Core Battlefield 5 players definitely aren't happy with the new TTK changes
DICE has rolled out a big change to the TTK (time to kill) in Battlefield 5, and much of the core community is not thrilled with the changes.
As part of a server-side update that went live yesterday, Battlefield 5's TTK was increased across the board, meaning most weapons have had their damage reduced, requiring more bullets to kill in CQC and even more at range.
The TTK and TTD experience in Battlefield 5 has constantly been in any discussion about the game, pretty much since the very first public alpha test. After nearly a month with a lethal TTK, players were disappointed to see DICE bring combat back to a slower pace.
This is the only thing the Battlefield 5 subreddit has been talking about since the change was made, and many have even taken to DICE's other social channels to voice their opinions anywhere they can.
The issue is multi-faceted, but there's generally a feeling that DICE made these changes as way of sidestepping TTD problems. Players dying too fast has definitely been a complaint since the game launched, but much of that is the result of damage stacking and other netcode-related problems.
The new TTK certainly allows for more time to react, or even escape engagements entirely, but it's not the ideal solution, as many would argue. The developer recognises this, but it also feels the vocal minority is happy with the old model while the rest of the player base is instead dropping the game because of it, which is what got these changes made.
I haven't had the chance to test out the new TTK myself, but I definitely felt the old model was a bit too punishing. With that in mind, it's a little strange for DICE to be making a change as big as this one weeks after launch, and not in a limited test environment.
By comparison, Battlefield 1's TTK was famously changed just a few short months ago, and definitely well after that game's prime. Before these changes hit live servers, however, DICE allowed players to test them out for a good while on the CTE.
This is part of why the Battlefield 5 change has been poorly received by the core community, since it upends the pace of the game they've put hours into dramatically. Reading between the lines in DICE's messaging recently, it seems players will be stuck with the new TTK for a while.
For those not interested in the updated gameplay, there's always the Conquest Core playlist featuring the old TTK. This is limited to Conquest, though.