Since its release, Battlefield 6 has never been far from player conversations, but recent data shows a worrying trajectory. If the Electronic Arts title had attracted a large number of players from launch, the latest measurements suggest a significant drop in its active base.
Comparing the attendance data measured by SteamDB, the difference is striking. Battlefield 6 had reached a peak of 747,440 players on release dayan impressive number for a AAA multiplayer game. But recently, that number has dropped to around 80,841 players connected in 24 hoursor a drop of around 85% compared to this peak. This development raises many questions about the longevity of the title among its community.
As the author of the source article explains when discussing these figures, Battlefield 6 follows a classic pattern of decay that is frequently observed after the first 48 hours following a launch. That said, the drop in attendance here is particularly marked and raises questions about the game’s continued appeal.
ARC Raiders: almost unimaginable stability
In contrast to this trajectory, ARC Raiders – a multiplayer title developed by Embark Studios – stands out for its fidelity. After a peak of 481,966 active players on November 16about two weeks after its release, the game lost only a fraction of its audience.
According to current data, ARC Raiders has reached 439,118 players in a 24-hour period on December 28a decrease of barely 9% compared to its historical record. For a new multiplayer game, such retention is virtually unheard of. As the author notes, “what’s happening with ARC Raiders is really rubbish” — a phrase that conveys both surprise and admiration at these numbers.
This success can be attributed to several factors: pre-release excitement, successful marketing, and, according to some observers, overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth that continuously attracts new players.
Comparison between two very different trajectories
This divergence between the two games is intriguing. On one side, a AAA juggernaut which is struggling to maintain its audience, and on the other, a new franchise which manages to retain almost all of its players after two months.
The author of the article emphasizes that it is not enough to “retain” historical players to explain the stability of ARC Raiders: the arrival of new participants probably contributes to maintaining high numbers. However, the strength of word of mouth and positive feedback appears to play a key role.
In contrast, Battlefield 6 failed to attract enough new players to offset the natural post-launch decline. This trend could reflect unmet expectations or too much competition in the multiplayer FPS market.
And now ? Outlook for early 2026
The author is cautious about drawing immediate conclusions. He notes that while Battlefield 6’s drop is impressive, a more complete analysis can only be done after several months: “Personally, I’ll be much more interested to see what those numbers look like at the end of February.” This observation suggests that it is still too early to determine if the game is definitely in decline or if other factors could still influence its player community.
Regardless, the current situation highlights two very different dynamics in multiplayer gaming: impressive retention for ARC Raiders and rapid erosion for Battlefield 6. The future development of these titles will no doubt be closely monitored by analysts and gaming communities.