Battlefield 5: DICE Talks Controversial Time-To-Kill Changes [Update]

A recent Battlefield V patch made changes to the values of the multiplayer game's time to kill, or TTK. The changes were aimed at helping new players have a better experience, but as you would expect, some people in the "core" Battlefield community understandably took issue with the changes. [Update: DICE is shifting gears again and will now undo these changes altogether.]

DICE created a "core" playlist for the Conquest mode in an attempt to appease veteran fans who didn't enjoy the TTK changes. But DICE now acknowledges in a new Reddit post that this one playlist was "clearly" not enough to satisfy core fans.

So now, DICE is adding a "Core" version of every playlist, not just Conquest, and these new versions should arrive next week.

Another part of the issue with Battlefield V's TTK is that DICE apparently did not address the feedback fast enough. "I'd like to apologize for the silence over the past couple of days on the TTK topic. We've seen it's been a big talking point and causing a divide in the community, which was never our intention. We have been listening closely to what you've all been saying," Battlefield community manager Dan Mitre said.

He added: "Changes to the game carrying this kind of weight needs clearer, earlier communication before getting rolled out. We will improve how we roll out updates in the future and respond more quickly when you have questions or concerns."

DICE made the TTK changes right away was due in part because the developer knows a number of new players will pick up the game for the holidays, and DICE wanted to try to help them have a good experience. "The intent came from us observing that new players are having a very hard time with the game compared to our core players, and we wanted to see if we could improve this over the holidays so more players can have a great time," Mitre said.

Battlefield games are known for evolving over time based on community feedback and ideas that DICE itself comes up with. "Battlefield V is no exception," Mitre said regarding how the WWII shooter will grow and evolve in time.

Unlike previous Battlefield games, all of Battlefield V's expansions are free as part of the game's Tide of War live service element. The first major post-release expansion, Chapter 1: Overture, is out now, and it adds a new map and the single-player War Story where you play as a member of a German tank division. On a longer timeline, Battlefield V will introduce a battle royale mode called Firestorm in March.

GameSpot's Battlefield V review scored the World War II shooter an 8/10. The game is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.