Judging by the record for concurrent players, it's clear that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has officially lost to EA's upcoming Battlefield 6 when it comes to open beta player counts on Steam. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has faced criticism as its reveals have rolled out.
The backlash against Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 began with reactions to its Gamescom Opening Night trailer. The announcement quickly racked up over 100,000 dislikes, making it one of the most disliked trailers for an unreleased Call of Duty game ever. At the time, many predicted that the negative reaction could signal fans leaving Black Ops 7 for Battlefield 6, and recent evidence suggests that prediction might be accurate.
Battlefield 6 Seems to Be Outpacing Black Ops 7 in Pre-Orders
It looks like pre-orders for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are off to a slow start, as the upcoming shooter is seemingly being outpaced by Battlefield 6.
Open Beta Statistics Hint at the Winner Between Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6
According to the latest data, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Open Beta on Steam peaked at around 99,000 concurrent players. By comparison, its main competitor, Battlefield 6, reached over 520,000 concurrent players on the same platform back in August. Many are now calling EA's upcoming FPS the clear winner, noting that Black Ops 7's nearly 420% smaller concurrent player count on Steam during the Open Beta phase points to the likely victor.
Of course, it's worth noting that these numbers only reflect the two games' Open Beta performance on Steam. Black Ops 7 has been available on multiple platforms, so its total concurrent player count could be much higher than 99,000. The same applies to Battlefield 6, whose Open Beta was also on both PC and consoles. If it performed similarly on consoles, its actual concurrent player record could be well above the reported 521,000.
It might be too soon to declare the ultimate winner in 2025's rivalry between these two popular FPS franchises. However, it's clear that Black Ops 7 has had a slow start with its Open Beta and may need significant changes to win back its fan base.
According to EA, Battlefield 6 is set for a global release on October 10 and has already topped the best-selling charts on Steam and several other platforms. Activision's Black Ops 7 is currently scheduled for release on November 14, 2025, assuming there are no delays. It remains to be seen how the competition between the two games will unfold once both are out, and whether one will be able to completely dethrone the other.
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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
WHERE TO PLAY
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare. David Mason leads an elite JSOC team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won’t just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts.
Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Cross Save
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Franchise
- Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- November 14, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 14, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- November 14, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 204.45 GB
Source: SteamDB