Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Lags Behind Battlefield 6 in Steam Preorders

Data from Alinea Analytics indicates that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has garnered fewer than 200,000 pre-order copies on Steam, just 18 days prior to its launch. In contrast, Battlefield 6 had already surpassed nearly a million pre-orders during the same timeframe. Similarly, according to Eurogamer, Black Ops 7 ranks 173rd in terms of Steam wishlists, whereas Battlefield 6 peaked at number 3. However, despite these seemingly dismal numbers for Call of Duty, the overall situation is more nuanced. As an annual franchise, regular Call of Duty players may not feel the need to add the game to their wishlists, as noted by Vic Bassey of Video Game Insights. Bassey suggests that players already invested in a gaming ecosystem tend to purchase serialized releases rather than adding them to wishlists. Furthermore, Call of Duty games have their own separate launcher on PC, limiting access to complete data, and not all PC players will purchase the game via Steam. The forthcoming availability of Black Ops 7 on PC Game Pass, which recently experienced a price increase, is another factor to consider. Additionally, data from Video Game Insights reveals that the Call of Duty franchise boasts approximately twice as many followers as Battlefield 6 on Steam, with around 658,000 followers. Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics notes that Battlefield 6 has now sold over 10 million copies across all platforms, apparently winning over the core PC audience. However, Elliott believes that this momentum alone will not suffice to overturn Call of Duty's market dominance, at least not this year. He points out that while the Battlefield series resonates with PC players, Call of Duty remains a multi-platform powerhouse with a sales base extending far beyond Steam and the PC market. Elliott suggests that Battlefield 6 is currently enjoying a significant amount of goodwill following the disappointment of Battlefield 2042, whereas Call of Duty Black Ops 7 faces a perception problem due to series repetition and a focus on Fortnite-esque cosmetics. Nevertheless, this may not substantially impact sales, as Call of Duty has an entrenched global audience that purchases the game annually out of habit and brand loyalty. The game's casual player base dwarfs that of Battlefield, and its integration with Warzone ensures that millions of players are constantly exposed to marketing and in-game promotions that drive purchases. Even if Black Ops 7 seems less exciting to enthusiasts, the sheer reach of CoD's ecosystem guarantees massive sales volume upon launch. Elliott believes that although Battlefield 6 may be winning over PC players, Call of Duty's market inertia will ensure that Black Ops 7 sells more copies overall. However, he also thinks that Battlefield could become a serious threat to Call of Duty in the future, particularly if it successfully rolls out updates like a battle royale mode and the UGC-focused Battlefield Portal, potentially capturing the attention of a broader audience.