Yeah, you're not the only one that noticed. Bots have now stronger pilots, higher level of implants and still autoaim, instaspawn, 360 no-scope and zap you in cover.

It's a gentle way of Payrium saying: "pay or get rekt".

Cool, so it's not just me.  

I get adding pilots, since they want to encourage players to invest in them- its a company making money, thats fine.  It's having to consistently fight with bots above your level.  I've found the only way I can rank in the top 3 now is to use my long arm panther from far away- up close I die immediately. I'm wondering if I crossed some xp threshold or something, I just hit 40k...

On higher xp you'll start finding more whales that are 2-3 times your power level. Better stay low and enjoy the chances you have.

What can I say? The game is broken.

no way to really stay low lol unless there is a button to turn off exp gain i don't know about

A player can stop getting dailys/weeks 

It's no better at 6000 pwr.  My maxed Stalker get FUXORED everytime I pop out to shoot off a volley of discs.  By the time I pop behind cover I'm half health.  I got every bot within LOS focus firing on me with better implants than me.  WTF!  I've seen bots with rank 5 mechs with multiple legendary implants.  Those shitheads really FUBARed the game up this time.