Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546054
84 M PS E . O R G and clips that resonated with me in one way or another. Things that felt visceral, physical, and authentic from a soldier's perspective. I shared those with David, and he added more to the pile, then we spent time discussing what we liked, what we didn't like, and why. As we moved into the concept phase, David put together a reel that became an important reference for the team. It started with a black screen and audio only. Soldiers walking down a road somewhere in the world. Radio chatter. Light voices. Then suddenly, an ambush. Bullets flying. RPGs incoming. Explosions. You get hit and dive for cover. Only after that did the visuals begin, showcasing the sounds of combat, vehicles, and weapons we wanted to create. That reel became our shared vision and something we kept coming back to throughout production. It functioned as a reference for mix. It gave everyone a common understanding of what we were trying to achieve and how we wanted the game to feel. What did the feedback pipeline look like between field recording, editorial, implementation, and mix? David Jegutidse: In many cases, the same people handle recording, editing, and implementation to ultimately deliver the sound in-game, ensuring no intent gets lost in translation. We have an open peer review process for the things that go into the game with main stakeholders for different areas, but anyone else is welcome to join in. After that, we also had bigger review sessions for specific areas, such as vehicles or weapons, where we looked at the experience more holistically. Then, of course, we play the regular studio playtests and judge the game in its most natural state. Mari S. Minto: We spend a lot of time listening together. That's often when the magic happens. Someone hears something you didn't. Someone asks a question you hadn't thought about. Someone challenges an assumption you've made. Those conversations are incredibly valuable and often lead to better solutions than any one person would have come up with on their own. How late into development were assets still evolving based on gameplay testing, implementation needs, or mix feedback? David Jegutidse: For as long as we were allowed without compromising the stability of the launch build. Although the closer we got to the final days, most changes were limited to fine-tuning numbers. Once everything is in place and working, we have good workflows to runtime tweak the game in mix, attenuation, DSP, and make significant polish passes across the experience. Because these tweaks didn't require new content, they were considered safe to implement quite late in the project— allowing us to make small yet impactful adjustments. Mari S. Minto: Does it ever stop? The game, as well as audio, is constantly evolving throughout development. As gameplay changes and features evolve, or new ones come online, the sounds and the mix need to change with them. We spend a lot of time playing, listening, reviewing, and adjusting. That's just part of making games. You're always refining things. Right up until the very end. LESSONS FROM THE FRONT LINE REFLECTIONS & CREATIVE TAKEAWAYS Was there a moment during development when the team felt, "This totally sounds like Battlefield"? Jeff Wilson: For me, this happened while we were producing our Campaign. For the final mission "Always Forward," there is a really large, final battle across an enemy base. We were towards the end of production, and our overall mix was really tight. At the start of this final battle, our weapons, explosions, destruction and voiceover were sitting really well in the mix. It was when we got our final music cues integrated that the entire mix came to life. It had what I call a 'boots on the ground' feeling, where you get lost in the thrill of the moment, when gameplay just takes over. Mari S. Minto: For me, it was the Multiplayer Beta. That's when the players got the chance to play our game. You can spend years building something, but you never really know how it's going to be received until it's out there. I remember playing the Beta at home on my PS5. Not as the audio director, but just as a player. That's when it felt like Battlefield to me. The sounds, the mix, the gameplay, it all came together, and we had fun playing together! Is there a particular sound, weapon, sequence, or gameplay moment that best represents what the team achieved on Battlefield 6? Drew Elder: In my opinion, it's the entire symphony playing together that best represents what we achieved. In the very beginning of this project, we managed to all come together with both our European and North American teams and mutually establish what we wanted to achieve. All of us walked away totally energized and ready for tackling the megalithic challenge of getting the mix to where it needed to be, and the only way we were able to do that was by all agreeing on taste, style, tone, and direction. When you're playing the game, we make sure what you're hearing at any