It's been very clear over the last couple of weeks that the sentiment surrounding Battlefield 6 is much more positive than the sentiment surrounding Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Black Ops 7 is one of the worst-reviewed titles in the series, holding a 70 on Metacritic, with an average user score of 1.7. The latest entry in the legendary series also holds a 'mostly negative' review score on Steam.
Commercial strike
It seems that the commercial figures have matched the critical reception, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has had a disastrous opening week in Europe, according to a new report from The Game Business.
According to GSD figures, Black Ops 7 sold 50 percent less than last year's Black Ops 6 in Europe. Additionally, Black Ops 7 sold 63 percent fewer copies than Battlefield 6 in their respective opening weekends.
GSD only tracks digital and physical sales, meaning users who played Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on Game Pass are not included in these figures.
Black Ops 7 is the worst user-reviewed Call of Duty, leaving behind Modern Warfare 3
Black Ops 7 is tied with DS spin-off Modern Warfare 3: Defiance as the worst-rated Call of Duty in the series' history.
Ampere's analysis suggests that 25 percent of Call of Duty players purchased Battlefield 6 earlier in the year, showing the fluidity between the two series' player bases.
On Steam, Battlefield 6 reached a peak concurrent player count of 747,000. Meanwhile, Call of Duty (the combined launcher for most games in the series) has only managed 100,000 since Black Ops 7's release.
Black Ops 7 has been heavily criticized, particularly for its lackluster, heavily-marketed campaign mode. Black Ops 7 also uses generative artificial intelligence for many visual elements, including calling cards. While some executives believe that users don't mind “AI slop” in their video games, some player reviews of Black Ops 7 have mentioned the AI usage negatively.
In contrast, Battlefield 6 has received generally positive reviews, with an average critic score of 83. Although not every player is satisfied with the current state of the game—small map size is a common pain point—many believe that Battlefield 6 is a comeback of sorts after Battlefield 2042's lackluster performance.
It seems unlikely that Black Ops 7 can restore its image, even with excellent post-launch support.
Battlefield 6
4.0/5
- issued
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October 10, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, in-app purchases, user interaction
- developer(s)
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Battlefield Studio
