For years, the two biggest names in the FPS genre have been Call of Duty and Battlefield. While both franchises offer something a bit different, they have constantly gone head-to-head, with players constantly comparing the two releases. While they are still both FPS kingpins, it is no secret that they have had a rough couple of years. But Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 might be changing that for the better.
With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the franchise has once again exploded onto the scene, and so far, it's making a name for itself. It seems to be a great return to form for the franchise after recent games failed to impress. However, with its success, it might also put a lot of pressure on the next Battlefield to do the same for its franchise. Even if the next chapter will likely be a big deal, Black Ops 6 may be setting some lofty expectations for it to follow.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has Set a High Bar for Battlefield to Reach
Call of Duty and Battlefield Had a Rocky Couple of Years
For a couple of years now, both major FPS franchises have been in a bit of a tough spot. While Call of Duty: Vanguard failed to meet sales expectations, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ended up breaking records, as fans flocked to this highly anticipated sequel, so it seemed like Vanguard was just a fluke, but then came Modern Warfare 3. It ended up earning mixed reviews, as much of the game just felt lackluster, with the short campaign being a major source of disappointment. The game became the lowest-rated mainline installment yet.
At the same time, Battlefield was dealing with its own set of issues. Even though Battlefield 5 was positively received, it ended up being a commercial disappointment for EA. With Battlefield 2042, the studio aimed to bring the franchise back to a more Battlefield 3-like aesthetic, but it ended up falling flat with audiences as well. Now, the studio is hard-at-work developing the next one in hopes it does not meet the same fate.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has Seemingly Redeemed the Franchise
With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the Call of Duty franchise is once again in the spotlight. Reviews have been strong, and it feels like a return to form for this FPS series. Although sales numbers have not been revealed yet, based on its reception, it has a bright future ahead of it, especially with the help of Xbox Game Pass. And now that Treyarch may have righted the ship, it remains to be seen if Battlefield can do the same.
The Battlefield franchise is coming off of two games that failed to meet expectations, with the most recent one being panned by the fanbase. So, things are already stacked against this next chapter, but now that Black Ops 6 has impressed players, it might be even harder for Battlefield to prove itself. If the studio does not ensure that it hits all the right notes, then it may once again fall flat.
Only time will tell what the future of Battlefield will look like, as there has not really been much news about this project. Whatever form it comes in, it has to find a way to match up to Black Ops 6. If it does not blow audiences away, then they may have little reason to leave Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 behind, especially if Treyarch has a slew of exciting post-launch content to look forward to.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Cross Save
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
- Prequel(s)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: World at War
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat
- 8 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 216 GB (October 2024)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
