Just a few years ago, if you asked anyone to name the 'best FPS', the conversation started and ended with the duopoly of Battlefield and Call of Duty. However, in recent years, the Battlefield franchise has been in freefall, largely due to the disastrous reception of Battlefield V and the failure of 2042, while the Call of Duty IP has cruised along in a solo run, churning out new titles and content every single year.

2025 marks Battlefield's counterattack. By recruiting none other than the father of Call of Duty, Vince Zampella, to lead the Battlefield ship, the team has been quietly preparing to step back into the ring through consistent testing in their 'Battlefield Labs' build. The tides have shifted in Battlefield's favour, too; players are clearly suffering from 'franchise fatigue' after years of Call of Duty's unchallenged reign. When the early access test for Battlefield 6 launched, it immediately commanded massive attention, surging past 330,000 Concurrent Players on Steam alone—easily eclipsing Call of Duty's records from last November. And keep in mind, the open weekend stress test hasn't even begun yet.

While a deep dive into the merits of Battlefield 6 is a story for another day, the game is remarkably stable; despite its high system requirements, reports of optimisation issues are virtually non-existent. Between the sheer volume of Concurrent Players and the strained servers, the level of interest is frankly peerless. It is still just a test, mind you, so I will stop short of declaring a winner, but the familiar battlefield of Call of Duty vs. Battlefield is undoubtedly being redrawn.

In truth, in any genre, when a single title runs the show without competition, it tends to show signs of stagnation over time. Call of Duty has faced mounting criticism over the last three years for its lack of genuine innovation. In that sense, this renewed rivalry is a breath of fresh air for Call of Duty fans as well. Can Battlefield 6, reborn under the guidance of the father of Call of Duty, not only revive the franchise but actually topple the king from its throne? One can only hope that this time, the developer delivers a clean hit that respects the fans and restores the series to its former glory.