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Over the weekend, Battlefield Studios introduced a new game mode titled Relaxed Breakthrough. To put it simply, this option resembles the standard Breakthrough format but features a few notable changes:

• Every squad includes only eight real players, with the remaining made up of AI-controlled opponents.
• Activities done by real players award complete experience points, while AI activities provide reduced XP.
• Just a pair of maps are available: Cairo Siege and Empire State map.
• Features like Dogtags, achievements, and career stat updates are disabled.

In short, the playlist lives up to its name: it's a casual take of Breakthrough. On the surface, you might think it's a good idea, since it gives additional choices for players looking for alternative ways to have fun with the title. However, if video games have taught us anything, it is that you can't please everyone. Which is to say, many Battlefield 6 players are mad.

Player Reactions: From Fury to Support

"People want human opponents. Avoid making the mistakes of your competitors," states a response to the mode reveal. "Absolutely shocking concept," says a different user. At the same time, in community forums, a player notes, "It's unclear where we are going with this game," and someone else lists everything they believe to be broken in Battlefield 6: "Fix bugs, fix drone glitch, correct rocket mechanics, adjust aiming after sprinting, fix awful hit registration. We do not require this AI-heavy playlist."

On the other hand, amid the criticism, there are players sharing how much they're liking the recent addition. "It's enjoyable to practice, real players prevent it from being a complete grind but it's quite laid-back," reads a forum post. "The community doesn't understand that there are players who have lives and can't play this title 24/7. Let them find a middle ground," adds a different comment. A response via social media clarifies that as they're "a parent gamer with busy schedules, this is perfect for me," and someone else praises the mode for "not being overcompetitive."

Valid Concerns and Community Input

All that said, there are valid points to complain about Casual Breakthrough. Some users have highlighted that it will make wait times even longer for different playlists because of the large amount of options in the game already. On a similar note, some areas already encounter AI-filled matches in the current modes. Additionally, it appears somewhat counterintuitive that the mode does not begin without a minimum number of real players, even though it focuses mostly on fighting AI opponents.

Finally, a major complaints is that a previous feature was meant to provide full XP, including AI matches, but that got canned when they attempted to remove bot farms from the mode. So Casual Breakthrough feels like the player base compromising halfway, as per a Reddit comment. A different user describes this mode as the devs "dropping the ball so hard, I experienced so much fun in the initial release, why did they feel the need to change it?"

Looking Ahead: Adjustments Be Made?

If Battlefield Studios has demonstrated something to date with Battlefield 6, it's that they're listening and acting on feedback. Tasks that were overly hard got fixed rapidly, just like the specific battle pass objectives. Chances are that, if their data indicates this recent mode is underperforming to their standards, they won't be shy to change it again.