The defibrillator has been part of Battlefield’s identity forever, but Battlefield 6 changes the revive game with two new systems: stimulant pen revives and the drag-revive. With so many ways to get your squad on their feet, understanding the defibrillator use (and when it’s slow or even risky) makes a big difference. Below, we’ll explain how the gadget works, what’s changed from previous games, and how to get the most out of it as a Support player.
How Does the Defibrillator Work in Battlefield 6
The defibrillator is the Support class’s exclusive revive gadget in Battlefield 6 multiplayer. Other classes can still revive, but only their squadmates, and only with the stim pen at a slower speed, though Support gets full-team revival ability and an amazing revive tool in the game.
Here’s what sets the defib apart:
- Exclusive to Support (unless you’re in REDSEC, where any class can use it)
- Quick tap = instant revive to ~50% health
- Full charge = full-health revive
- Works on all friendlies, not just teammates
- Can damage enemies—signature “battlefield paddles kill” is still here
The defibrillator gadget has two activation modes. Once you swap to the paddles, tap the revive button, and it will give a fast half-health pickup. You can charge the defibrillator by holding the paddles up; when you hear the beep, release the paddles to give a full heal in one shot.
- Related: How to Change FOV in Battlefield 6
Quick Tap
A quick tap on a downed teammate gives you a snap revive that brings them back at roughly half health. You can use it when sliding into a room full of bodies where the point is contested, and everyone should survive fighting side by side. But a soldier on half HP is fragile, and in BF6, stray rounds finish people right away. You save a life, but you gamble that they won’t be deleted by someone on an angle.
Full Charge
A charged zap brings a teammate back at full health, which is invaluable when the two of you have to instant trade shots. It also rewards more score-wise, which helps with Support challenges. You can also charge during a sprint. Be an experienced medic, hum the paddles when you run toward a downed player, then release the charge the moment contact is made. The defib revive doesn’t slow down in charge, so you should be quick on the job. One full charge can even carry through to multiple revives in a row, which lets you chain high-value pickups in a single push.
Drag-Revive and Stim Pen vs the Defibrillator
Battlefield 6 has introduced two new revive systems alongside the defibrillator, and both have a different purpose. Drag-revive is the safety-first option: any Battlefield 6 class can carry an ally and take them behind cover, and Support can do it faster. You can revive while dragging, but at a slow pace. It’s the reliable way to save someone who fell in an exposed lane.
The stimulant pen is the fallback feature that every class gets. Non-Support players are limited to reviving their own squad, while Support can use the pen on anyone, but the process is overall slow, even for a dedicated healer. There’s no full-health pickup with the stim, so teammates always need to heal after being saved before they pull the gun trigger. It’s fine when your medic is busy or dead, but once you’ve used it a few times, you will understand why the defib exists. The stimulant pen keeps people technically alive, and the defibrillator puts them back into the battle.
Defibrillators are strong, but they aren’t mandatory. Support players who lean on less medic-dependent loadouts can skip them for smoke launchers, extra deployables, and repair tools. The pen and Support’s quick speed revive still let you do decent field healer work even without the gadget.
