A few months ago we didn't even know what the name of the next Battlefield was, which makes it feel all the more surreal that Battlefield 6 is now in our hands — and that it's taking the gaming community by storm. Indeed, Electronic Arts' (EA) bombastic large-scale multiplayer FPS is enjoying a massive launch week kicked off by a colossal 750K player count on Steam at release, and preceded by very positive critic reviews.
But while Battlefield 6 has won over the hearts of digital soldiers everywhere with the series classic class-based structure, powerful vehicles and aircraft, plenty of gadgets and weapons to earn, and more, it's not without its issues.
One such problem is the fact that matches of Conquest — Battlefield's premier mode in which teams fight to dynamically take and hold points — have been frequently ending due to their time limit being reached, and not because one team managed to fully deplete the other's tickets.
Notably, the Conquest match timer was a new addition in Battlefield 6, and one that has proven to be quite controversial. As ticket counts drop lower and lower in the mode, tension starts to build as a result, with players driven to position carefully, make every shot count, and attempt daring hero plays to capture objectives and either help initiate a comeback or secure victory.
But because of this arbitrary time limit, many of those exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat matches have been ending with a deeply unsatisfying result determined by the number of tickets each team has when it runs out — even when the losing team is on the verge of pulling off a triumphant resurgence.
We've reduced the starting ticket count across all Conquest maps so matches finish at a more natural pace. Previously, many rounds were hitting the time limit instead of ending when one team ran out of tickets. We'll keep monitoring feedback and data to make sure the flow of each…October 15, 2025
Players have been vocally critical of this issue since the moment we knew the timer was going to be a thing, so it's not surprising that the developers at Battlefield Studios have made adjustments in an effort to rectify it. What is surprising, though, is how it's gone about doing so.
You see, while it seems that the overwhelming majority of players would prefer the timer itself to either be extended or outright removed, Battlefield 6 has instead taken aim at starting Conquest ticket counts on each map — reducing them to foster quicker ends to games so the time limit isn't reached.
"We've reduced the starting ticket count across all Conquest maps so matches finish at a more natural pace," wrote the devs in a post on the matter on social media. "Previously, many rounds were hitting the time limit instead of ending when one team ran out of tickets. We'll keep monitoring feedback and data to make sure the flow of each match feels right."
Here's a list of all the ticket reductions on each map:
- Siege of Cairo from 1000 to 900
- Empire State from 1000 to 900
- Iberian Offensive from 1000 to 900
- Liberation Peak From 1000 to 800
- Manhattan Bridge From 1000 to 800
- Operation Firestorm From 1000 to 700
- New Sobek City from 1000 to 900
- Mirak Valley from 1000 to 700
Given that lengthy, drawn-out games with nail-bitingly close scores and exciting potential for comebacks have always been a beloved part of Battlefield and Conquest, the fact that Battlefield Studios is choosing to cut them shorter is, frankly, appalling — and the blistering reaction from the community says as much.
A complaint about the change on the Battlefield subreddit, titled "Literally nobody asked for this," is currently one of today's top posts. "I’ve hit the time limit 3 times now. I was pissed when it happened. Sh*ts lame af. Gimme 1000-1500 tickets and no time limit bf games are best around 25-30 min long," said one fan in its replies.
"The easier solution would just be to remove the time limits. Close games are incredible and this artificial time limit ruins comebacks," argued FPS content creator MoiDawg. "Just let us play Conquest. I'm not joining a Conquest game thinking it'll be over in 20 minutes. Huge L."
Given that lengthy, drawn-out games with nail-bitingly close scores and exciting potential for comebacks have always been a beloved part of Battlefield and Conquest, the fact that Battlefield Studios is choosing to cut them shorter is, frankly, appalling.
"Just delete or extend the time limit," added community figure Klobrille. "What exactly are we doing here? People want long, epic matches when playing Conquest."
Indeed, this is a case of the developers addressing the symptoms of an issue rather than its source, and it's going to severely limit the potential for intensely close games that facilitate some of the most memorable experiences you can have in Battlefield.
That's an absolute shame, and I hope Battlefield Studios reverses the changes and either extends or removes the timer instead. I understand the intent here — you don't want games lasting ridiculously long, as players may have to leave and sacrifice their XP gains if they are — but 25-30 minutes is far from unreasonable, or anything longer than what's been the standard for Battlefield previously.
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