Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has made waves in the gaming community with his recent comments predicting that Battlefield 6 will "boot stomp" Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 when both titles release later this year. Ybarra, who left Blizzard in 2024 following Microsoft's acquisition, didn't hold back in his critique of the current state of the Call of Duty franchise.

The gaming world was introduced to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 during June's Xbox Games Showcase. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, this futuristic installment set in 2035 promises a cooperative campaign experience among other features. While the exact release date remains unconfirmed, the title is expected to hit shelves in 2025.

Ybarra's controversial statement suggests that "Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year." He believes this competition will ultimately benefit gamers, forcing the Call of Duty franchise to innovate rather than rely on past successes. When questioned by fans on social media, Ybarra elaborated that he's observed a decline in Call of Duty quality since 2016, citing persistent issues with cheating, cumbersome user interfaces, and questionable design choices.

Despite these criticisms, Activision appears unfazed by the Battlefield 6 challenge. Company insiders maintain that Call of Duty has reached a "too big to fail" status in the gaming industry, suggesting the franchise will maintain its dominance regardless of competition.

Early indicators suggest Battlefield 6 could indeed pose significant competition. SteamDB data reveals the game's Early Access Open Beta has already surpassed Battlefield 2042's peak player count on Steam, attracting over 330,000 concurrent players - an impressive feat for a title not yet fully released.

Treyarch and Raven Software aren't taking this challenge lightly. Recent reports indicate Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is implementing advanced anti-cheat measures, including Trusted Platform Mode 2.0 (TPM 2.0) and Secure Boot technology - directly addressing one of Ybarra's primary criticisms of the franchise.