The Latest Relaxed Game Mode Ignites Intense Debates Regarding Bots, Experience Points, and Queue Times

Recently, Battlefield Studios introduced a fresh playlist called Casual Breakthrough. In essence, this option resembles the regular Breakthrough setup but features several key adjustments:

  • Each team includes only 8 human participants, with the remaining made up of AI-controlled opponents.
  • Activities performed by real players grant full XP, while bot actions provide reduced XP.
  • Only two locations are available: Siege of Cairo and Empire State.
  • Elements like Dogtags, achievements, and stat tracking are disabled.

So essentially, the playlist lives up to its name: it's a laid-back take of Breakthrough. On the surface, you might think it's a good idea, since it gives more options for players looking for different ways to enjoy the game. However, if video games have taught us anything, it's that not everyone will be happy. In other words, many Battlefield 6 fans are mad.

Community Responses: From Fury to Support

"People want real players. Don't repeat the errors of your competitors," reads one reply to the official announcement. "Absolutely shocking idea," comments a different user. At the same time, on the Battlefield subreddit, one user notes, "It's unclear where we are going with this game," and someone else details everything they believe to be broken in Battlefield 6: "Fix bugs, address drone issues, correct rocket mechanics, adjust aiming after sprinting, improve hit detection. We don't need this bot mode."

On the other hand, amid the criticism, some gamers explaining how much they're liking the new mode. "It's enjoyable to warm up, real players prevent it from being a complete grind but it's quite laid-back," reads one Reddit comment. "This subreddit doesn't understand that there are gamers who actually go outside and don't play this title all the time. Allow them to find a middle ground," adds a different comment. A response on Twitter explains that as they're "a battledad with busy schedules, this is perfect for me," and another praises the mode for "not being overcompetitive."

Constructive Criticisms and Community Feedback

Despite the support, players have constructive reasons to criticize Casual Breakthrough. A few folks have highlighted that it will make wait times even longer for different playlists because of the sheer number of options in the game already. Similarly, certain regions often face mostly bots in the existing playlists. Additionally, it appears somewhat counterintuitive that the mode won't start without a required amount of human gamers, despite it primarily centers on combat against bots.

Lastly, a major grievances is that Battlefield Portal was promised to provide full XP, including AI matches, but that was removed when they attempted to eliminate XP farming from the mode. So this new playlist feels like the community compromising in the middle, according to a Reddit comment. A different user labels this mode as the devs "dropping the ball so hard, I had great enjoyment in the initial release, what prompted them to change it?"

Future Prospects: Adjustments Be Made?

Should Battlefield Studios has demonstrated something to date with the latest installment, it's that they're paying attention and acting on player input. Tasks that were overly hard were adjusted rapidly, as did the specific battle pass objectives. It is likely that, should analytics shows this new playlist is underperforming to their standards, they will not hesitate to change it again.

Susan Clark
Susan Clark

Lena is a travel writer and urban photographer with a passion for documenting city life and sharing local insights.