Steam: Beta of "Battlefield 6" beats most successful "Call of Duty"
Over 500,000 people played the free beta of "Battlefield 6" at peak times –, which is more than its competitor "Call of Duty" achieved.
(Image: EA)
The beta of “Battlefield 6” got off to an extremely successful start. According to the unofficial Steam database SteamDB, a peak of 520,000 people spent time with the PC version of “Battlefield 6” over the past weekend. Fun fact: that's more than the Call of Duty franchise has ever managed.
According to SteamDB, the package of “Call of Duty Black Ops 7” and the online mode “Call of Duty Warzone” released in 2022 holds the record with 490,000 players playing the game simultaneously on Steam. The fact that the beta of “Battlefield 6” has now surpassed this record should confirm publisher EA's high expectations: According to a report by Ars Technica, EA wants to reach 1 million players, three times as many as the most successful “Battlefield” to date.
Figures difficult to compare
Even if EA has certainly taken note of the Steam success of the 'Battlefield 6' beta: It remains to be seen how reliable the current good figures are. On the one hand, the Battlefield 6 beta simply has the advantage of being free. The barriers to entry are correspondingly low. The fact that the beta phases of “Battlefield 6” are limited in time may also have contributed to the concentration of players.
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The first beta of “Battlfield 6” took place on August 9 and 10. There will be another round from August 14 to 17: anyone can take part, for example via the shooter's Steam page.
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It is therefore not certain that “Battlefield 6” will be more successful than the “Call of Duty” competition. Especially as Steam is only one platform anyway, both EA and Activision still sell their shooters on alternative PC platforms, not to mention console versions. But the SteamDB figures are at least a good indicator: interest in the new “Battlefield” shooter is high.
EA builds up hype
EA has contributed to this with huge marketing efforts: hundreds of Youtubers, streamers, and game journalists were driven and flown to huge press events to play “Battlefield 6” together and publish content about it. This strategy does not seem to have missed its mark. The first playthrough reports are also quite positive.
It is not yet known when the full version will be released. Leaks point to October 10. Interested parties must ensure that they have activated Secure Boot; otherwise, “Battlefield 6” will not start. EA wants to protect the shooter from cheaters with this measure.
(dahe)
