"Battlefield 6 set to surpass Call of Duty, according to former Blizzard executive, who critiques the decline of Activision's first-person shooter series over the years"
Mike Ybarra, a former executive at Activision Blizzard and Blizzard, has expressed his belief that Battlefield 6 will outperform Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 this year[1][3][4][5]. In a series of public statements on Twitter on August 8, 2025, Ybarra argued that Call of Duty has been declining in quality for several years, citing issues such as cheating, heavy UI, and excessive use of bright colours[1][2][4][5].
Ybarra believes that the potential success of Battlefield 6 will force Call of Duty to improve and step up its game, ultimately benefiting gamers with better first-person shooter games due to increased competition[1][2][3][4][5]. He emphasises that the "real win" is not just Battlefield's success but how it will push Call of Duty to improve, leading to a healthier competitive landscape in FPS gaming.
The open beta for Battlefield 6, which started on August 8, 2025, attracted a peak of 334,549 concurrent players on Steam[6]. The game is expected to launch on October 10, 2025, earlier than Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which still has a vague 2025 release window[2][7].
Battlefield 6's cosmetics are designed to feel grounded and authentic to the franchise, avoiding crossovers and brightly coloured outfits[3]. The game's minimum storage requirement is 55GB, and the single-player and multiplayer components can be installed separately.
These insights are drawn from multiple sources capturing Ybarra's public social media commentary and interviews from August 2025[1][2][3][4][5]. The information about a guide on how to access the Battlefield 6 beta was not extracted, as it is not a fact.
[1] Ybarra's Twitter post on August 8, 2025. [2] Gamespot article on Battlefield 6's release date and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release window. [3] IGN article on Battlefield 6's cosmetics. [4] Polygon article on Ybarra's criticism of Call of Duty. [5] Kotaku article on Ybarra's predictions for Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. [6] SteamCharts data on Battlefield 6's open beta peak concurrent players. [7] Game Informer article on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release window.
- Mike Ybarra, a former executive at Activision Blizzard and Blizzard, predicts that Battlefield 6 will outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 this year due to a claimed decline in quality from the latter.
- Ybarra's criticism of Call of Duty includes issues like cheating, heavy UI, and excessive use of bright colors, arguing that these problems will drive Call of Duty to improve if Battlefield 6 succeeds.
- The open beta for Battlefield 6 attracted a peak of 334,549 concurrent players on Steam, and the game is expected to launch earlier than Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
- Battlefield 6's cosmetics are focused on grounded and authentic designs, avoiding crossovers and brightly colored outfits.
- The success of Battlefield 6, according to Ybarra, will lead to a healthier competitive landscape in first-person shooter games and ultimately benefit gamers with better entertainment options.
