In a surprising twist that’s catching the FPS world off guard, Battlefield 6 is reportedly off to a rocket-fuelled start. While Electronic Arts (EA) is keeping official sales numbers close to its chest, recent analysis from Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics puts the game within striking distance of Call of Duty’s legendary launch stats, claiming it has already moved 6.5 million copies across all platforms in just its first few days on the market.
Battlefield 6 crushes on Steam
Leading the charge is Steam, which took a massive 65.7% chunk of total sales: that’s about 3.5 million copies and over $220 million in gross revenue. Elliott estimates the total revenue across platforms to already exceed $350 million.
To put that in perspective, Steam helped Battlefield 6 break records for EA, with a staggering 747,000+ peak concurrent players. Yes, even beating out Apex Legends, EA’s beloved free-to-play battle royale, which previously held the crown with 624,000 concurrent players.
Console sales also pack a punch
While PC gamers are clearly leading the frontline, console sales are no slouch. According to Alinea Analytics, PlayStation 5 followed Steam with around 1.5 million units sold, claiming a 23.7% share of total sales. Xbox Series X|S wasn’t far behind, contributing another 1.2 million units and 19.6% market share.
Put together, that’s a massive statement from Battlefield, and from EA, who until now hadn’t quite reached this kind of velocity at launch with any of its premium shooters.
Call of Duty-sized ambitions
Rhys Elliott isn’t pulling any punches in his analysis, stating that Battlefield 6 is already “closer to Call of Duty-tier numbers than any of EA’s premium-shooter efforts so far.”
But here’s the catch: success at launch is one thing. Sustaining that momentum — turning it into a platform that holds strong over years — is a challenge that has eluded Battlefield before. As Elliott puts it, “the question now is whether or not EA can foster this successful launch into a platform that stands the test of time.”
Season 1 en route: Here’s what’s coming
The future of Battlefield 6 begins October 28, with the launch of Season 1. The hype? It could get even bigger. That same day, rumours suggest the game’s long-awaited battle royale mode will finally drop.
The season roadmap includes:
- Phase 1: Launch – October 28
- Phase 2: Rogue Ops – November 18
- Phase 3: Winter Offensive – December 9
New modes, maps, and weapons are all on the table: everything you’d want to keep that post-launch excitement from cooling down.
Call of Duty: Still the final boss?
Now, let’s be real: outselling Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is an entirely different beast. While Battlefield 6 has gotten heads turning, expert forecasts still peg it behind Activision’s juggernaut in total sales projections.
But there’s a twist here. Battlefield has always been the underdog, and this time? It might actually have the momentum, community buzz, and sheer player count to at least stand on the same stage.
The storyline is far from over, and as we head into the holiday period, all eyes will be on these titans to see who really comes out ahead in 2024’s FPS wars.