Battlefield 6 Season 4: What the Top Gun Update Adds and When It Goes Live

The Season 4 Top Gun update for Battlefield 6 brings back Wake Island, adds two themed aerial game modes, introduces two-seat fighter jets, and runs a limited-time event built around a licensed Top Gun crossover. It arrives as a free update for all players and also touches the free-to-play Battlefield REDSEC.

Quick answer: The Top Gun update goes live on August 18, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. UTC (4:00 a.m. PDT) for Battlefield 6 and REDSEC. The Top Gun event runs from that time until September 15 at 12:00 p.m. UTC, and a free trial is available from August 18 to 25.

When the Top Gun update releases and what unlocks it

The update releases at a single global time rather than staggered by region. Once it is live, the new maps, modes, vehicles, and event challenges appear automatically after you install the patch. No code or purchase is needed to access the core Season 4 content.

The setup frames NATO deploying elite aviators across the Pacific against Pax Armata. In REDSEC, a hijacked US Navy sonar feed drives an aircraft carrier into the marina at Fort Lyndon, which becomes the backdrop for that side of the operation.

Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep game modes

The update centers on two Top Gun modes. Carrier Strike is the marquee objective mode, and Gauntlet: Fighter Sweep is a jets-focused aerial mode. Carrier Strike runs for the full event window from August 18 to September 15 and requires Battlefield 6 to play.

In Carrier Strike, the goal is to break through an enemy battleship’s defenses, get aboard, and plant a bomb to destroy it. Matches combine ground, air, and sea combat. You capture points tied to missile silos to bombard the ships, or use vehicle weapons to breach their defenses directly. Once a ship is breached, you reach it by swimming, boat, or parachute, plant the charge, and defend it against a disarm timer.

Gauntlet: Fighter Sweep is a jets-only mode played on a reworked version of the Tsuru Reef map. Teams of two fly together to take down rival pilots and ground targets. It rewards flight skill heavily, so it favors players who are comfortable in the cockpit over those who prefer infantry combat.

Wake Island returns as a new map

Wake Island comes back as an updated version of the classic Pacific map and serves as the home of the Top Gun battle. It keeps the open-water focus seen in Tsuru Reef but is laid out as a crescent, giving it a distinct feel. Instead of hopping between separate islands, you sail around a central cove, with a wrecked ship to navigate near the middle.

The map supports land, sea, and air combat with a large vehicle roster, including fighter jets, helicopters, boats, and tanks. It is playable across Conquest and Escalation, and its width is balanced by solid traversal routes and multiple ways to flank opponents.

New jets, weapon, and vehicle roles

Two new two-seat jets anchor the update. Both split responsibilities between a pilot handling flight and a Weapon Systems Officer handling weapons, so the strongest results come from coordinated pairs. Aircraft carriers act as mobile launch and landing points at sea.

Both jets are the vehicles you will use most in Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep, so time spent learning their handling pays off directly in the event challenges. The new sniper rifle adds a fresh long-range option for infantry fights on the larger maps.

Top Gun event, Ace Medals, and rewards

The Top Gun event introduces Ace Medals, a limited-time currency you earn and then exchange for rewards on the event page. You start with a pool of 10 items and choose the order in which to unlock them, covering Weapon Packages across several weapon categories, aerial Vehicle Skins, and Player Profile items.

Unlock all 10 items and you gain access to a final exchange as a completion bonus, the “Ace Aviator” Soldier Skin. You know the event is complete when that final reward becomes available to claim after the tenth item.

All the Ace Medals needed to unlock every item can be earned through gameplay alone. Two challenge tracks feed your total, and harder challenges award more Medals.

To track progress efficiently, open the Challenges section from the main menu and “Track” the objectives you want, which pins them to the pause menu. Stacking challenges tied to the same activity, such as Carrier Strike or a specific aerial vehicle, lets you make progress on several at once.

Top Gun store bundles

Two paid bundles arrive in Battlefield 6 and REDSEC on August 18, each priced at 2,400 BFC. Both include Ace Medals alongside their cosmetics, though you do not need them to finish the event. Each bundle adds two new NATO soldiers with their default skins, plus extra skins, Weapon Packages, and other items.

Free trial from August 18 to 25

To coincide with the launch, a Battlefield 6 Free Trial runs from August 18 to 25 through the free-to-play Battlefield REDSEC. The trial includes four maps and four playlists, letting you play Tsuru Reef, Wake Island, Carrier Strike, and additional Battlefield 6 experiences at no cost.

Note: Carrier Strike and certain multiplayer maps and content require the full Battlefield 6 game, which is sold separately. The free trial covers the four listed maps and playlists only.

Taken together, Season 4’s Top Gun update leans into naval and aerial warfare, with Wake Island and Carrier Strike as its standout draws and the two-seat jets encouraging paired play. If you plan to chase every Ace Medal reward, start on day one, prioritize the challenges you can stack, and get comfortable with the new jets before the event closes on September 15.