‼️STILL AFFECTING CUSTOM SEARCH AFTER 1.1.1.5 UPDATE ‼️

Summary:
The Custom Search feature in Battlefield 6 does not search evenly across all maps. Instead, it disproportionately favors maps listed at the top of the map list, returning results primarily for those maps (e.g. Empire State). This causes players especially in low player count regions to repeatedly be matched into the same map over and over, as the system fails to find active servers on lower listed maps. This bug effectively prevents lower-listed maps from ever being filled with players, as players leaving a completed match on Empire State are redirected into a new Empire State instance rather than populating maps further down the list. The outcome is a self-reinforcing matchmaking loop that limits map diversity, reduces replayability, and discourages player retention in smaller regions.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open Multiplayer → Custom Search.
2. Enable all maps. 
3. Observe which map is found.
4. Leave the game upon completion.
5. Custom Search again.
6. Observe which map is found.
7. Repeat multiple times and you will find the same map, over and over assuming a 'vague' criteria is not met.

Expected Result:
The Custom Search should evenly query all selected maps and return populated or active games across the full selection not just those at the top of the list.

Actual Result:
Search results consistently prioritize the first few maps (notably Empire State). Active servers on other maps are often excluded, even when they exist and have a lot players on it.

Observed Gameplay Impact:

• In low player count regions, this behavior effectively traps players in a loop of the same top-listed map (commonly Empire State).
• Since many servers disband at the end of rounds (no lobby persistence), players are repeatedly re-matched into the same map because Custom Search fails to discover or distribute players to other available maps.
• This results in gameplay fatigue, reduced map variety, and slower player retention in smaller regions.
• This effectively prevents lower-listed maps from ever being filled with players, as players leaving a completed match on Empire State are redirected into a new Empire State instance rather than populating maps further down the list. The outcome is a self-reinforcing matchmaking loop that limits map diversity, reduces replayability, and discourages player retention in smaller regions.

Additional Notes / Verification:

• Excluding the maps at the top from the custom search confirm there's servers running with the lower maps, with players on them but they aren't being prioritized.
• The behavior suggests a search index or query prioritization flaw in the matchmaking API.

Please address this bug ASAP otherwise lower player count regions will be stuck playing Domination on Empire State forever unless they intentionally omit it from the map pool, perhaps just make the official servers persistent, would be less of a headache at this point.

Further Explanation:

Apparently, the custom search and I assume the playlist search too, prioritizes maps in a specific search order. This also leads into why the same map repeats over and over. So for example, if you search using Custom Search for all the maps, and there's no server running on Empire State, it will create an instance and put you in an empty Empire State lobby, despite other instances running on other maps. It doesn't matter how many players are in the other instances, only that there was no existing instance for Empire State and therefore one needed to be created to satisfy your 'search criteria'. I don't understand why it works this way, it absolutely baffles my mind. However, I also believe there's an "Avoid-Last-Played Logic" parameter that's broken when it can't find other lobbies running besides the map you just played on, I tested this by only choosing Saints Quarter, I then found an empty lobby with just myself. Within less than 2 minutes the lobby was full. I assume this is because every one of those players, had just played on Empire State like myself and when they searched, it found my lobby with just me in it. If I didn't search and find an empty Saints Quarter lobby, they would've likely found Empire State AGAIN.