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Battlefield 6 launches with a massive player surge. It has exploded onto Steam with one of the biggest launches in franchise history. Within hours of release, the game reached 747,440 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. This made it the second most-played game on Steam, right behind Counter-Strike 2. Battlefield 6 is now the 14th most-played game ever on Valve’s platform, with Baldur’s Gate 3 in its sights.
The launch numbers far surpass anything previously achieved by the series. For comparison, the Battlefield 6 open beta peaked at 521,079 concurrent players, which was already a franchise record. No other Battlefield title has come close to this performance on Steam.
Battlefield 6: A Large-Scale FPS Experience
Battlefield 6 is a large-scale, team-based first-person shooter that focuses on massive battles across dynamic maps. It offers a mix of infantry combat, vehicular warfare, and destructible environments that give each match a sense of scale and unpredictability. Unlike most arena-style shooters, Battlefield emphasizes open-world combat zones, squad-based coordination, and sandbox tools like the Portal mode, which lets players build and share custom game modes and maps. This blend of freedom, strategy, and scale sets Battlefield 6 apart from rivals like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike, which focus more on close-quarters or competitive matchmaking experiences.
Breaking EA and FPS Records
Battlefield 6 has also set a new benchmark for EA. It beat Apex Legends, EA’s previous Steam record holder, despite being a $70 premium title, while Apex is free-to-play. This makes Battlefield 6’s launch even more impressive.
The game is also outpacing its main competitor. The Call of Duty app has a Steam peak of 491,670 concurrent players. Battlefield 6 is already well on its way to doubling Call of Duty’s record. The real number of active players is likely much higher when factoring in PlayStation and Xbox, though console data isn’t publicly available.
Early Success and Community Activity
The massive player surge has led to server queues, but login times remain short. Early signs indicate that Battlefield 6 is a smash hit for EA, both commercially and within the community. Players are already using the game’s Portal mode to recreate classic maps. One fan even rebuilt Modern Warfare’s iconic Shipment map.
The community has already started releasing reviews and several guides, including beginner tips, best loadouts, and settings adjustments. Players are also actively discussing gameplay elements like Open vs. Closed weapons, which was a major talking point before launch.
