Battlefield 6 Season 5 Launches with XP Controversy and AI Accusations
- Season 5 of Battlefield 6 launched successfully but faced backlash over reduced XP earnings.
- Battlefield Studios confirmed unintended XP rate changes, which have since been reverted.
- Launch coincided with the Ultimate Shortcut Kit, raising concerns about the motives behind XP adjustments.
This week marked the official launch of Season 5 in Battlefield 6, introducing new maps, weapons, vehicles, and gameplay changes. However, the season kicked off amidst controversy involving allegations of generative AI use and a significant reduction in XP earnings for players.
Players quickly noticed a decline in the XP they could earn following the patch. Compounding the issue was the lack of communication from Battlefield Studios regarding any modifications to XP rates prior to the update. The studio later acknowledged that the changes were “unintended” and announced that they would revert XP earning rates to their original figures.
“Following the launch of Season 5, backend configuration changes resulted in an unintended issue affecting XP earn rates across modes and hardware progression (such as weapons),” the official Battlefield Comms X account stated. “These backend changes have now been reverted, and our team is actively monitoring telemetry to ensure earn rates return to intended levels across all experiences. Thank you for your patience and reports while we continue to track this.”
Testing indicated that players could earn a maximum of only 300 XP per minute, which was significantly lower than pre-patch levels. During the two days before the studio issued a response, many players speculated that the XP cap had been deliberately reduced, particularly as it coincided with the release of Battlefield 6’s Ultimate Shortcut Kit, available for purchase alongside Season 5.
The Ultimate Shortcut Kit costs $30 / £25 and fully unlocks all classes, gadgets, Training Paths, 28 weapons, and eight vehicles. It allows players to instantly access all associated attachments, upgrades, and level-gated customization options. Previous shortcut bundles have been released in the Battlefield series, but the timing of this kit’s launch amid XP concerns fueled player suspicions.
Additionally, the season’s start was marred by the resurgence of a significant exploit and content that raised questions about the use of generative AI, such as the Audacious Breach character skin, which features a spelling error on its arm patch—reading ‘Secuty’ instead of ‘Security’.
Battlefield 6 has previously grappled with issues related to XP earn rates, particularly concerning weapon XP. Battlefield Studios has spent considerable time refining how XP and scores are accumulated, including a boost at the start of Season 4, as noted in earlier communications.
Despite these efforts, the game continues to encounter sporadic errors. In June, the studio announced a change where XP Boosters would count down during matches, rather than in real-world time. This adjustment was initially well-received but subsequently reversed. A similar reversal occurred later that month, juxtaposed with an announcement from the Call of Duty franchise about a comparable feature, which was celebrated by its player base.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
