The Latest Casual Playlist Ignites Heated Discussions Regarding AI Players, XP Rewards, and Wait Times
Over the weekend, Battlefield Studios introduced a new game mode titled Relaxed Breakthrough. In essence, this mode mirrors the standard Breakthrough setup but includes several key changes:
- Each team includes just eight human participants, with the rest made up of 32 bots.
- Actions performed by real players award full XP, while bot actions provide lower rewards.
- Only two locations are available: Cairo Siege and Empire State.
- Elements like Dogtags, achievements, and career stat updates are disabled.
So essentially, this mode delivers on its name: it's a casual take of Breakthrough. On the surface, you might think there's nothing wrong, as it provides additional choices for gamers looking for alternative ways to have fun with the game. But, if video games has shown one thing, it is that not everyone will be happy. Which is to say, a lot of Battlefield 6 fans are upset.
Player Reactions: From Fury to Support
"Gamers prefer real players. Don't repeat the errors of your rivals," reads a response to the mode reveal. "Truly disappointing concept," says a different user. Meanwhile, on the Battlefield subreddit, a player remarks, "I have no idea where we are headed with this title," while someone else lists everything they consider to be problematic in Battlefield 6: "Resolve glitches, fix drone glitch, correct rocket mechanics, adjust aiming after sprinting, improve hit detection. We do not require this bot mode."
However, amid the criticism, there are players sharing how much they're liking the recent addition. "It's enjoyable to warm up, human participants prevent it from being a total farmfest but it's quite laid-back," reads a forum post. "The community fails to see that there are gamers who have lives and can't play this title 24/7. Let them find a middle ground," adds another. A response on Twitter explains that as they're "a battledad with limited time, this is perfect for me," and someone else applauds the mode for "avoiding intense competition."
Valid Criticisms and Community Input
All that said, there are constructive reasons to criticize Casual Breakthrough. Some users have pointed out that it could increase queue times more extended for other modes because of the large amount of playlists currently available. Similarly, some areas often face AI-filled matches in the current modes. Additionally, it appears somewhat counterintuitive that the mode won't start without a required amount of real players, even though it primarily centers on combat against bots.
Finally, a major complaints is that a previous feature was promised to offer complete rewards, including AI matches, but that was removed when they tried to eliminate XP farming from the mode. Thus Casual Breakthrough seems like the player base compromising halfway, according to a Reddit comment. A different user labels this mode as the developers "dropping the ball significantly, I experienced so much fun in the first couple of days, what prompted them to adjust it?"
Future Prospects: Adjustments Occur?
Should Battlefield Studios has demonstrated something to date with Battlefield 6, it's that they're paying attention and responding to feedback. Assignments being too difficult were adjusted very quickly, as did the specific battle pass objectives. It is likely that, should analytics shows this recent mode isn't performing to their expectations, they will not hesitate to make further modifications.