Call of Duty has dominated the shooter scene for nearly two decades, but 2025 feels noticeably different.
The next Black Ops is moving toward release, yet PC hype hasn’t picked up the way many thought it would.
On Steam’s global wishlist chart, the game hovers around the 170s range, which places it below mid-tier indie releases and even novelty titles.
That ranking doesn’t tell the whole story, but it hints that Call of Duty’s usual hype might be slowing down.
Is Battlefield 6 Eating Into Call of Duty’s Audience?
Side-by-side, Battlefield 6 looks explosive, earning millions in sales soon after launch and hitting huge Steam highs.
During its open beta, Battlefield attracted a much larger active player base compared to Black Ops 7.
Estimates suggest Battlefield 6 drew over 520k Steam beta concurrents, while BO7 peaked at roughly under 100k.
The gap is so wide that conversations quickly turned to whether Battlefield was reclaiming ground it lost years ago.
The game opened with over 700k Steam players at the same time, the highest for the franchise.
Why Is Battlefield 6’s Identity Resonating So Strongly?
The competition is heating up, especially now that EA is pushing a more grounded military image and stepping away from the celebrity-heavy, flashy crossovers common in recent shooters like Call of Duty.
The marketing underlines this by showing regular soldiers, muted gear, and grounded combat instead of influencer skins and Hollywood-style flair.
The change suggested EA was listening to core shooter fans, and they reacted positively.
In turn, Black Ops 7 appears to be adjusting. The multiplayer presentation is moving from eye-catching neon styles to more believable combat wear.
Most of the more colorful, experimental cosmetics are ending up in Warzone.
Whether that choice was intentional or a response to Battlefield isn’t as important as what it signals: Call of Duty is being influenced by its competition.
Some believe the tweaks are a response to bring the game back in line with Battlefield’s established appeal.
Why Aren’t Steam Numbers Enough to Judge BO7?
Even so, those poor Steam numbers aren’t the full picture since the series has long been spread across different PC platforms.
From 2018 to 2022, the series distanced itself from Steam in favor of Battle.net. Many remained where they were and didn’t migrate back to Steam after CoD came back.
Plus, BO7 will be available on Game Pass from day one, so many players might just wait to access it through their subscription instead of pre-ordering or adding it to their Steam wishlist.
They cause Steam-tracked demand to dip, but general interest doesn’t really fall.
Does This Mean Call of Duty Is Actually Declining?
Even so, Call of Duty continues to dominate commercially, with BO7 expected to put up huge day-one numbers on all systems.
The brand is supported by decades of fans, regular seasonal drops, and constant mainstream exposure.
Even if Battlefield wins attention, that doesn’t automatically translate into a CoD collapse. It’s less about losing power and more about power relocating.
We’re watching the franchise move away from automatic supremacy. BO7’s weaker Steam interest, stronger competition, platform split, and changing player tastes make its success less certain.
If players keep returning, spending through seasons, and sticking around long term, this year will come off as a minor dip rather than a real decline.
But if those numbers dip and the early hype fades, 2025 might be seen as the year Call of Duty no longer dominated uncontested.
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