One of the main selling points being touted since the reveal of Battlefield 2042 is the huge, 128 player lobbies in the All-Out Warfare modes the game boasts. A system wherein AI bots fill out extra slots was also unveiled, and has since just about dominated discussion of the upcoming game - so the developers have clarified a few things.
We were bound to learn more about the bots and other features of the game at EA Play in July, but apparently this has become such a hot button topic that the confirmation of some details was considered prudent. Many players had questions about the bot system, while others waster no time with getting upset about it in advance.
The feature is intended to keep the game's bigger lobbies full at all times, to ensure that you don't end up spending minutes running or driving across empty terrain without any opponents, then getting killed, only to have to spend all that time travelling after respawning again. That said, the number of bots that can spawn in any given lobby is capped at 64, which is half of the full 128 player lobbies.
Naturally, human players are always prioritized, so bots are only deployed when there aren't enough players online. So long as you play while the game is popular (so the next few years at least, but likely more) and at peak hours you likely won't ever meet a bot at all. It would take a particularly disastrous reception for the need for all 64 bots to arise anytime in the next few years.
However, the main point of contention among players who have been criticizing the move also got official confirmation: there is no way to turn the bots off. Unless you are in a full lobby with 128 players, you will be playing with bots no matter how you feel about that.
