Battlefield 6 beta surpasses Call of Duty’s all-time Steam player count record with over 500k peak

Battlefield 6’s beta has reached over 500,000 concurrent Steam players, surpassing Call of Duty’s peak record.

Battlefield 6’s beta has set a new milestone for the series, surpassing Call of Duty’s all-time concurrent player count record on Steam.

During its peak, the beta reached over 500,000 concurrent players, overtaking Call of Duty’s record of 491,670 set during the launch of Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Warzone 2.0.

This achievement comes as the Battlefield 6 beta enters its free-to-play phase, allowing open access for anyone on Steam.

While the figure cements Battlefield 6 as one of Steam’s most played games during its beta period, analysts note that the final game will not be free-to-play. This may affect whether the same audience will purchase the full release.

Call of Duty’s player counts on Steam only represent part of its audience, as many players use Battle.net, Game Pass, or consoles.

Nonetheless, Battlefield 6’s strong showing highlights significant interest in the title, particularly with player counts continuing to grow since the game's public access began.

The beta’s momentum also comes at a time when community sentiment towards recent Call of Duty entries has been mixed.

Former Blizzard president Mike Morhaime commented that the franchise’s cosmetic-focused direction, alongside other concerns, could give Battlefield 6 a competitive edge this year.

Recent Call of Duty figures show its all-time Steam peak at 491,670, with daily averages now rarely exceeding 80,000. The release of Black Ops 6 saw a temporary rise to 315,000 before declining.

EA has confirmed that a battle royale mode for Battlefield 6 is in development, which may launch as a free-to-play option, potentially sustaining engagement beyond release.

Whether Battlefield 6 can convert beta interest into sales remains to be seen, but the record-breaking beta performance signals strong competition in the FPS genre ahead of launch.