Players complained that the ping mechanics in Battlefield 6’s open beta were too dominant, and now the developers are dialing it back. The studio admits the feature was “overly effective,” and the final release will see reduced range and potency for spotting enemies.

The open beta for Battlefield 6 felt like a blast from the past, especially thanks to its forgiving spotting system. Pressing Q anywhere near an opponent instantly slapped a bright red “Dorito” on their head, broadcasting their position to the entire squad and leaving them exposed.

The 3D spot has long been a hallmark of Battlefield, and the team at Battlefield Studios insists it isn’t going away. Still, developers acknowledged that Recon’s auto-spotting ability was far too strong in the test phase. Speaking with IGN, console combat designer Matthew Nickerson confirmed major adjustments for the launch build.

“We’ve definitely cut back its range and overall effectiveness,” Nickerson explained. “During the open beta, it became obvious how overpowered it was, just like players had pointed out. At that point, people weren’t even aiming at enemies—they were just shooting Doritos. Whether it was light or dark maps, the tactic was the same: ‘Aim for the red marker and you’ll land a hit.’”

Battlefield 6 may have ditched its literal Doritos, but complaints about spotting being too influential have returned after more than a decade. In response, the studio is reducing the reach and duration of pings, which means spamming Q at distant silhouettes won’t automatically reveal targets. Location markers will still exist, but only for your own squad to see.

“Ping is vital—it provides critical information,” Nickerson added. “But it has to be an intentional mechanic, not just a fire-and-forget sweep that lights up the whole battlefield. That became crystal clear in the beta, so we’ve implemented significant revisions.”

IGN’s full interview with Nickerson and technical director Christian Buhl dives deeper into Battlefield 6’s upcoming changes, covering everything from how the team handled leaks to their current stance on cosmetic items ahead of release.

Source: PC Gamer