Operation Firestorm
is inspired by Balkanabat oil region, Balkan Region
Inspired by a real place
Real-world photo: Wikimedia Commons
How close does the game get to the real place?
In the game
Operation Firestorm, first seen in Battlefield 3, returns as a Battlefield 6 launch map. The remake keeps the burning oil refinery, pipelines and warehouses in the desert, but moves the setting from Iran to Turkmenistan, near the oil town of Balkanabat according to Battlefield Wiki.
The real place
Balkanabat, called Nebit Dag until 1999, grew up in the 1930s as a centre of Turkmenistan's oil industry. It sits at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, in the desert east of the Caspian Sea, where sandstorms like this one are common.
Visiting
Turkmenistan is one of the hardest countries to visit: most travellers need a letter of invitation arranged through a local tour agency, or a short transit visa. Balkanabat is on the road and railway between Ashgabat and the Caspian port of Türkmenbaşy.
Pilgrim photos
Screenshots from the game and photos of Balkanabat oil region, sent in by players. Most liked first.
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