2025 was absolutely a big year for the FPS fans as Call of Duty and Battlefield went toe to toe after a long rivalry break. However, seasonal games should be judged months after release, and right now, it’s absolutely wild to see a truck simulator standing above Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 on Steam Charts.
Editor’s Note 2/10 – Added additional context for Call of Duty Steam numbers versus overall player population across all primary platforms.
Call of Duty is undoubtedly one of the most controversial franchises in its current situation. It’s been a downhill ride for the series: MWII wasn’t a success at bringing back players, MWIII was a so-called $70 DLC, and then Black Ops 6 lost momentum early in its first seasonal update. Now with Black Ops 7, things are worse, even if certain parts of the game are actually solid and the content update is worth a shot.
On the other hand, Battlefield was the franchise’s big return to wash away 2042 from our minds and bring back the classic, polished BF experience. And I think it was a success; the game was superb at launch with 600K+ players on Steam, and the first additional maps were as amazing as we wanted them to be. However, BF6‘s momentum has slowed considerably in the months since.
Right now, early in 2026, both games struggle to maintain 50K+ players on Steam, trailing Euro Truck Simulator in player numbers. This is a scene I never imagined. Not that ET2 isn’t a fantastic experience, mind you, just one that caught me off guard. Call of Duty is already on its 2nd season, with far fewer player gains expected on Steam. But, there’s one rival shooter that’s been going smoothly and steadily during the past couple of months: ARC Raiders.
Back in October, almost no one would’ve thought that an extraction shooter with heavy PvE focus could ever beat the big names like Call of Duty. But the Raiders have proven that taking down heavy ARCs, exploring maps under different conditions, and shouting “don’t shoot!” are worth the daily 300K+ players on Steam. And that only takes CoD and BF to their next opponent: Marathon.
Will Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 Ever Make A Comeback?
Now, is that what kills Battlefield and Call of Duty? Of course not. Call of Duty may not be at its peak at the moment, but let’s not forget that the game runs on 3 distinctive platforms on PC, and its main audience is controller players, AKA console fans. A quick look at the top-played titles on PlayStation Network and Xbox tells the story.
Call of Duty HQ, which includes Warzone and Black Ops 7, is among the top 3, meaning the title’s concurrent players are well above 60K, so always take numbers with a grain of salt, as Steam charts are always missing the context of the console player base, as well as alternative PC platforms such as Battle.net and Xbox App. As for Battlefield 6, the game still has a long way to go, and a strong Season 2 and 3 update will bring it back to the top
