Battlefield 6's open beta weekend smashed franchise records, pulling in 521,079 concurrent players on Steam and marking the series' biggest comeback moment in years. EA's Battlefield Studios - a superteam combining DICE, Ripple Effect, Motive, and Criterion - delivered exactly what fans have been demanding since the Battlefield 2042 disaster.
Those Steam figures represent just a fraction of total participation. Players also flooded EA's PC client, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox to get their hands on the beta. Those Steam figures beat every Call of Duty game that's launched on the platform since CoD returned in 2022.
The beta was free while Call of Duty charges $60-70, and CoD missed its peak Steam years in the 2010s. But coming off Black Ops 6's rocky reception, the numbers show where PC players want to spend their time this fall.
Why Competition Makes Call of Duty Better
Former Activision Blizzard president Mike Ybarra isn't mincing words about what's coming. "Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year," he posted on X. "But the real win here is CoD won't be lazy anymore, and we'll all get better FPS games for it."
Ybarra, who left Blizzard Entertainment on January 25, 2024, before Microsoft's acquisition, went harder in follow-up posts. "CoD has gone downhill for years since then. It's a mess. Cheating, heavy UI/install, rainbow colors. People are sick of it. Luckily BF will force them to change it."
Perfect Timing for Battlefield's Return
Battlefield 6 couldn't have picked a better moment to resurface. The 2042 backlash has cooled off, and the team went back to basics with team-focused shooting that actually works. Movement and gunplay feel tight again - something the series desperately needed after years in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, Call of Duty keeps alienating its core audience. Black Ops 6's omnimovement system split the community down the middle. Industry pros and streamers complained the firefights got too chaotic, too far removed from the grounded soldier combat that built the franchise.
Call of Duty also faces mounting criticism over its cosmetic direction. Squid Game skins drew complaints, but Beavis and Butthead running around alongside Seth Rogen pushed many players over the edge. The visual chaos has made Black Ops 6 one of 2025's most criticized games from an aesthetic standpoint.
How Battlefield's Success Forces Innovation
Battlefield design director Shashank Uchil gets it. When asked about celebrity crossovers, he told DBLTAP: "I don't think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let's keep it real, keep it grounded."
That philosophy runs through everything in Battlefield 6. Teamwork matters again. Sure, some players still ignore their roles, but that behavior drops off as they learn the systems. There's something satisfying about ranking high in matches by playing medic or long-range spotter instead of chasing kills.
The destruction mechanics add another layer Call of Duty simply doesn't have. Combined with role-based gameplay that rewards cooperation, Battlefield 6 offers a completely different experience for players burned out on CoD's solo-focused approach.
Competition Could Save Call of Duty
Call of Duty hasn't faced serious competition in years. The franchise has received criticism for limited innovation and perceived disconnect from fan preferences. Community feedback through platforms like Reddit and Twitter has had minimal impact on development decisions compared to direct market competition from rival franchises.
History Lessons
Battlefield's best entries happened when the series doubled down on what made it unique. Battlefield 3 and 4 refined the core formula with better tech. Battlefield 1 delivered World War I authenticity when CoD went full sci-fi, and it became a series high.
Battlefield 2042 failed because it chased trends instead of strengthening what worked. Hero shooter mechanics and bloated features nobody wanted killed the momentum. The current team learned from those mistakes.
EA couldn't have timed this comeback better. While Call of Duty stumbles through identity crises and community backlash, Battlefield 6 represents everything the competition isn't doing right.
What This Means for FPS Fans
Battlefield 6 launches October 10, 2025, and early momentum suggests EA might have a genuine hit. The beta response shows real hunger for tactical, team-based shooting that Call of Duty abandoned.
For CoD, this represents the first real threat to its throne in years. The franchise has advantages: massive resources, established audience, proven marketing muscle. But advantages mean nothing if players stop caring.
The FPS landscape is about to get interesting again. Competition drives innovation, and both franchises could emerge stronger if they respond to player feedback instead of ignoring it.
After years of CoD dominance breeding complacency, Battlefield's resurgence might be exactly what the genre needed. Players win when developers have to fight for their attention instead of taking it for granted.
