This week, the fifth season of Battlefield 6 launched, bringing new maps, weapons, vehicles, and gameplay changes. Unfortunately (for EA), the update's release was accompanied by several issues: players suspected the use of generative AI in the creation of some cosmetic items, and also discovered a sharp decrease in experience gain rate.
As it turned out after the season's release, the maximum earning rate was about 300 experience points per minute. Players noticed that this was significantly lower than previous figures and began to suspect that the developers had intentionally limited progression. Battlefield Studios itself had not announced any changes to the experience point system beforehand.
According to an official statement from the developers themselves, changes to the server-side configuration led to an unintentional decrease in experience gain rate across different modes, as well as when leveling up weapons and other equipment. The team reverted these changes and continued to monitor statistics to ensure the previous rates were restored.
Players' suspicions were heightened by the simultaneous appearance of the Ultimate Shortcut Kit for sale — a set costing $30. It allows for instant leveling up of all classes, including gadgets and training specializations, as well as unlocking 28 types of weapons and eight units of equipment. Buyers also gain access to related upgrades, modules, skins, and other items usually unlocked through progression.
Similar kits have appeared in the Battlefield series before, but the coincidence of the paid kit's launch with an unexpected slowdown in progression caused dissatisfaction within the community. Some players suggested that the limitation might have been introduced intentionally to push the audience towards purchasing accelerated access to content. However, the developers explained the situation as a technical error.