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Bobby Kotick blames Battlefield for Call of Duty sales collapse



Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, is making headlines again. This time, his remarks appear in an official document filed as part of the lawsuit between Microsoft, Activision and several members of the board of directors in Delaware. According to this document, Kotick estimates that Call of Duty has seen its sales drop by more than 60% since 2024… largely due to competition from Battlefield 6.This sudden fall would have occurred after Kotick’s departure from management of Activision, adding a personal dimension to his remarks. But above all, it directly contradicts a central argument of the FTC: that of the lack of competition in the FPS market, in connection with the acquisition of Activision by Microsoft.

Call of Duty in difficulty: symptom of a missed turn?

Although Call of Duty remains a colossal franchise in terms of notoriety, its economic model has long been criticized: invasive microtransactions, little renewed gameplay, repetitive annual cycles. For some players and analysts, these elements weighed more on the fall in sales than simple competition from another FPS.

For his part, Battlefield 6although also criticized at its launch, was able to attract some of the players disappointed by the stagnation of Call of Duty. The EA series also seems to better prepare its new seasons, despite the recent postponement of season 2 of Battlefield REDSEC.

A strategic argument against the FTC?

By arguing that Battlefield 6 has impacted Call of Duty At this point, Kotick may be looking to strengthen Microsoft’s position in the lawsuit. The idea is simple: if another franchise is capable of bringing down the sales of a behemoth like Call of Dutythen the market is indeed competitive. This therefore contradicts the thesis of the FTC, which accuses Microsoft of creating a quasi-monopoly in the AAA FPS sector with this acquisition.

What do you think of this statement?

Even if the figures put forward by Kotick are striking, they do not alone allow us to conclude that there was a defeat of Call of Duty facing Battlefield. The franchise mainly suffers from a lack of innovation in a market where expectations are changing rapidly. Players are demanding more transparency, quality, and above all experiences less guided by microtransactions.

However, the rivalry between Battlefield and Call of Duty could well return to the heart of the debate, especially if EA capitalizes on this dynamic with a Battlefield 6 well refined. In the meantime, the next part, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7continues to receive updates, including a recent patch focused on weapon balancing.