Battlefield 2042 Beats Call of Duty on Steam as Fans Wait for Battlefield 6

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the FPS world lately, you’ve probably noticed something surprising. Battlefield 2042 has overtaken Call of Duty on Steam. Yes, the same Battlefield 2042 that most of us ignored after its disastrous launch in 2021. It turns out that the buzz around Battlefield 6 (coming this October) is breathing new life into an older version of it.

When Battlefield 2042 first came out, it was full of bugs, missing features, and didn’t feel like the Battlefield game fans expected. But things are starting to look better now. After a recent update, Battlefield 2042 saw a significant uptick in the play count, jumping to over 74,000 on Steam this weekend, beating out Call of Duty’s 63,000+ players.

Battlefield 2042 is approaching 70,000 players on steam alone 👀 pic.twitter.com/Dgy0ONzi4P

— Battlefield Wire (@TheBFWire) August 23, 2025

What Changed?

So why are players suddenly coming back to a game that many thought was already dead? There are two main reasons:

• Fresh updates and free rewards – EA surprised fans with a new update that brought back the classic Iwo Jima map and even offered a free Battle Pass. Some of the rewards from this pass can be used in Battlefield 6, which gives players a good reason to return.
• Hype for Battlefield 6 – The recent open beta for BF6 was a hit, with players praising its smooth gameplay and saying it finally felt like the Battlefield experience they’ve been waiting for. That excitement is rubbing off on 2042, as fans look for more Battlefield action to hold them over until the new game arrives.

Does this mean Battlefield 2042 has more players than Black Ops 6?

Not really. Most Call of Duty fans play on consoles, and those numbers aren’t included in Steam stats. Still, it’s pretty impressive that Battlefield managed to grab the spotlight, even if just for a moment, in a space Call of Duty has ruled for years.

As someone who’s been playing both series for years, it’s refreshing to see Battlefield having a comeback moment. 2042 still isn’t perfect, but the fact that players are giving it another chance shows just how much hype there is for Battlefield 6. If EA delivers with the October launch, we could finally get a real Battlefield vs. Call of Duty showdown again, something fans haven’t seen in years.

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