Battlefield 1 Easter patch adds mid-round team balancer, makes bloom less blinding

DICE has put out a new Battlefield 1 patch designed to fix many stability problems introduced in previous patches, and make one particular graphical feature less annoying.

The update is out now for all Battlefield 1 players, clocking in at around 3.5GB. This Easter patch lessens the effect of bloom, or exposure adjustment, players get when viewing bright environments from darker, indoor areas.

This most commonly happens when you spend a few seconds in a building then run outside or go towards a window. The light of the environment outside the room blinds you for a split-second before your eyes readjust. It’s something that happens in the real world, but Battlefield 1 always had a more pronounced representation.

This effect has now been lessened, though DICE noted that this will have a greater effect on certain maps but not so much on others.

The update is also introducing a mid-round team balancer that will kick in anytime one team has three or more players. The more team a player has spent on one team, and the higher their score with that team, the less of a chance the balancer will move them to the opposing team.

When it does happen, it’ll only happen once per player. Players in a party won’t be affected, and being in squad decreases your chances of being moved.

Outside of these fairly significant changes, the Easter update brings more stability improvements and bug fixes. Take a look at the full log below.

Stability and match experience

• Improved stability on all platforms.
• Improved matchmaking into Battlefield 1 Apocalypse maps.

Enabled a Mid-Round Team Balancer, following the below criteria

• There are 10 or more players in the server.
• There must be a mid-round change to the player count in the match.
• If the team sizes differ by at least 3 players, an imbalance will be indicated and after 30 seconds the teams will be rebalanced.
• Players will be evaluated by the amount of score they have contributed and duration of time they have been on the team – the higher in both criteria will lessen, or remove, your chances of moving.
• If a player is moved by the Mid-Round Team Balancer, they will not be moved a second time.
• Players in parties will not be moved.
• Players in squads are less likely to be moved.
• The Mid-Round Team Balancer will wait until a player has lost their life before switching teams; if a player is already in the deploy screen when the balancing occurs, they would need to deploy and lose their life before being moved.

Weapons, vehicles, and gadgets

• Fixed an issue in Caporetto where the Heavy Bomber spawned too low on the Austrian-Hungarian side and took damage from the ground immediately upon spawning in.
• Fixed an issue where players occasionally detonated Tripwires when they didn’t trip on the device.
• Fixed an issue where the Howell Automatic Sniper had different ammo count to the Factory variant.
• Fixed an issue where the Dreadnought horn occasionally would not stop blaring.

Maps and modes

• Improved visibility when looking outside while standing indoors in Amiens, Ballroom Blitz, Sinai Desert, Verdun Heights, Soissons, Lupkow Pass, Galicia, Tsaritsyn, Heligoland Bight
• Improved the balance of Volga River in the Red Tide Operation.
• Fixed an issue where players were able to reach unintended rooftops in Amiens.
• Fixed an issue where players would encounter invisible collision after destroying bridges on Amiens.
• Fixed an issue where players would encounter invisible collision when existing the fort on Monte Grappa.
• Fixed an issue where players would encounter invisible collision near the D capture flag in Fao Fortress.
• Fixed the fidelity of some trees on the River Somme map.

Unlocks and player journey

• Corrected the rarity grade of the PTFO weapon skins to Legendary.
• Corrected the rarity grade of the Incarcerator weapon skin to Distinguished.
• Fixed an issue where the Reaper Affliction would trigger a constant grunting sound effect while the player was taking damage.

UX and UI

• Fixed an issue where long Platoon names sometimes would run out of the Best Squad list.
• Fixed an issue where the Howell Automatic Rifle Grenade HE gadget was missing an icon.
• Fixed an issue where the Doughboy M1911 occasionally would not display in the Customize screen.
• Fixed an issue where the Trench Clearer skin on the M1909 would not appear in the Customize screen.
• Fixed the thumbnail for the Battle of Festubert skin on the Automatico M1918.
• Fixed an issue where players who are using VOIP were not being indicated on the End of Round screen.
• Fixed an issue where the map voting images for London Calling: Scourge and London Calling: Raiders did not appear.
• Fixed an issue where the Operation name remained on screen when entering the Best Squad screen.
• Fixed an issue where the player would not return to the Globe after canceling the matchmaking initiated through the “Join Any Operation” button.
• Fixed an issue where the capture progress indicator would display the incorrect color when planting explosives at the telegraph in Frontlines.
• Fixed an issue where various weapons were missing components when viewing them in the Modify screen on the front-end menus.
• Fixed an issue with z-fighting (two graphical objects occupying the same coordinates, making the game engine show both in a flickering way.) This appeared on the magazine of the Autoloading 8.25 Extended when viewing it in the Modify screen with the Battle of Cote 304 skin equipped.
• Fixed an issue where the rarity indication colors were missing for Distinguished and Legendary skins when opening the Assault Edition Class Battlepack.