Call of Duty fans finally got their hands on Black Ops 7 when the early access beta launched on October 2. However, only those who had pre-ordered the game or received access through promotions like Twitch Drops were able to play during this initial rollout. The full open beta won’t be available until October 5, at which point the floodgates open for everyone else.
Still, expectations were high. Activision had just held another successful COD Next showcase on September 30, building buzz across the community. So when the first-day Steam numbers trickled in, they left plenty of folks scratching their heads.
Underwhelming Steam player numbers
According to figures tracked by Insider Gaming, Black Ops 7’s beta barely cracked 75,000 concurrent players on day one. To put that into perspective, that’s only about 40,000 more than its average daily player count, a relatively minor spike for a franchise of this size.
For an even more brutal comparison, Battlefield 6’s beta earlier this year peaked at a massive 521,000 concurrent users on Steam. That’s nearly seven times the number Black Ops 7 pulled in, making the difference hard to ignore.
Why so kow?
So what’s going on here? Well, there are two big caveats worth considering. First, early access is gated behind pre-orders and promotional giveaways. Simply put, the beta isn’t *actually* open yet — and many players are still on the sidelines, waiting until October 5 to jump in.
Then there’s timing. It launched on a Monday, of all days — not exactly prime gaming hours with most folks grinding away at their 9-to-5s. Historically, betas see their biggest boosts across weekend play sessions, when schedules free up and excitement spreads by word-of-mouth (or Discord… and Twitter… you get the idea).
Weekend redemption or missed opportunity?
With the beta set to end by October 8, there’s still time for player numbers to climb — especially once everyone gets access. But let’s be honest, that opening number doesn’t bode well for long-term hype levels. The franchise might need a stronger hook to bring in the masses, especially if comparisons to Battlefield keep looming large.
It’s also worth noting that Activision is clearly taking a different approach from EA with its testing rollout. Battlefield’s beta, which dropped in August, was a full-blown event — open to masses early and hitting a record milestone for the franchise. Call of Duty has opted for a more staggered, promo-driven rollout. Whether this strategy pays off remains to be seen … but the early signs aren’t great.
Mark your calendars: Full release coming soon
Despite the slow start, there’s still plenty of time for Black Ops 7 to get back on track. The full game officially launches on November 14, landing on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
That gives the developers just over a month to polish things up and spark new excitement — assuming more players show up this weekend and the full beta rollout delivers on its promises.