Battlefield 6 players, stop making Call of Duty Portal maps if you don't want a permanent EA ban

• EA has threatened to ban a Battlefield 6 user for recreating a Call of Duty map
• The user was sent a warning via email and has been cautioned of a potential ban if attempted again
• EA hasn't made an official statement yet, but its stance on map imitations is now clearer

It's now over a week since EA's Battlefield 6 launched, and the new multiplayer FPS title is still in the spotlight thanks to its major critical acclaim, but there's one aspect that players using the game's creative tools should be very wary of.

As reported by Insider Gaming, EA is seemingly shutting down Portal Call of Duty maps created by players in Battlefield 6, and has threatened to temporarily or permanently ban one user if attempted again, in an email. EA appears to view this as breaking its rules of conduct, classifying the map creation as an 'inappropriate reference'.

The map in question is an imitation of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)'s map 'Shipment', which is built for intense close-quarter battles, highlighting what the Activision franchise is well known for. The user's creation is labeled 'Shipment first test' with the description set as 'Shipment 2019 edition', likely prompting EA's swift warning and removal.

While EA hasn't made any official statement yet after Insider Gaming reached out, it's safe to say that EA's actions speak loudly for where it stands on imitation maps. The publisher is likely attempting to quell any potential cases where copyright infringement may be claimed by Microsoft's Activision, and (perhaps secretly behind the scenes) doesn't want any of its in-game content to replicate its rival Call of Duty.

Besides legal matters, that wouldn't be a far-fetched suggestion, as EA and Dice Studios have already poked fun at the long-running Activision franchise, with its live-action trailer referencing the often criticized hero and celebrity-style operators; Battlefield 6 is also dominating Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone on Steam, further placing EA's franchise in a great position over its rival, and it wouldn't want to jeopardize that via legal concerns or in-game similarities among fans.

Analysis: Battlefield 6 already has close-quarter battle maps, so creating Call of Duty imitations isn't worth the risk

After seeing this warning from EA, it's not a very wise idea to attempt to create another imitation map – at the very least, if you're looking to create a new map on Battlefield 6's Portal mode that has similar elements to a Call of Duty map, don't name it after the official map.

I'd hate to be banned from playing one of EA's best titles in years, and especially knowing that there are plenty of maps that introduce a similar intense and fast-paced battle within the 'CQB: Lockdown' mode, so it's best to steer clear of any creations that may be too similar to those in Call of Duty.

With Battlefield 6's season one on the horizon and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launching on November 14, it will be interesting to see how the momentum changes for EA and Dice Studios, whether it's in their favour or positive for Activision.

Just remember, there are more maps and content to come, so don't ruin it for yourself when Battlefield 6's life cycle is still so early.

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