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3d ago

Battlefield 2042 Briefly Tops Call of Duty on Steam as Battlefield 6 Push Revives Interest

The rise reflects EA's Road to Battlefield 6 incentives linking 2042 play to rewards in the new game.

black ops 6 character and battlefield 2042 character
The least-popular Battlefield game is now bigger than Call of Duty on Steam
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An image about Battlefield 6 players are waiting for release in Battlefield 2042 lobbies, player counts spike

Overview

  • SteamDB recorded Battlefield 2042 peaking around 74,000 to 75,000 concurrent players on August 24, its highest level since 2023 and briefly ahead of Call of Duty's Steam tally.
  • EA's Road to Battlefield 6 update adds a reimagined Iwo Jima map and a free battle pass that grants cosmetics usable in Battlefield 6 once accounts are linked.
  • The promotion runs through October 7, allowing players time to earn items that will carry into Battlefield 6 at its October 10 launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
  • Steep discounts and broad availability lowered the barrier to re-entry, with Battlefield 2042 priced at about $3 on Steam, under $5 on Xbox, and included with EA Play and PlayStation Plus Extra.
  • Reporters note extensive AFK farming in Portal servers to grind the free pass, and they caution that Steam-only comparisons exclude Call of Duty’s larger console audience, indicating momentum rather than a definitive market shift.