Call of Duty has grown beyond a popular shooter into a franchise that runs almost automatically.
Every year, no matter how much backlash it gets online or how wild the cosmetic bundles become, it dominates the sales charts.
It’s the kind of routine success that convinces a publisher like Activision to see the brand as invincible.
Activision leaders obviously recognize this, showing no concern about Battlefield 6, and maintain that Call of Duty continues to lead the FPS market, calling it “too big to fail” and profitable for years ahead, per Insider Gaming.
What Makes Battlefield 6 So Different This Time?
This might be bold to say, but with Battlefield 6 dominating social platforms, preorders soaring, and over 400,000 players in beta queues, it's a bold statement.
The new game looks like a real return to form. Gone are the futuristic gimmicks and half-baked modes that hurt previous entries.
Instead, DICE is delivering massive battles, grounded visuals, class-based teamwork, and an explicit promise to avoid the flashy nonsense that’s made Call of Duty feel more like Fortnite Lite lately. Even die-hard CoD fans are taking notice.
Why Isn’t Activision Worried?
Still, Activision isn’t worried as internal sources say they’re watching Battlefield 6 closely without concern.
They base it on sales history, brand saturation, and long-term planning. Call of Duty has four more annual titles already penciled in through 2029, and even the weakest releases manage to sell tens of millions.
From their view, Battlefield 6 is not a threat but simply another installment in a series that isn’t annual and hasn’t kept up with Call of Duty’s steady sales.
But there’s an increasing divide between company confidence and how players feel. While Call of Duty continues to perform on paper, its community is increasingly disillusioned.
Complaints about broken anti-cheat, sloppy map design, and ridiculous crossovers (like cartoon characters in military gear) have chipped away at the loyalty.
Steam stats show Black Ops 6 has already seen a massive player drop-off since launch, and fans on Reddit and YouTube aren’t holding back their frustration. The phrase “COD fatigue” is starting to feel like an understatement.
Will This Be the Year Battlefield Overtakes Call of Duty?
Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 is being framed as a course correction, so it could still overtake Call of Duty in its own territory.
With Vince Zampella and Byron Beede (ex-Call of Duty veterans, running DICE), the new game aims clearly at returning as a strong alternative.
The open beta alone brought back enthusiasm, particularly for longtime players who were close to quitting after Battlefield 2042. That said, Call of Duty is far from powerless.
It releases on clockwork, has unmatched marketing power, and keeps its players engaged year-round with multiplayer, Warzone, Zombies, and seasonal content drops.
Battlefield 6 might win the hype war this year, but Activision is betting on long-term players and lasting success. They’ve seen rivals rise before, only to fall flat at launch.
But for the first time in a while, there’s genuine competition—and fans are rooting for it. The FPS genre has stagnated under Call of Duty’s dominance, and Battlefield 6 looks like it’s ready to challenge that.
Whether or not Activision will be forced to rethink its formula depends on how this plays out post-launch. For now, Call of Duty remains king—but Battlefield 6 is making a lot more noise than expected.
And if Activision is wrong about being untouchable, we might finally be watching the start of a much-needed shakeup.
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