“BF6 has beaten Blops7″ was not something many expected to hear, yet here we are—and for good reason

And for a while, Call of Duty was the consistent victor of these bouts, regularly outselling Battlefield whenever the two franchises released during the same year. In terms of consistent market dominance and cultural presence, Call of Duty has been aided by a consistent annual release schedule, bringing fresh income to Activision each year and capitalizing on year-round games coverage, eSports media, holiday gaming booms, and the like. Battlefield‘s more modest release pace has made it relatively more niche than Call of Duty, feeling more like a traditional game franchise and less like a cultural institution. Call of Duty also got a massive shot in the arm courtesy of Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard acquisition, which gave the already-mammoth series a bevy of new resources and further reach. But despite all this, Battlefield 6 has clearly “beaten” CoD in 2025, and the latter’s ostensible strengths—its annual release schedule and relationship with Microsoft—may have actually been partially responsible for this.

Battlefield 6 Has Outperformed Black Ops 7

The X-Factor: What Battlefield 6 Has That Black Ops 7 Doesn’t

Before looking at Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7 individually, it’s useful to view them within the context of their respective franchises. The last Battlefield game was Battlefield 2042 in 2021, which is generally ranked among the worst in the series. Complaints about Battlefield 2042 were and are still myriad, but many agree that its problems started from the jump: it launched in terrible technical condition, ran poorly, and featured new, unpopular matchmaking systems. With no campaign, baseline large-scale game modes, and miscellaneous controversies related to goofy cosmetics, Battlefield 2042 has mostly been relegated to mediocrity. It certainly didn’t inspire hope ahead of Battlefield 6.

But while expectations for Battlefield 6 were somewhat low, the final product landed with a bang. In the eyes of many longtime fans, BF6 is exactly what Battlefield should be: a series of grounded, dynamic multiplayer warfare scenarios that prioritize teamwork, role-playing, and long-term strategy. Each Battlefield 6 match feels like a tightly choreographed war movie, given a sense of weight and atmosphere courtesy of its sheer scale and smartly implemented mechanics. Battlefield 6 even won over a slew of series newcomers, deftly toeing the line between faithful and accessible.

It also came around at perhaps the worst time for Call of Duty. Expectations for Black Ops 7 were already especially low, with the game receiving heaps of negative publicity following its reveal. But a lot of the negativity surrounding Black Ops 7 was less about the game itself and more about its context within the Call of Duty industrial machine. Put plainly, gaming audiences have been getting a bit tired of Call of Duty, whose annual release schedule has slowly robbed it of its novelty, excitement, and identity. Call of Duty has morphed into the McDonald’s of the gaming world: it’s a nice treat, and a lot of people get really addicted to it, but it’s inherently shallow, replaceable, and devoid of nourishment. It’s impossible for a franchise to stay ahead of the curve when it has no downtime, and when its creators aren’t given the time and space to either do something new or really focus on what makes the IP special.

The Game Pass of It All: How Call of Duty’s Relationship with Microsoft May Have Hurt It This Year

Battlefield 6 has made a much bigger cultural impact in 2025 than Black Ops 7, and it’s reviewed better with players too, but it’s mostly gaming consumers that care about such things—game publishers and platform holders worry much more about Black Ops 7‘s commercial success. As previously mentioned, Black Ops 7 is behind Battlefield 6 in terms of both dollar and unit sales, but this isn’t exclusively, or perhaps even primarily, a question of quality. Yes, Black Ops 7 has worse PR than Battlefield 6, but the disparity in sales between the two games can be largely attributed to the former’s day-one release on Game Pass.

Xbox’s widely popular but increasingly unsustainable games-on-demand service brought Black Ops 7 to subscribers at no additional cost, and immediately upon launch. If an Xbox or PC gamer was planning on checking out the new Call of Duty anyway, why would they spend $70 to own the full game, when they could gain access to it for a fraction of the monthly price? This obviously affects sales, but it will likely have a negative impact on Black Ops 7‘s longevity as well: if people don’t actually own the game, they may be less motivated to actually keep playing after a few months. And with stiff competition in the form of Battlefield 6, the new Call of Duty may lose its grip on the multiplayer shooter scene even sooner.

Released

October 10, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Battlefield Studios