Battlefield 2042 has lost one of its biggest selling points

techradar.com:

Battlefield 2042 will no longer support 128-player matches of Breakthrough, as developer Dice scales back the mode amid the game’s ailing player count.

As part of Battlefield 2042’s latest 4.1 update, the 128-player Breakthrough playlist has been entirely removed. According to an official blog post, players will now only be able to access the game mode in 64-player matches, and will have to play Conquest if they want to jump into a 128-player fight.

Dice said it has reduced the mode's player count in a bid to improve its core experience. The developer reckons the intensity and chaos of Breakthrough’s attack-defend gameplay wasn’t supported by large, crowded matches.

“When reviewing Breakthrough, we noted that the 64-player version represented a more tactical experience,” Dice said in the post.

“Reducing our player count here helps to remove some of the chaos from the experience, and in combination with the reductions that we have made to the number of available combat vehicles, it means players are better able to hold frontlines more effectively. 

“Players will also find more space to work together and fulfill their individual roles.”

Elsewhere in the blog post, Dice revealed that Battlefield 2042’s much-delayed Season 1 is “currently set for release in early June”. It says it’ll be “back with a full overview and update notes closer to its release”.

Season 1 was originally delayed to give the game's developers time to fix its persistent bugs and roll out several quality-of-life improvements. It’s already added in-game voice chat and revamped the game’s scoreboard in response to fan feedback.

The removal of the game mode has likely been introduced to accommodate Battlefield 2042’s languishing playerbase. The game has struggled to