Call of Duty is experiencing its worst player retention in years, according to industry analyst Rhys Elliott. Despite Black Ops 6 launching with 33.7 million players in October 2024 and receiving generally positive reviews, the franchise struggled throughout 2025 to maintain engagement. Daily active user numbers have dropped below previous years, with September marking the lowest player count since Call of Duty HQ launched. The decline comes as stiff competition from Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders divides the shooter audience in ways Call of Duty hasn’t faced in over a decade.
- The Numbers Tell a Troubling Story
- Community Burnout and Questionable Decisions
- Battlefield 6 Steals the Crown
- Arc Raiders Adds Extraction Shooter Competition
- The Console vs PC Player Base Split
- Warzone’s Struggles Continue
- What This Means for Call of Duty’s Future
- Competition Is Only Getting Fiercer
- FAQs
- Conclusion
The Numbers Tell a Troubling Story
Black Ops 6 peaked at 249,000 concurrent players on Steam shortly after launch in October 2024, an impressive achievement that represented the biggest Call of Duty launch in franchise history. However, those numbers collapsed rapidly. By January 2025, the average player count had dropped to approximately 89,175, losing nearly half its playerbase in just three months. By March 2025, Call of Duty recorded 20.6 million players across all platforms, slightly lower than the 20.8 million from March 2024.
The decline continued through the year. Steam data from SteamDB shows Call of Duty’s player count dropped to a record low of just over 54,000 in early 2025, barely a quarter of its November 2022 peak of 223,000. While Steam represents only one platform and Call of Duty traditionally skews toward console players, the trend indicates broader retention problems. According to Elliott from Alinea Analytics, daily active users remained relatively low throughout the year with only brief spikes following Black Ops 6’s launch and again in April and May.
Community Burnout and Questionable Decisions
Elliott attributes the decline to three main factors: community burnout, questionable creative and business decisions by Activision and Microsoft, and unprecedented competition from rival shooters. The burnout stems from Call of Duty’s relentless annual release schedule that’s been maintained for nearly two decades. Even with Black Ops 6 being viewed favorably by critics and players, franchise fatigue has set in for portions of the community tired of yearly iterations that feel increasingly similar.
Microsoft’s decision to include Black Ops 6 in Game Pass on day one initially seemed brilliant for driving subscriptions and player acquisition. The strategy worked for launch numbers but may have inadvertently devalued the game. Players who didn’t pay full price might feel less commitment to continue playing, making it easier to drop the game when shiny new releases arrive. The Game Pass strategy also cannibalized traditional sales, potentially reducing the overall revenue despite higher initial player counts.
| Time Period | Black Ops 6 | Modern Warfare 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Month (November) | 165,668 avg players | 103,126 avg players |
| Two Months After (January) | 89,175 avg players (46% drop) | 89,000 avg players (6% drop) |
| Peak Concurrent (Steam) | 249,000 | ~180,000 |
Battlefield 6 Steals the Crown
The most significant challenge facing Call of Duty in 2025 is Battlefield 6, which launched October 10 to become the best-selling game of the year. EA’s shooter sold over 7 million copies in its first three days, achieving the biggest launch in Battlefield history and surpassing even Battlefield 1’s legendary 5 million first-week performance. According to Circana data, Battlefield 6 holds the top sales spot on both Xbox and Windows PC, with only NBA 2K26 beating it on PlayStation 5.
More impressively, Battlefield 6 had the strongest launch month of any game released in the past three years. The last title to sell more copies in a one-month timeframe was 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Battlefield’s success directly impacts Call of Duty by splitting the shooter audience. Players have finite time and money, and Battlefield 6’s excellent reception as a return to form for the franchise gave frustrated Call of Duty players a compelling alternative.
Arc Raiders Adds Extraction Shooter Competition
While Battlefield 6 competes in the traditional multiplayer shooter space, Arc Raiders hit Call of Duty from a different angle with its extraction shooter gameplay. The PvPvE title from Embark Studios launched October 30, 2025 and immediately became a phenomenon. Arc Raiders sold 2.5 million copies in its first week and reached 4 million total sales by mid-November. The game peaked at over 462,000 concurrent players on Steam, putting it among the platform’s most-played titles.
Arc Raiders’ success demonstrates that shooter fans are hungry for fresh experiences beyond the traditional Call of Duty formula. The extraction shooter genre pioneered by Escape from Tarkov has exploded in popularity, and Arc Raiders packages that tension-filled gameplay loop with more approachable mechanics and better production values than competitors. With over 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms during peak weekends, Arc Raiders represents a significant portion of the shooter audience choosing something other than Call of Duty.
The Console vs PC Player Base Split
It’s important to contextualize Steam numbers with the broader reality that Call of Duty has traditionally been a console-focused franchise. However, that demographic split has shifted dramatically in recent years. According to Activision data shared during Microsoft’s acquisition, PC players accounted for approximately 25% of the total player base by 2023, with consoles representing another 25% and mobile gaming comprising the remaining 50%.
Even accounting for Call of Duty’s console strength, the overall trend shows concerning declines. According to Circana’s Mat Piscatella, Black Ops 6 ranks second on PlayStation behind Fortnite and holds the top position on Xbox for 2025. These rankings are respectable but represent lower absolute player engagement compared to previous years when Call of Duty dominated all platforms without serious competition. The franchise isn’t dying, but its historical dominance is clearly eroding.
Warzone’s Struggles Continue
The situation isn’t limited to Black Ops 6. Warzone, Call of Duty’s free-to-play battle royale that revitalized the franchise in 2020, has also struggled to maintain momentum. For the first time, Warzone dropped below Call of Duty’s typical monthly player counts in 2025, according to player tracking data. The battle royale market has become increasingly saturated, with Fortnite maintaining its cultural dominance and games like Apex Legends and PUBG continuing to hold dedicated audiences.
Warzone’s integration with Black Ops 6 through the Call of Duty HQ platform was meant to create synergy between the paid game and free-to-play experience. Instead, the integration has been criticized for being clunky and confusing, with players frustrated by the bloated download sizes and complicated menu systems. The unified platform approach that seemed smart in theory has created user experience problems that actively push players away from both products.
What This Means for Call of Duty’s Future
The franchise isn’t in crisis, but 2025 represents a wake-up call that Call of Duty’s near-monopoly on the military shooter genre has ended. Activision and Microsoft face difficult decisions about how to respond. The annual release schedule that’s defined the franchise for two decades may need reconsideration if each new entry struggles to maintain player engagement beyond a few months. Allowing studios more development time could result in higher-quality releases that hold audiences longer.
The Game Pass strategy also requires evaluation. While day-one inclusion drives subscriptions and initial player counts, the long-term retention data suggests it may not be optimal for maintaining engagement. Players who pay $70 for a game demonstrate higher commitment than those accessing it through an all-you-can-eat subscription. Microsoft needs to determine whether Game Pass growth justifies potentially weaker player retention and monetization in Call of Duty specifically.
Competition Is Only Getting Fiercer
Looking ahead, the competitive landscape isn’t getting easier. Battlefield 6 will continue receiving post-launch content through seasonal updates, keeping players engaged well into 2026. Arc Raiders has an aggressive roadmap adding new maps, weapons, and game modes throughout the next year. Even established competitors like Fortnite remain dominant, with recent crossover events like The Simpsons collaboration bringing fresh players back to the battle royale.
Call of Duty faces the most competitive shooter market in over a decade, perhaps since the franchise itself dethroned Medal of Honor and Halo as the genre king. The combination of franchise fatigue, strong competition, and questionable business decisions has created a perfect storm that’s resulted in the lowest player engagement since the modern Call of Duty HQ era began. Whether Activision and Microsoft can reverse this trend depends on their willingness to make fundamental changes rather than iterating on a formula that’s showing its age.
FAQs
How many people are playing Call of Duty in 2025?
Call of Duty recorded 20.6 million players in March 2025, slightly down from 20.8 million in March 2024. Daily active users throughout 2025 have been lower than previous years according to industry analysts, with September marking the lowest player engagement since Call of Duty HQ launched.
Why is Black Ops 6 losing players?
Black Ops 6 is losing players due to community burnout from annual releases, fierce competition from Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, and potential issues with the Game Pass day-one strategy. The game lost nearly half its Steam playerbase within three months of launch, dropping from 165,668 average players in November to 89,175 in January.
Did Battlefield 6 outsell Call of Duty?
Yes, Battlefield 6 is the best-selling game of 2025 according to Circana market research data. It sold over 7 million copies in three days and had the strongest launch month of any game released in the past three years, surpassing even 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
How successful is Arc Raiders?
Arc Raiders sold over 4 million copies within its first two weeks after launching October 30, 2025. The extraction shooter reached over 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms and peaked at 462,488 concurrent players on Steam, making it one of the platform’s most-played titles.
Is Call of Duty still popular on consoles?
Yes, Call of Duty remains popular on consoles where it traditionally performs strongest. According to Circana, Black Ops 6 ranks second on PlayStation behind only Fortnite and holds the top position on Xbox for 2025. However, overall player engagement is down compared to previous years even on consoles.
What is Call of Duty’s player split between platforms?
According to Activision data from 2023, PC players account for approximately 25% of the total Call of Duty player base, with consoles representing another 25% and mobile gaming comprising the remaining 50%. This represents a significant shift from earlier years when the franchise was overwhelmingly console-focused.
Will there be another Call of Duty in 2026?
While not officially confirmed, Call of Duty has maintained an annual release schedule for nearly two decades. However, the declining player engagement in 2025 may prompt Activision and Microsoft to reconsider this approach and potentially allow more development time for higher-quality releases.
What went wrong with Call of Duty in 2025?
Industry analysts cite three main factors: franchise fatigue from annual releases, questionable creative and business decisions including the Game Pass strategy, and unprecedented competition from Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders that divided the shooter audience in ways Call of Duty hasn’t faced in over a decade.
Conclusion
Call of Duty’s struggles in 2025 mark a pivotal moment for gaming’s most dominant shooter franchise. Black Ops 6 launched with record numbers that should have guaranteed a successful year, but fierce competition and changing player preferences told a different story. Battlefield 6’s triumphant return and Arc Raiders’ explosive debut proved that Call of Duty’s near-monopoly on the military shooter genre has definitively ended. The franchise isn’t dying, far from it, but the days of unquestioned dominance are over. Activision and Microsoft face critical decisions about annual releases, Game Pass strategy, and how to meaningfully differentiate future entries in an increasingly crowded market. The lowest player engagement since Call of Duty HQ launched should serve as a wake-up call that incremental improvements and familiar formulas no longer guarantee success. For the first time in years, Call of Duty must prove it deserves players’ time and money rather than assuming they’ll show up by default. Whether the franchise can adapt and reclaim its throne or continue sliding into mediocrity will define gaming’s competitive landscape for years to come.