It seems that players have come across an oddity in the Battlefield 5 Conquest mode in recent days. Namely, that the flag capture speed appears to change. Some players initially thought that it was merely a placebo effect. However, DICE has now admitted that there is a secret catch-up mechanic at play. Moreover, the studio has said that they will nerf its effects.
The Secret Catch-Up Mechanic in Battlefield 5 Conquest Mode
The admission came on Reddit, where players were discussing how Conquest games seemed to be close more frequently than other game modes. Although some players assumed that the game’s better matchmaking was the reason, it seems that there actual was a mechanic artificially affecting things. The hidden catch-up mechanic causes the flag capture times to drop for the losing side if the score passes a certain amount. The mechanic isn’t entirely unheard of. Indeed, Battlefield 1 had a similar feature where losing teams might get a Behemoth reinforcement. This, however, was far less obvious.
“We are balancing the mechanics and improving them to have no effect in these matches that are ending in close rounds,” says DICE; “but only affecting the matches in which one team is being fully run over – as these are the ones we intended to make more interesting for both teams with the system.”
It’s unknown exactly when these changes will come. DICE simply said that they would be implemented in an “upcoming update”; it seems likely that it could be the Tides of War Chapter 1 update, set to launch in early December. This is the only major game update to have been announced in advance thus far. Of course, DICE may include it in a smaller update between then and now. Players should note that the mechanic seems to only affect Conquest mode at present. It doesn’t affect any of the other game modes.