The competitive landscape between gaming's top first-person shooter franchises is heating up as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 demonstrates renewed momentum in pre-order performance. Recent data reveals that the game's premium Vault Edition has successfully overtaken both the Standard and Phantom Editions of Battlefield 6 on the PlayStation Store, signaling a potential shift in consumer preference as these titans prepare for their closely-spaced releases.

This development marks a significant moment in the gaming industry, as these two powerhouse franchises haven't competed directly in nearly four years. The upcoming confrontation is particularly intriguing given their release schedules—Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7 are scheduled to launch just five weeks apart, creating an unprecedented head-to-head competition that will test both franchises' ability to capture the attention and loyalty of the shooter community.

The context for this competition is particularly fascinating given the recent history of both franchises. Electronic Arts and DICE faced substantial criticism following the controversial launch of Battlefield 2042 in 2021. That semi-futuristic installment drew widespread criticism for its departure from traditional franchise features, numerous technical issues, and various gameplay shortcomings that disappointed the established fanbase.

However, the Battlefield franchise appears to be making a strong comeback. The recently concluded open beta for Battlefield 6 achieved remarkable success, reaching peak concurrent player counts exceeding 521,000 on Steam during its initial days. According to Electronic Arts, this beta testing period represented the largest in the series' history, breaking previous records and generating substantial positive momentum for the upcoming release.

Despite Battlefield 6's impressive beta performance and its initial lead in pre-order numbers, the competitive landscape appears to be shifting. Industry tracking data indicates that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Vault Edition has now moved ahead of both Battlefield 6 editions on the PlayStation Store's pre-order charts.

This reversal suggests that Activision's flagship franchise is gaining ground after what appears to have been a slower start. The Vault Edition now positions above not only Battlefield 6 but also other anticipated titles including Borderlands 4 and the Standard Edition of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. However, NBA 2K26 continues to dominate the overall charts with multiple editions occupying top positions.

Despite Battlefield 6's strong initial performance during its beta weekends, Activision leadership has reportedly expressed confidence in their position. Company executives have suggested they remain unconcerned about competitive pressure from the next Battlefield installment, maintaining that the Call of Duty franchise has established itself as "too big to fail" within the gaming landscape.

This confidence stems from Call of Duty's remarkable track record over the past two decades, with annual releases consistently dominating sales charts and maintaining player engagement. The franchise has demonstrated remarkable resilience, typically only being outperformed by exceptional titles such as Grand Theft Auto 5 or established sports franchises like Madden NFL.

Nevertheless, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 faces its own challenges despite improving pre-order numbers. The game's reveal trailer recently reached an unfortunate milestone, accumulating nearly 400,000 dislikes from viewers. This negative reception doesn't appear tied to any specific feature of Black Ops 7 but rather reflects accumulated frustration from the community over several years.

Long-time fans have expressed growing concerns about various aspects of recent Call of Duty titles, including unrealistic cosmetic items, technically problematic launches, perceived lackluster post-release content, ongoing issues with hackers, and increasingly aggressive microtransaction systems. These cumulative disappointments appear to have reached a tipping point, with many players expressing their frustration through these visible metrics.