Battlefield 6's developer BF Studios and publisher EA moved this week to blunt several pain points that have frustrated players since the game's launch: a large-scale reduction in challenge requirements, a new lower-pressure playlist called Casual Breakthrough, and temporary XP changes to address a Strikepoint exploit. The trio of changes — rolled out via server-side updates and social posts in early November 2025 — aim to make progression less punishing while the studio investigates longer-term fixes.
Big reductions to challenges and assignments
BF Studios described a “major overhaul” of Challenges and Assignments that trims time investment across more than 90 goals. The studio said the changes were guided by gameplay data and player feedback and were tuned “around defined playtime targets” so they’re achievable within a reasonable session.
Key examples highlighted by the developer include:
- Class challenges: spawn beacon deploys cut from 50 to 5; Support revives reduced from 200 to 60.
- Weapon assignments: assault rifle damage requirement lowered from 10,000 inflicted damage to 3,000.
- Mode/unit assignments: many mode-specific challenges standardized to two wins per tier (Conquest wins, for example, reduced from 5 to 2).
- Gameplay/mastery: multi-kill and streak goals adjusted to better reflect average round performance (Explosives multi-kill challenge trimmed from 20 to 5).
- Teams are eight real players per side, with 32 bots filling out matches (16 per team).
- Only two maps — Siege of Cairo and Empire State — are available in the playlist.
- Players earn career, weapon and battle pass XP, but actions involving bots grant reduced XP; dogtags, accolades and career stat updates are disabled.
BF Studios implemented the first set of changes via a server-side update, and importantly for frustrated players, any progress already made against the former criteria has been retained. “Challenges and Assignments are tuned around defined playtime targets, and these changes bring their requirements in line with those goals to make them more achievable within a reasonable session length,” the studio wrote.
The developer warned that the overhaul is large and will continue across multiple server- and client-side updates, so more adjustments are expected.
Casual Breakthrough: a chilled playlist for progression
Also live is Casual Breakthrough, a new Breakthrough playlist designed for players who want to progress without the intensity of full-scale PvP. The mode features smaller real-player teams and a heavy bot presence:
BF Studios framed the change as a response to players who want a less competitive environment while still being able to complete challenges. Reaction has been mixed. Some players praised the mode as a welcome option for those with limited time or who want to test loadouts without facing high-skill opponents. Others argued it dilutes what makes Battlefield distinctive, risks increasing queue times across the already-large roster of playlists, and could penalize players who worked through the original, harder grinds.
Critics also noted a consistency issue: Battlefield Portal had previously reduced or removed XP for bot matches to stop farming, and some see Casual Breakthrough as a partial reversal that may invite similar debates about progression fairness.
Strikepoint exploit prompts temporary XP adjustments
A separate matter forced a more urgent fix. An apparent exploit in Strikepoint mode allowed coordinated parties to farm vast amounts of XP: two premade teams would enter a Strikepoint match, one side would leave, and the remaining team could repeatedly accrue millions of XP. Battlefield Studios confirmed it had “identified an issue that was affecting the amount of XP earned in the Strikepoint mode” and applied temporary XP adjustments to maintain fair progression while investigating a permanent solution.
The studio has not published technical details of the fix, and players have reacted predictably: some jokingly asked how to join farming groups, while others voiced concern that the exploit undermined progression and competitive balance.
What this means for players and the game's future
Taken together, the changes signal BF Studios responding rapidly to community feedback and telemetry. The challenge reductions acknowledge that several original criteria overshot the studio’s intended difficulty curve; the Casual Breakthrough playlist attempts to broaden how different player types can enjoy the game; and the Strikepoint adjustment shows the studio is policing progression exploits.
Still, tensions remain. Longtime fans worry that easier unlocks and bot-heavy playlists will weaken the long-term appeal and sense of accomplishment. Competitive players want assurances that matchmaking, hit registration and other core systems will be equally prioritized. And server-side changes can calm some complaints while creating new questions about balance and queue fragmentation.
BF Studios has indicated more updates are coming. For now, players logging back in will likely find a lighter grind and a new casual option, plus the knowledge that XP math in Strikepoint is temporarily altered as the team seeks a robust fix.
Tags: Battlefield 6 | EA | BF Studios | Game Updates | Casual Mode