Battlefield 6 open beta surpasses Call of Duty's all-time peak player count

There are few things hotter than Battlefield 6 right now. FPS fans from all the world have been eagerly anticipating updates, poring over trailers, and queuing to get into the open beta. We figured that the game was going to be popular, but I don't think anybody expected this level of engagement. Now the Battlefield 6 open beta has finished for its first weekend, we can take a step back and look at the games we played, the queues we waited in, and the records it broke - and boy, did it break some records.

The Battlefield 6 beta peaked at an almighty 521,079 players, as fans try the game before they buy. To think that half a million players drove tanks through buildings and sniped enemies from across the map this weekend is staggering, and the fact the servers (mostly) held up is equally impressive.

What's even more staggering is how this stacks up against the competition. Call of Duty, for comparison, peaked at 491,670 players on Steam over two years ago, around the time that Warzone 2 was released. Does this mean that Battlefield 6 is set to become the best FPS game in recent memory? Not necessarily.

While the open beta numbers are startling, not everyone who played the game this weekend will purchase the full title. Some may not have enjoyed what they played. Others may not want to shell out the inevitable $70 for the full game, despite enjoying the free beta. We've seen this before.

Just look to the last game in the series, Battlefield 2042. Its open beta peaked at 156,665 players on Steam, but the full game only reached 107,376. However, that beta wasn't as well received as Battlefield 6's. On the other hand, Monster Hunter Wilds pulled in just under half a million players in its popular open beta and nearly trebled that on full release. Battlefield 6 could go either way.

We can only guess at how well Battlefield 6 will perform at launch, but the first open beta weekend was a resounding success - some would argue a return to form. With many players disenfranchised by recent entries to the series, things are looking up for EA's war game.

If you enjoyed the open beta but want to improve before its next free weekend, you can brush up on the best Battlefield 6 weapons ahead of time. If you've had enough of betas, remind yourself of the Battlefield 6 release date and everything else we know here.

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