The battle between Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty continues, but recent player engagement data reveals an interesting twist in the rivalry.
According to new insights from Circana, Call of Duty HQ currently ranks as the second most popular game on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles in weekly U.S. player engagement. Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 has slipped slightly, dropping from sixth to seventh place on both platforms for the week ending December 13.
But before we declare a winner, there’s more to this story than the rankings suggest.
The Latest Player Engagement Numbers
Here’s how the top shooters stack up in Circana’s weekly U.S. activity charts:
PlayStation Top 10 (Week Ending December 13, 2025)
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty HQ
- GTA 5 (Remastered)
- Roblox
- NBA 2K26
- Marvel Rivals
- Battlefield 6 ⬇️
- Minecraft
- Where Winds Meet
- Madden NFL 26
Xbox Top 10 (Week Ending December 13, 2025)
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty HQ
- GTA 5 (Remastered)
- Roblox
- Minecraft
- NBA 2K26
- Battlefield 6 ⬇️
- Marvel Rivals
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Rainbow Six: Siege
Why the Comparison Isn’t That Simple
Before Battlefield 6 fans panic, here’s the catch: Call of Duty HQ aggregates multiple titles, making direct comparisons tricky.
Call of Duty HQ includes:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (released November 14)
- COD: Warzone (free-to-play)
- Previous Call of Duty titles
There’s no reliable way to separate individual game performance within COD HQ, so we can’t definitively say how Black Ops 7 alone stacks up against Battlefield 6.
Context matters: Battlefield 6 launched on October 10 and was crowned the best-selling shooter of 2025 by EA on November 19—a claim backed up by Circana data showing it became the year’s best-selling U.S. game after just a few weeks.
Battlefield 6 Is Actually Winning on Steam
Here’s where things get really interesting: the trend is completely reversed on PC.
According to SteamDB data from December 25:
- Battlefield 6: 99,369 concurrent players
- Call of Duty HQ: 51,017 concurrent players
That means Battlefield 6 had nearly double the concurrent players on Steam. Since COD HQ combines multiple games, it’s clear that Black Ops 7 is trailing behind Battlefield 6 on Valve’s platform.
What Does Battlefield 6’s Ranking Really Mean?
Landing in seventh place on console activity charts two and a half months after release isn’t necessarily a red flag. The game still maintains a healthy player base and is competing against juggernauts like Fortnite, Roblox, and GTA 5—titles with years of established ecosystems.
The real challenge? Battlefield 6 is competing against an entire Call of Duty ecosystem, not just one game.
Battlefield RedSec: EA’s Answer to Warzone
EA isn’t sitting idle. In late October 2025, they launched Battlefield RedSec, a free-to-play battle royale designed to compete directly with Warzone.
Key features of Battlefield RedSec:
- Free-to-play model (removes the entry barrier)
- Progression that carries over to Battlefield 6
- Positions EA to challenge Call of Duty’s ecosystem dominance
This is EA’s strategy to close the gap—offering a free entry point while keeping players invested in the broader Battlefield universe.
The Bottom Line: Who’s Really Winning?
The Battlefield 6 vs Call of Duty battle doesn’t have a clear winner yet:
Call of Duty’s strengths:
- Maintains 2nd place in console engagement
- Benefits from an established multi-game ecosystem
- Warzone continues to drive engagement
Battlefield 6’s strengths:
- Best-selling shooter of 2025 (sales, not just engagement)
- Dominating on Steam with nearly double COD’s players
- RedSec provides a free-to-play entry point
Both games could see shifts in player engagement depending on upcoming seasonal content, updates, and how well Battlefield RedSec performs in challenging Warzone’s dominance.
For now, it’s less about one game “beating” the other and more about two different ecosystems competing for players’ attention—and both appear to be doing just fine.
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