3 min read
The rivalry between Call of Duty and Battlefield has reignited. As Battlefield 6 enjoys a massive launch, new data suggests Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 could still come out on top in sales despite early figures showing the opposite.
Battlefield 6 has sold almost one million pre-order copies on Steam, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has sold under 200,000 just 18 days before release.
On Steam wishlists, Black Ops 7 sits at “rank 173”, compared to Battlefield 6, which peaked at “rank 3”. These numbers seem to favour EA’s shooter, but the bigger picture is more complicated.
Steam Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Call of Duty’s yearly release cycle affects its wishlist performance. It isn’t easy to measure the success of upcoming Call of Duty releases based solely on wishlist data. Players already inside the CoD ecosystem usually buy the game directly rather than adding it to a wishlist.
CoD titles have their own PC launcher, so Steam data shows only a part of the story. Moreover, Black Ops 7 will launch day one on PC Game Pass, which recently saw a price increase, possibly affecting Steam sales.
Call of Duty franchise has about 658,000 followers on Steam, roughly twice as many as Battlefield 6.
Rhys Elliott, analyst at Alinea Analytics, revealed that Battlefield 6 has already sold over 10 million copies across all platforms and is performing exceptionally well among PC players.
However, he added that momentum alone won’t be enough to overturn Call of Duty’s overall market dominance. Not this year, at least.
Elliott emphasised that while Battlefield resonates with PC gamers, Call of Duty remains a multi-platform powerhouse with a far broader sales base beyond Steam and PC.
According to Alinea Analytics, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 had sold under 200,000 pre-order copies on Steam 18 days ahead of launch, whereas Battlefield 6 sold almost a million during the same time frame. But the bigger picture is much more complex.https://t.co/fvfQIZlnCd
— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) October 28, 2025
Perception Gap Between the Two Franchises
Battlefield 6 is benefiting from strong goodwill as it bounces back from Battlefield 2042’s divisive legacy. Meanwhile, Black Ops 7 faces a perception problem linked to franchise fatigue and Fortnite-esque cosmetics.
Even so, Elliott doesn’t expect this to impact Call of Duty’s commercial success. He said:
Call of Duty has an entrenched global audience across consoles and PC, including more casual gamers, that purchases the game each year out of habit and brand loyalty.
Its integration with Warzone and extensive marketing ensures continuous engagement through in-game promotions, platform partnerships, and social tie-ins that convert attention into sales.
Battlefield’s Strong Comeback but Limited Impact
Despite the early buzz, Black Ops 7 will ultimately outsell Battlefield 6 once it launches on November 14, 2025, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Elliott said:
Battlefield is having its comeback moment, but Call of Duty remains the default choice for the mass-market player.
Still, Battlefield can potentially become a serious contender in the future. With its new battle royale mode “REDSEC” and UGC-focused Battlefield Portal, the franchise has already captured a younger, content-driven audience across TikTok and streaming platforms.
Elliott said:
If EA delivers on its roadmap cadence, keeps momentum through a crowded shooter season, and successfully rolls out battle royale that feels like Battlefield, we could see EA nurture Battlefield into some real competition for Call of Duty in the coming years.
For now, Battlefield 6 dominates the PC scene, but Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 still looks set to win the overall sales war. The coming weeks will reveal whether this long-standing rivalry will finally shift or if Call of Duty’s dominance continues unchallenged.
