Hello, I'm a small BF content creator who spent all my previous playing sessions in BF2042 using a VPN ... more than 1000 hrs and made more than 150 video of suffering no server browser nor region select option, no proper map rotation and the extra issues of using a VPN, it was not fun experience.
Our region was literally empty most days of the week, the matchmaking search and search and doesn't move to the closest next region ... NO, it gets a timed out and back to the lobby so basically I couldn't play without VPN.
I'll not repeat the same mistake, I'll not buy BF6, I'll wait for proper solution like all other MP games, region select is the absolute minimum.
If there is no region select then low player count region will be dead again, it was a bad experience, do it like other MP games, .... after few months players count will go down is some regions and we will not be able to play normally, region select is a must if there is no server browser.
Portal is not a solution as it wasn't in BF2042, servers were not persistent and I couldn't find a single server with normal rules/full xp and proper map rotation.
The matchmaking should have filters of the region.
To the moderators ; please rise this issue to DICE team.