Battlefield 6’s Portal mode was built to give players complete freedom over how they wanted to play.
It was advertised with full progression and complete freedom. But after the recent XP nerf, that promise feels broken for many.
It used to reward those who liked to experiment, but now it just feels like a grind that pushes casual players out.
What Did the XP Nerf Actually Do?
Shortly after launch, Battlefield Studios rolled out an update that fundamentally changed how XP works in Portal.
They stated they wanted to fix both the slow leveling pace in the base game and the excessive XP farming servers cluttering the community tab.
They addressed the issue by improving standard progression and removing most rewards from bot-filled lobbies.
Under the new system, players can still earn career XP and completion bonuses in Portal, but Mastery levels and weapon challenge progress no longer count if bots are enabled.
The studio also increased match-completion XP by 10%, boosted daily challenge XP by 40%, and reduced the XP needed to unlock the first twenty weapon attachments.
Assignments that previously unlocked at ranks 20, 23, and 26 were shifted down to 10, 15, and 20 to make the early game feel less punishing.
These tweaks are designed to make the grind less slow. In practice, they took out the part that made the grind feel worth it.
Did DICE Have a Good Reason for This Decision?
On the developer’s end, the issue was understandable because Portal’s server list was dominated by AFK and farming lobbies, which frequently caused “global game quota exceeded” errors during normal matchmaking attempts.
DICE explained that the system buckled under the load since so many servers existed only to farm XP and pad stats, pushing out the creative experiences Portal was built for.
The studio implemented measures to eliminate XP farming, restrict progression in bot-based servers, and promote activity within verified, player-only environments.
The developers announced that they aim to improve the playing experience with friends across both verified and custom modes, which may involve backend changes requiring creators to republish their content.
They also reassured the community that weapon bloom, visibility, and vehicle spawn bugs were still being worked on.
Didn’t We Go Through This Already in 2042?
Long-time fans recognized the pattern right away, since Battlefield 2042 had the same promise-to-nerf storyline.
Players are frustrated that the studio seems to have learned nothing from that debacle. They believe the issue lies not in XP farms, but in the weak backend and the decision to allow every account to host a free server.
Many believe DICE should return to the classic rented-server model, where players who want their own space can pay for it and customize it fully without clogging the browser.
Some argue that DICE should have added stronger in-game options, such as an offline mode, proper shooting ranges, or structured solo experiences similar to the old “Initiation” mode.
These features could fulfill PvE needs without upsetting progression flow.
The situation highlights the ongoing tug-of-war in live-service design, where developers aim for balance and control while players chase freedom and fun.
Portal’s XP nerf solved the imbalance but also stripped away the freedom that made Battlefield stand out from other shooters.
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