The Latest Relaxed Game Mode Sparks Heated Debates Over Bots, Experience Points, and Wait Times
Over the weekend, the game developers introduced a new playlist called Relaxed Breakthrough. To put it simply, this mode mirrors the standard Breakthrough setup but includes several notable changes:
- Each team has only 8 human participants, with the rest filled by 32 bots.
- Actions performed by real players award complete experience points, while AI activities offer reduced XP.
- Just a pair of locations can be played: Siege of Cairo and Empire State map.
- Features like Dogtags, achievements, and career stat updates have been turned off.
In short, this mode delivers on its title: it's a laid-back version of Breakthrough. On the surface, you might think it's a good idea, as it provides more options for players seeking different ways to have fun with the game. However, if video games have taught us anything, it is that you can't please everyone. In other words, many Battlefield 6 players are upset.
Community Reactions: Anger to Praise
"People want real players. Avoid making the mistakes of your rivals," states a response to the mode reveal. "Truly disappointing idea," comments a different user. Meanwhile, in community forums, one user remarks, "I have no idea where we are headed with this title," and someone else lists all the issues they believe to be problematic in the game: "Resolve glitches, fix drone glitch, correct rocket mechanics, fix [the] bloom after sprinting bug, fix awful hit registration. We do not require this bot mode."
However, amid the criticism, some gamers explaining how much they're enjoying the recent addition. "It's very fun to warm up, real players keep it from being a total farmfest but it's quite laid-back," says one Reddit comment. "This subreddit doesn't understand that there are players who have lives and don't play this title 24/7. Let them find a middle ground," states a different comment. A response on Twitter clarifies that as they're "a battledad with busy schedules, this is perfect for me," while another applauds the mode for "avoiding intense competition."
Valid Concerns and Player Input
All that said, there are constructive reasons to criticize the new mode. A few folks have highlighted that it could increase queue times even longer for other modes because of the large amount of options currently available. On a similar note, some areas often face mostly bots in the existing playlists. Additionally, it appears somewhat counterintuitive that the mode does not begin without a minimum number of human gamers, despite it focuses mostly on combat against bots.
Finally, one of the biggest complaints is that Battlefield Portal was promised to offer complete rewards, including AI matches, but that was removed when they tried to eliminate XP farming from the mode. Thus this new playlist seems like the player base meeting them halfway, as per a Reddit comment. Another labels this mode as the developers "dropping the ball significantly, I had so much fun in the first couple of days, why did they feel the need to change it?"
Looking Ahead: Will Changes Occur?
Should Battlefield Studios has demonstrated something to date with the latest installment, it is that they're listening and acting on player input. Tasks being too difficult were adjusted very quickly, just like the required Redsec challenges. Chances are that, if their data shows this recent mode isn't performing to their expectations, they will not hesitate to make further modifications.