🎯 Equality Isn’t Equity. Please Rethink Bot XP for Accessibility and Fair Play

👁️ Players with vision impairments — are being left behind by XP limits in Portal. Equality isn’t equity. It’s time the Battlefield community starts talking about true accessibility.

I’m not posting this to complain, but to share something personal that I hope others can relate to.
I love Battlefield — and I want everyone, no matter their abilities, to feel that same sense of belonging and progress.

Hi DICE team and fellow players,

I’m a big fan of the Battlefield franchise and have been for years. I truly respect the effort the team puts into balancing gameplay and progression. I also understand why the recent decision was made to limit XP and mastery progression in Portal bot matches — to prevent farming and keep things fair.

However, this change unintentionally hurts players who rely on bots not to exploit the system, but to make the game accessible.

Personally, I live with Retinitis Pigmentosa Type 2 (RP Type 2) — a genetic and degenerative eye condition that causes gradual vision loss over time, beginning with night blindness and loss of peripheral vision, and eventually leading to tunnel vision or central vision loss. (RP affects roughly 1 in 4,000 people worldwide, and there is currently no cure.) My brother also lives with this same condition, and we both face the daily challenge of adapting how we see and interact with the world — including the games we love.

Living with RP Type 2 isn’t just about losing vision — it’s about constantly adjusting to new limitations. Every day brings small battles: navigating in low light, reading small text, or keeping up with fast visual cues. It’s physically and emotionally draining at times, but gaming has always been a space where we could feel equal — where effort, strategy, and creativity matter more than physical ability.

It’s not just people with RP — there are many players who live with general vision problems such as low visual acuity, color blindness, or contrast sensitivity issues. For all of us, bots and AI-based practice modes provide a fair, safe, and rewarding way to experience Battlefield and improve at our own pace.

That’s why this issue matters so deeply. Playing with bots allows players like us to experience Battlefield in a way that’s achievable and enjoyable, helping us practice, stay engaged, and feel a sense of progress.

Equality means treating everyone the same.
But equity means giving everyone a fair chance to enjoy the game in their own way.

By removing XP from all bot matches, the system treats everyone equally — but not fairly. For players like me, it means our time, effort, and love for the game no longer count in the same way.

Possible solutions:

- Allow reduced XP or capped progression when bots are enabled.

- Create a dedicated Accessibility or Practice Mode where progression is slower but still meaningful.

- Implement XP scaling based on the ratio of human players to bots.

These adjustments wouldn’t harm balance — they would make Battlefield more inclusive and ensure every player can feel rewarded for the time they invest.

Accessibility shouldn’t stop at menus, subtitles, or controller options — it should also include progression fairness, so that everyone can feel valued and included, no matter their abilities.

I’m also sharing this to help bring awareness to the wider gaming community and to big companies like EA, because it’s time for the industry to start thinking about equity, not just equality. We need systems that understand different players face different realities — and that inclusivity means making sure everyone can progress, not just those with perfect reflexes or vision.

I care deeply about this series, and I want Battlefield 6 to continue being a place where teamwork, respect, and community thrive for all players.

💬 If anyone else is feeling the same way — whether you face vision challenges, physical limitations, or simply find PvP overwhelming — please speak up and share your story too. The more voices we raise together, the better chance we have of being heard.

— A longtime Battlefield fan.

#Accessibility #Portal #Feedback #XPProgression