Battlefield 6 Beta tops Steam charts

Battlefield 6 opens its open beta on Steam and draws record traffic, signaling strong interest even as it faces a formidable rival.

Battlefield 6 Beta Surpasses Call of Duty Steam Peak

The Battlefield 6 open beta moved from early access to full open beta over the weekend, peaking at 521,079 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB. A second open beta is scheduled for August 14-17. PS5 players who purchase the game later this year can claim an exclusive skin.

On the same platform, Call of Duty HQ peaked at 67,595 players on Steam, while Battlefield 6 topped the free-to-play peak of 491,670. Console numbers have not been released yet, but the article notes that many players downloaded the beta for PC and console access.

EA faces a tough comparison with Activision's annual Call of Duty, which will be a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass this year. The beta has been praised for its grounded warfare, varied modes, and destructible environments, but it also faces cheating issues on PC and early anti-cheat boot problems.

The early Steam numbers show a clear appetite for Battlefield 6 and suggest the franchise can still command attention in a crowded market. But buzz on a beta rarely translates into sales, especially when a rival like Call of Duty gains a high-visibility launch via Game Pass.

This dynamic highlights a broader risk for the publisher: momentum must be converted into purchases, subscriptions, and long-term engagement. Platform advantages, pricing, and post-launch support will determine whether Battlefield 6 can turn interest into a sustainable lead in 2025.

Highlights

The next weeks will show if initial buzz becomes lasting momentum.