A gaming industry analyst has suggested that annual purchasing habits among gamers may have already cemented Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 the win over EA's Battlefield 6. The competition between the two franchises has been heating up of late, although it seems that Call of Duty's yearly consistency may have given Black Ops 7 the edge.
It wasn't always destined to be this way, though. Even just a few days ago, it seemed that Battlefield 6 was outpacing the pre-orders of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, but it's also worth remembering that this may be impacted by the latter's planned availability on Xbox Game Pass. A mixed response to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's initial reveals, combined with a more positive reception to the picture EA has been painting for Battlefield 6 (as well as a successful open beta), has led to what feels like more excitement in BF6's direction.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the End of an Era for the Franchise
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 marks an unfortunate end of an era for the franchise, but there is hope on the horizon.
Annual Purchasers May Have Already Secured BO7 the Sales Victory Over BF6
But when it comes to sales, community sentiment could matter little. As reported by The Gamer, Alinea Insight analyst Rhys Elliott predicts Black Ops 7 will remain dominant over its closest competitor, claiming Battlefield "almost certainly won't outsell Call of Duty." This is because, in Elliott's words, "Call of Duty is an annual ritual. Tens of millions of players, many of them casual gamers, buy the newest CoD every year without hesitation. This 'autopilot purchasing' habit is decades deep, and breaking it requires more than one awesome Battlefield release." Being one of the most anticipated games at the moment still counts for something, but beating out the annual Call of Duty release is another task altogether.
Elliott does point out that "Call of Duty is entering something of a stagnation phase right now in industry circles," but the series' "muscle memory in the market is so strong that players will buy it even if they complain about it." There is a recent indication that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's pre-orders may finally be picking up the pace, which is seemingly in line with Elliott's prediction. He also raises the issue that Warzone's existence "means Black Ops 7 will get free advertising just by existing inside Warzone menus," and "Battlefield simply doesn't have that scale of cross-promotion."
Call of Duty is an annual ritual. Tens of millions of players, many of them casual gamers, buy the newest CoD every year without hesitation.
While Call of Duty may be poised to win the sales battle on this occasion, there is some indication that the numbers so far have led to a recent change in approach for Activision. The announcement that Black Ops 7 is ditching Carry Forward and committing to cosmetics that are "crafted to fit the Black Ops identity" with "a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience" was shocking. It's no coincidence, then, that Battlefield 6 looks to dodge the same pitfall by avoiding wacky, unimmersive skins. It feels like the pendulum is swinging in this regard, as gamers turn their backs on the absurd in favor of more realistic experiences. Whether Call of Duty stays ahead of this curve remains to be seen.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
