The rivalry between Battlefield and Call of Duty is far from new, but the latest engagement figures reveal a new balance at the end of 2025. On PlayStation and Xbox, the dynamic seems clearly to be tilting in favor of Call of Duty HQ, while Battlefield 6, despite an excellent commercial launch, is starting to lose ground in terms of player activity.
This development does not call into question the success of Electronic Arts’ FPS, but it highlights the difficulty of competing with an ecosystem as vast as that built by Activision.
Call of Duty HQ is among the most played games on console
According to data shared by Mat Piscatella, Senior Director at Circana, Call of Duty HQ currently ranks as the second most played game in the United States on PlayStation and Xbox in terms of weekly active users. Only Fortnite did better over this period.
At the same time, Battlefield 6 fell slightly in the rankings, falling from sixth to seventh place for the week ending December 13. A moderate decline, but indicative of a gradual loss of steam after a very solid launch.
The comparison remains delicate, however, because Call of Duty HQ brings together several experiences, including the free-to-play Warzone mode, which mechanically inflates its engagement figures.
Battlefield 6 remains strong, but loses initial momentum
Released on October 10, 2025, Battlefield 6 was quickly presented as the best-selling shooter of the year in the United States. A performance confirmed by Circana in November, after only a few weeks of marketing.
Two and a half months later, the game maintains an active player base, but the intensity of weekly logins is decreasing slightly. This phenomenon is not unusual for a premium FPS, but it contrasts with the stability of the Call of Duty ecosystem, capable of retaining its players over time thanks to a fragmented but interconnected offer.
On Steam, Battlefield 6 takes advantage of Black Ops 7
On PC, the situation is much more favorable for Battlefield 6. On December 25, the game reached a peak of 99,369 concurrent players on Steamcompared to 51,017 for Call of Duty HQ, according to SteamDB data.
A significant difference, especially since Call of Duty HQ combines several titles in the franchise. Taken individually, Black Ops 7 therefore seems less efficient than Battlefield 6 on the Valve platform, which confirms a marked preference among PC players for the experience offered by DICE.
Battlefield RedSec, EA’s answer to the domination of Warzone
To strengthen its ecosystem, Electronic Arts launched Battlefield RedSec at the end of October, a free-to-play battle royale designed as a direct complement to Battlefield 6. Like Warzone for Call of Duty, RedSec allows shared progression with the main game, promoting player retention.
Upcoming seasonal content, balance adjustments, and playlist updates could play a key role in driving engagement over the coming months. If Battlefield 6 is still struggling to compete with the scale of Call of Duty on consoles, RedSec offers EA a strategic weapon to reduce the gap in the medium term.