On the heels of a successful public beta launch, Battlefield 6 has achieved a remarkable peak concurrent player count of over 521,000 on Steam, drastically exceeding any previous Call of Duty title’s performance on the platform. This accomplishment grants Battlefield significant bragging rights against its longstanding competitor, signaling promising prospects for the series’s revival as it gears up for its full release in 2025 with Battlefield 6.

Earlier today, on August 9, EA launched the eagerly anticipated Battlefield 6 open beta, attracting a massive influx of players almost instantly. This surge led it to quickly surpass the peak concurrent player record of 156,000 for Battlefield 2042 during its open beta, making it the franchise’s top release by this measure. Set to continue through August 10, the ongoing beta appears to be adding more players and shattering engagement records on a consistent basis.

Battlefield 6 Open Beta Yields More Engagement on Steam Than Any Call of Duty Game

• Battlefield 6 Peak Concurrent Players on Steam: 521,079
• Call of Duty Peak Concurrent Players on Steam: 491,670

In another significant achievement, Battlefield 6 recorded 521,079 peak concurrent players on Steam, surpassing every Call of Duty game by a notable margin, with the highest of Activision’s titles hitting 491,000. This impressive feat occurs two months ahead of the official launch scheduled for October 10. At this moment, Battlefield 6 stands as the third “Most Played” game on Valve’s platform, trailing only behind live-service giants, Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.

Considering the current player base, it is reasonable to estimate that Battlefield 6 has attracted over one million participants to the open beta across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Such a massive turnout, even prior to the game’s official launch, suggests a potential resurgence for the military action franchise following the disappointing reception of Battlefield 2042. If this trend continues, Call of Duty may eventually face serious competition in this genre, contradicting Activision’s recent remarks.

It’s important to recognize that the player numbers from the open beta do not necessarily predict an even larger turnout upon official launch. Historically, Battlefield 2042 reached a peak of 156K during its beta but dropped to 107K at launch. The upcoming weeks will be crucial to observe how Battlefield 6 maintains player engagement across its beta events and the official launch. Given the current buzz surrounding the game, it seems that EA’s FPS franchise may be on a positive trajectory.