The Latest Relaxed Playlist Ignites Heated Debates Over Bots, Experience Points, and Wait Times

Recently, Battlefield Studios launched a fresh playlist titled Casual Breakthrough. To put it simply, this mode mirrors the standard Breakthrough setup but features a few notable adjustments:

  • Every squad has just eight real players, with the remaining filled by AI-controlled opponents.
  • Actions done by human gamers award complete experience points, while AI activities offer lower rewards.
  • Just a pair of maps are available: Siege of Cairo and Empire State.
  • Features like Player tags, achievements, and stat tracking have been turned off.

In short, the playlist lives up to its name: it's a laid-back version of Breakthrough. On the surface, one could assume it's a good idea, as it provides more options for gamers looking for alternative ways to enjoy the title. But, gaming history have taught us anything, it's that you can't please everyone. Which is to say, a lot of Battlefield 6 fans are mad.

Player Reactions: From Fury to Praise

"People want real players. Don't repeat the mistakes of your competitors," reads one reply to the mode reveal. "Absolutely shocking idea," says another. Meanwhile, in community forums, a player notes, "It's unclear where we are going with this game," and another lists everything they consider to be problematic 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, there are players explaining how much they're enjoying the recent addition. "It's enjoyable to practice, real players prevent it from being a complete grind but it's very relaxed," reads one Reddit comment. "The community fails to see that there are players who actually go outside and don't play this title all the time. Let them find a middle ground," adds another. One reply via social media explains that as they're "a battledad with busy schedules, this is great for me," and someone else applauds the mode for "avoiding intense competition."

Valid Criticisms and Player Feedback

Despite the support, there are constructive reasons to complain about the new mode. A few folks have highlighted that it will make queue times even longer for different playlists because of the sheer number of options currently available. On a similar note, some areas already encounter AI-filled matches in the existing playlists. Additionally, it appears a little backwards that the mode won't start without a required amount of real players, even though it focuses mostly on combat against bots.

Lastly, one of the biggest grievances is that Battlefield Portal was promised to offer full XP, even against bots, but that was removed when they attempted to remove XP farming from the system. So this new playlist feels like the player base meeting them halfway, according to a Reddit comment. Another labels this mode as the devs "making a mistake so hard, I had great enjoyment in the initial release, what prompted them to change it?"

Future Prospects: Will Changes Occur?

If Battlefield Studios has demonstrated something to date with the latest installment, it's that they're paying attention and responding to feedback. Tasks that were overly hard got fixed rapidly, as did the required Redsec challenges. It is likely that, should analytics indicates this new playlist is underperforming to their standards, they won't be shy to change it again.

Luis Holt
Luis Holt

An architect and urban planner with over 15 years of experience in sustainable design projects across Europe.