Battlefield 2042 zombies mode removed after one day due to XP farming

It’s one thing after another with Battlefield.

Image via DICE

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A user-created zombies mode was added to Battlefield 2042 just yesterday. The limited-time survival mode seemed like a decent distraction from the typical Battlefield gameplay. Despite DICE promoting it on the official Battlefield Twitter account, it was removed from the Battlefield Portal less than 24 hours after going live.

As with all of the other issues the Battlefield Portal has faced, it comes down to exploiting progression. Players quickly found out that the zombie mode was just another bot farming server, leading to tons of criticism from frustrated players. Because DICE treated the user-created mode as official, it wasn’t privy to the same XP cap that faces the rest of Battlefield Portal.

Players wondered how such an oversight could have slipped through. Ripple Effect Studios Senior Design Director Justin Wiebe agreed with the public sentiment. Wiebe replied to a frustrated Twitter user, stating, “this shouldn’t have gotten through our review process.” In the rush to collaborate on a fun mode that could have added positive press, Wiebe claimed that it clouded the team’s ability to determine the sort of impact it could have on progression.

I’m not going to lie, this one shouldn’t have gotten through our review process. I think our desire to create a fun zombies mode clouded our ability to see such a simple thing like the impact it would have on progression. I’m very sorry for the hardship this has caused. https://t.co/01MXOdWGN5
— Justin Wiebe (@JA_Wiebe) January 21, 2022

Ripple Effect Studios has been responsible for the Battlefield Portal portion of DICE’s most recent shooter. There are plans for a new project within the Battlefield universe but the team is still trying to salvage Battlefield 2042’s reputation along with the recently formed studio led by former Halo designer Marcus Lehto.