Battlefield 6 Faces Scrutiny Over AI Issues Linked to Double-Barreled Weapon

The player backlash against generative AI in gaming has reached a boiling point as the year wraps up, with Battlefield 6 becoming the latest target of fan frustration. Reports indicate that EA is currently looking into claims of AI involvement in the recent winter cosmetics from season 1, aiming to clarify how this contentious technology may have influenced their creation.

The uproar began over the weekend when players shared one of Battlefield 6’s new stickers from the Windchill bundle, priced just under $10. The sticker depicts a character aiming down the scope of a double-barreled rifle. One frustrated post on the game’s subreddit exclaimed, “Two barrels on the M4A1, sure. I would literally prefer to have no sticker than some low-quality AI-generated garbage. You can look at BO7 and see how many favors AI-generated rewards won with them.”

This sparked a wave of fans conducting an AI “vibe check” on other cosmetics in the game. While nothing as glaring as the six-fingered Santa Zombie loading screen from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has surfaced, it has raised concerns about the potential prevalence of the issue. For instance, one in-game sticker features a bear with more than 10 claws on its paws. Is this a sign of poor quality control, or does it suggest that Battlefield 6’s post-launch development has been relying on generative AI for design work?

An AI-generated double-barreled rifle would contradict a promise made earlier this year by EA VP Rebecka Coutaz, who oversees DICE and the teams behind Battlefield. In an interview, she assured fans that they wouldn’t encounter any AI-generated imagery in the final game, although she acknowledged that the technology is utilized in earlier production stages “to allow more time and more space to be creative.”

There are a couple of ways that AI-related errors like this could find their way into a high-profile title aiming to be the best-selling game of 2025. One possibility is that concept artists use generative AI to create reference designs before refining them by hand. Another is that an outsourcing team contracted by EA submits designs for cosmetics that slip through a rushed review process.

EA has been particularly optimistic about AI’s potential to revolutionize game development. “We view AI as a powerful accelerator of creativity, innovation, and player connection,” stated CEO Andrew Wilson during the company’s earnings report last May. Employees across various departments, from art and QA to marketing and customer service, have been encouraged to explore AI tools in their daily tasks. Reports emerged last month that these tools were even used to create the cover for the Deluxe Edition of NHL 26.

While a double-barreled rifle might clearly indicate AI involvement, other mistakes could simply stem from quality control slipping as teams rush to fill Battlefield 6’s post-launch window with new content and microtransactions. A source familiar with the game’s production noted that the current roadmap has stretched resources thin, making it challenging to thoroughly review everything for potential blunders.

EA has not provided a comment on the situation.