“Am I Losing It?” — Players Report Bullets Passing Through Enemies in Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6 launched to big player numbers, but a growing slice of the community is reporting a baffling issue: bullets appear to hit opponents — sometimes with visible blood and audio feedback — yet the game registers no damage. Below we break down what players are seeing, why it might be happening, and what developers say they’re doing about it.

Within days of the game’s October 10 release, clips began appearing across forums and social platforms showing close-range fights where shooters clearly aim and fire, watch visual impact effects, but see no corresponding decrease in enemy health. Those moments leave players stunned and searching for answers: is it a personal aim problem, network lag, weapon spread… or a bug?

What players are actually seeing

The typical example looks like this: a player lines up shots at an enemy in clear sight, fires multiple rounds, and the engine triggers blood spurts and impact sounds — yet the hit does not affect the opponent’s health bar or scoreboard. In some videos you can count rounds that should have been lethal; in others, only certain bullets register while others seemingly pass through the target.

~ Also Read

Exact Global Times for The Outer Worlds 2 — Early Access & Full Launch (Oct 2025)

Players have captured this from multiple platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S — and many use slow-motion replays to highlight the mismatch between what their client shows and what the server accepts as a hit.

Potential technical causes

• Hit registration vs. visual effects: The client (your game) can play an impact animation while the authoritative server hasn’t recorded a hit yet. When those two disagree, it looks like a phantom bullet.
• Network sync & latency: Even modest packet loss or jitter can cause the server to miss some input or mis-evaluate where a target was at the moment of impact.
• Weapon bloom / dispersion: Weapon spread mechanics could be wider than they appear; visually you might think all rounds hit but some stray off the hitbox.
• Animation transitions: Sudden crouch/sprint/weapon-swap animations may temporarily change hitbox or collision state, creating inconsistencies.
• Attachment/weapon interactions: Certain loadout combinations could trigger unexpected behavior in the firing model.

Developer response

DICE has acknowledged reports and confirmed an investigation is underway. A studio designer indicated the team is looking into cases where the client shows impact feedback but server damage isn’t recorded. That response suggests the issue lies in the split between client visuals and server validation, and fixes are being prioritized for problematic cases.

Initial hotfixes focus on the clearest, most reproducible incidents — for example, where visible blood spurts but no damage is logged — while broader adjustments to bloom and weapon tuning are being considered separately.

~ Also Read

Borderlands 4 Nerf Update: Gearbox Explains Why the Iconic Crit Knife is Being Cut Down

How this bug affects play and what you can do now

The practical result is frustrating: reliably winning firefights becomes harder, and players can lose confidence in aiming. Until fixes land, some simple workarounds may reduce the chances of encountering phantom bullets:

• Prefer short, controlled bursts over full auto spray at mid range.
• Avoid switching weapons or making major movement transitions mid-engagement when possible.
• Check your network: wired connections and lower latency reduce sync problems.
• Test different attachments — if one combination causes more odd misses, try alternatives.

Community reaction

Discussion threads and short-form videos have amplified the problem: some players demand immediate hotfixes, while others call for transparent developer logs explaining root causes and timelines. Importantly, the shared clips and slow-motion breakdowns make it clear the phenomenon isn’t limited to isolated skill issues — many credible evidence points toward a technical mismatch.

When a fix might arrive

DICE hasn’t published a firm timeline, but the studio’s public acknowledgement and early patch activity are promising signs. Expect staged updates: first to stop the most obvious non-registrations, then follow-up work to tune weapon behavior and server reconciliation mechanics.