The Latest Relaxed Playlist Ignites Heated Discussions Over Bots, XP Rewards, and Queue Times
Over the weekend, the game developers introduced a new game mode called Relaxed Breakthrough. In essence, this mode mirrors the standard Breakthrough setup but includes a few notable adjustments:
- Every squad has only eight human participants, with the remaining made up of 32 bots.
- Activities 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 Player tags, accolades, and stat tracking are disabled.
In short, this mode delivers on its name: it's a laid-back take of Breakthrough. On the surface, you might think there's nothing wrong, since it provides more options for gamers looking for different methods to enjoy the title. However, if video games have taught us anything, it is that not everyone will be happy. Which is to say, many BF6 players are mad.
Community Responses: Anger to Praise
"People want real players. Avoid making the mistakes of your competitors," reads a response to the mode reveal. "Absolutely shocking concept," comments a different user. Meanwhile, on the Battlefield subreddit, one user remarks, "It's unclear where we are headed with this game," while someone else details all the issues they believe to be problematic in the game: "Fix bugs, fix drone glitch, correct rocket mechanics, fix [the] bloom after sprinting bug, improve hit detection. We don't need this AI-heavy playlist."
However, amid the criticism, there are players sharing how much they're liking the new mode. "It's very fun to practice, human participants prevent it from being a total farmfest but it's quite laid-back," reads a forum post. "This subreddit doesn't understand that there are players who actually go outside and don't play this title 24/7. Let them strike a balance," states a different comment. One reply via social media explains that as they're "a parent gamer with limited time, this is great for me," while another applauds the mode for "avoiding intense competition."
Constructive Criticisms and Player Input
Despite the support, there are valid points to complain about the new mode. Some users have pointed out that it will make queue times even longer for different playlists due to the sheer number of options currently available. On a similar note, some areas already encounter mostly bots in the current modes. Additionally, it appears somewhat counterintuitive that the mode does not begin without a required amount of human gamers, even though it focuses mostly on combat against bots.
Finally, a major grievances is that a previous feature was promised to provide full XP, including AI matches, but that was removed when they tried to remove bot farms from the system. Thus Casual Breakthrough seems like the community compromising halfway, as per a Reddit comment. A different user describes this mode as the developers "dropping the ball so hard, I experienced great enjoyment in the initial release, what prompted them to adjust it?"
Future Prospects: Adjustments Occur?
Should Battlefield Studios has proven anything so far with the latest installment, it's that they're paying attention and responding to feedback. Assignments being too difficult were adjusted rapidly, as did the specific battle pass objectives. Chances are that, if their data shows this recent mode isn't performing to their expectations, they will not hesitate to make further modifications.