Battlefield 6 players have experienced a peculiar turn of events over the past month, as EA seemingly introduced and then rescinded a highly requested change to XP Boosters on two separate occasions. The alterations pertained to how the in-game boosters function, specifically whether their countdown timer ran in real-time or only during active gameplay.
In an update early last month, a description change for XP Boosters indicated they would now only count down while a player was actively in a match, a departure from the previous real-time countdown. This change was met with widespread approval, as players were frustrated by the real-time countdown that often resulted in wasted boosts when needing to log off. However, instead of formalizing the popular adjustment, Battlefield Studios stated it was working to "correct the in-game text in a future update and apologize for the confusion," effectively reverting the perceived change and discarding a positive public relations opportunity.
This apparent misstep was followed by a similar situation on June 30th. Alongside an update overhauling the game's gunplay, players were presented with an in-game pop-up message that again suggested XP Boosters would now operate on in-game time. The message detailed a new system: "We will track what percentage of the length of the match you have an XP Booster active, then multiply the final match bonus XP by the appropriate percentage for each," also noting that the Booster menu would be relocated to the Lobby for easier management.
This announcement, however, proved to be short-lived. Battlefield Studios quickly issued a correction via social media, stating, "Earlier today, an in-game message about XP Boosters was sent in error. That message has now been removed, and there are no changes to how XP Boosters currently work."
This sequence of events led to player frustration and a sense of déjà vu. As noted on Reddit by user UltimateGamingTechie, the initial positive reception to what seemed like a player-centric update was dashed by the subsequent retraction. The developer has acknowledged that it "appreciate[s] all your feedback on this topic and will continue to share it with the team," suggesting that the change might eventually be implemented, particularly given the studio's recent emphasis on incorporating player feedback following a challenging period post-launch for Battlefield 6.