would end up doing this same stage show the following day for the live stream. We were simply witnessing a rehearsal.
And then… we didn’t get to play the game. Instead, we were ushered outside for lunch. A handful of food trucks were parked near the tent and ornamental APC. All the food was free. Look, it’s not every day I get to try what L.A. food trucks have to offer, and I admit I ate a bit too many quesadillas and cookies, a bit too much BBQ and mac & cheese. Oh, and downed a few more Red Bulls. For some reason, perhaps to torture us, EA left all the speakers on, meaning it was hard to find a quiet place to eat and chat. There was also a Red-Bull-themed APC DJ booth in the food truck parking lot. The music was extremely loud. Nobody wanted to be near it. It was one of the saddest sights I’ve seen: a DJ dancing alone in his Red Bull APC as people actively avoided him and tried to find a chill spot to eat some tacos.
Finally, it was time to play Battlefield 6. There were two warehouses filled with PCs running the military shooter. One was well-lit and multi-story—that was for all the content creators. I accidentally found myself in that warehouse and spotted a giant walking peanut carefully making its way downstairs, cluing me into the fact that, like Dorothy in the land of Oz, I’d left my familiar world of traditional game journalists behind and accidentally stepped into the realm of people who make videos on TikTok, sometimes as strange and zany characters. I left and went to my warehouse, where all my fellow bland, ordinary press and games media people were located. It was darker over here, but we did have access to all the Red Bull and chips we could consume. I grabbed another can, sat down at my station, and started playing Battlefield 6. You can read more about the game and what I thought here and here.
At one point, I needed to use the bathroom. I asked an EA PR person where to go, and they pointed to the back of the warehouse. The bathroom was located at the end of a dark hallway filled with red lights that snaked around all the behind-the-scenes equipment and boxes needed to run an event of this size. At the end of this dark hallway was a single security guard on an office chair. He would spot me and others the moment we began our trek to the bathroom. It was awkward knowing that this man was clearly aware that you needed to poop or pee. Each time I returned during my four-hour gameplay session, I tried not to think about it. I asked others later if they felt the same way, and they did.
After playing many hours of Battlefield 6, we were invited to join a BBQ social mixer afterward. There were free drinks, more Red Bull, and even louder music. I stayed for a bit, shoved a ton of food into my face, and then caught an Uber back to the hotel with Polygon writer Giovanni Colantonio. I had writing to do, as the embargo for our preview impressions and other content was the next afternoon. I stayed up late, ordered some food, and consumed two more Red Bulls I’d grabbed from the event in my hotel room. Thankfully, a seal outside my window kept me company as I typed. Golden Girls on TV helped me fall asleep, and I prepared myself for day three.
Day 3 – Deja Vu, Killing Tactical Grandma, Swag
Day three began a lot like day two. I got up early, regretted drinking so many Red Bulls, brushed my teeth, took a quick shower, and made sure my blogs were ready to go live later that day. Then I headed down for breakfast where today, instead of sausage, we got overcooked bacon. We were then packed into another bus, and whisked back to the gray warehouse, where all the speakers were still blaring war sounds.
The Red Bull DJ was also still there, and so were the food trucks. We were ushered into the warehouse to watch the day’s big livestream, and ended up spending an hour just sitting there. Eventually, we got to watch the same show we’d seen the day before, but now performed for viewers around the world, with everyone on stage seeming a lot more excited. This was it, the big reveal of the game they’d all been working on for years. I could tell they were genuinely excited to be there as they jumped and pumped fists in the dark areas offstage away from the audience. Still, a bit annoying to have to watch the same presentation twice, even if they did add a battle royale tease the second time around.
After that, the computers were opened back up to people who wanted to play more Battlefield 6. I was one of those people, so I hopped on and played another three hours. I was killed by some famous streamers during my second session, including TimTheTatMan. At one point, I rounded a corner in a dusty building and shot TacticalGrandma in the face with a shotgun. Strange day. Later on, after hearing that EA was doing one-on-one interviews with some press people despite telling me that wouldn’t be possible, I asked if I could get an interview. I was politely told no. I really wanted to ask about BF6‘s awesome-looking Portal mode, which seems to be Halo Forge but in Battlefield. Sounds cool. Hope I can talk to someone at EA about that mode in the future.
Before leaving, I was given some Battlefield 6 swag, including a jacket, hat, water bottle, and stickers. I’m not really a fan of swag, but I politely took it and then realized I’d have to cram it all into my backpack to get it back home. That night, there was no lowkey post-show mixer. Instead, EA had booked a swanky afterparty to celebrate the reveal of Battlefield 6‘s multiplayer. Along with other journalists, I boarded a really fancy bus and rode for nearly an hour to the Sunset Room, where the party was happening.
The Afterparty And Coming Home
Entering the Sunset Room, I felt immediately out of place. I don’t drink booze. I’m not a fancy guy. And I’m certainly not a nightclub dude. But I was there and I decided to enjoy it. I drank another free Red Bull. I think that was my 12th one. I dunno, I lost track. Entering the outdoor lounge attached to the club, we spotted TVs and PS5 consoles set up with Battlefield 6. Even though we’d all spent the last two days playing it, a group of us rushed over, passed a big, confused security guard, and started playing some more BF6. The game feels great on a PS5 controller and ran perfectly. As more people arrived, it became clear the invite list included a lot of folks from outside the realm of gaming as well. One guy sat down next to me and asked about what all these buttons do. I killed him like 20 times. I felt a bit bad, but he laughed and grabbed another glass of booze.
Eventually, a large crowd formed around the BF6 station at the party, and I realized I had probably played enough, so I got up and let someone else play. Snaking my way through the crowd, I bumped into a big security guard. Behind him: Travis Barker from Blink-182. He chatted up Vince Zampella, took some photos, and then played Battlefield 6 for a bit. I got as close as I could, and from what I could tell, he didn’t do great. Later, I kicked myself for giving up my spot earlier. I could have killed Travis Barker a few times. Dang. After Travis left, I squeezed back into the demo area and got on a PS5 console, and started playing BF6 again. This time, however, there was a large group of people at the other end of the row of TVs. Andy McNamara, a senior EA comms guy, was coaching someone on how to play the game. I looked over and could barely make out a woman. Later on, after looking at photos online, I realized that I had played Battlefield 6 with Brie Larson.
Later on, I spotted a tired-looking Tactical Grandma at the party. I wondered if I should say sorry for blasting her in the face earlier, but then I remembered she killed me at one point, so I figured we were even. Over in the VIP area, Brie Larson was hanging out after playing BF6. I headed over and found her sitting with a gaggle of people, laughing and taking photos. Thanks to a connection, I was able to snag a VIP bracelet and got into the area. Someone I spoke to had talked with Larson earlier, and she told them she was playing Donkey Kong Bananza. Unfortunately, by the time I got in, the VIP section was crowded, and talking to anyone was challenging. At one point, I overheard a guard mention that too many VIP passes were being handed out. I realized that maybe it was time to leave that area. At least I can say I sat a few feet away from Brie Larson at a party. That’s kind of cool, right?
Not long after my trip to the VIP section, I realized it was nearly midnight and I had a flight to catch at 8 a.m., so I grabbed an Uber with another writer and we headed back to the hotel. I packed up, watched a bit more Golden Girls, and went to bed, happy to know I was going to be home soon. Little did I know that, due to multiple flight cancellations and delays, I’d end up flying from LAX to Seattle to Minneapolis, where I’d sleep on the floor of the airport before catching a tiny jet home to Kansas City. It was a miserable return and a bizarre ending to what was overall a fun, but strange video game event.
While I was lying on the floor of an airport at 2 AM, I had time to think and decompress. For me, this event was at times a very awkward experience. All of this—the free Red Bull, paying for me to fly out there, giving me swag, putting me up in a nice hotel, stuffing my face with complimentary food—was done in an effort to win me over. EA and the PR team running this would never explicitly say they were trying to bribe any of us into writing nice things about the game, but it’s impossible not to think about it that way when you sit down and start typing up your thoughts. Of course, I remained honest in my writing, and I imagine almost every other member of the press there similarly wasn’t swayed one way or the other by all the free energy drinks. Still, it’s an awkward dance to be part of as everyone involved on both sides knows what’s happening, why it’s happening, and that it won’t really work. It’s also hard not to think that companies like EA probably wouldn’t spend so much money on events like this if they didn’t believe that, on some level, it worked, that all that special treatment would result in more and better coverage of the game.
For EA, the whole thing was likely very expensive, and it makes me nervous for the folks working on Battlefield 6. EA is expecting this game to be a massive hit, and if it fails to do that, it could mean that a lot of people will be out of work by next year. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen, and Battlefield 6 is a blockbuster success that revives the franchise and is a blast to play for years to come. For now, all I can do is look back at my notes, remind myself not to drink a Red Bull for a few months, and remember how odd it was to be a part of something so big and silly.
