Battlefield 6 has unequivocally signaled its dominance, challenging its major competitor, Call of Duty Black Ops 7, by achieving an astonishing player count on Steam within its very first hour. While betas offer a glimpse into a game’s potential, the true test arrives with the full launch, when players commit their hard-earned money. For this EA-published shooter, the results are overwhelmingly positive, as it has soared past its previous peak playtest numbers in a mere sixty minutes.
For a complete overview of what the game delivers, you can consult our Battlefield 6 review. In essence, even a less-than-stellar campaign hasn’t diminished the excitement for what is shaping up to be one of this year’s premier multiplayer titles. Critics, like Paul, hail it as “the smoothest, most bombastically entertaining entry in the series to date,” firmly re-establishing Battlefield’s position among the best first-person shooter games ever.
The Battlefield 6 beta was undoubtedly a triumph, attracting a peak of 521,000 players on Steam. However, the true test of player commitment came with the full release, and the game has passed with flying colors. The immense pre-release buzz translated into a monumental launch, with over 700,000 active Steam users joining the fray within the first hour alone. Although many players are experiencing Battlefield 6 server queues with large numbers displayed, these queues are reportedly moving quickly, so a little patience will get you into the action swiftly.
This impressive performance significantly surpasses the nearly half-million lifetime peak achieved by its competitor, Call of Duty, on Steam. It’s important to note, however, that many Call of Duty players access Activision’s title through alternative platforms, including the Xbox App, especially those with Game Pass subscriptions.
For those eager to jump into the action, the Battlefield 6 system requirements are quite manageable. Just remember that Secure Boot must be enabled for the anti-cheat software to function correctly.
This marks a monumental success for both Battlefield Studios and its publisher, EA. This achievement comes just a week after EA’s announcement of its $55 billion privatization deal, secured with a powerful consortium including Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
As the launch weekend unfolds, make sure you’re well-prepared by checking out our tier list of the best Battlefield 6 weapons and a comprehensive guide to all Battlefield 6 maps.
Will you be dedicating your playtime to BF6 this year, or are you holding out for BO7? Join the discussion on the PCGamesN Discord server and share which competitive shooter has captured your excitement!