Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Trails Far Behind Battlefield 6 on Steam Wishlists

Two weeks before launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 sits in unfamiliar territory. Ranked 173rd on Steam’s global wishlist chart—below even the upcoming Palworld dating sim—it’s an uncharacteristically quiet lead-up for a franchise that once dominated every platform it touched. The contrast with Battlefield 6, currently basking in attention from both players and critics, has been difficult to ignore.

For the first time in years, Call of Duty faces a credible rival. Battlefield 6 has surged to the forefront of the first-person shooter conversation, powered by an assertive marketing campaign and a clear rejection of what EA perceives as its competitor’s excess. The game’s recent live-action trailer, featuring Zac Efron and other celebrities getting obliterated in the opening minute, made its point sharply: this Battlefield isn’t chasing fame—it’s chasing authenticity.

The symbolism wasn’t subtle. Efron, basketball player Jimmy Butler, and country singer Morgan Wallen stride into a warzone, dripping in cosmetic flash before being instantly vaporized. Their replacements, ordinary soldiers in muted gear, embody the kind of grounded tone Battlefield wants to reclaim. EA’s message landed cleanly—Battlefield 6 is restoring military grit to a genre it argues has gone soft with crossover fatigue and celebrity cameos.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is cutting back on some of those very embellishments. The new entry limits flamboyant cosmetics to Warzone, while its core multiplayer is reverting to a stricter, military-focused style. Whether this shift is the result of internal reflection or direct competition, the timing suggests Battlefield’s renewed presence has rattled the status quo.

But there are deeper reasons why Black Ops 7 may not be lighting up the Steam charts. Activision’s years of platform fragmentation have left their mark. Between 2018 and 2022, the publisher steered PC players toward Battle.net, its proprietary launcher. That move cost visibility on Steam, and many long-time players never returned when the series came back. Others, especially since Microsoft’s acquisition, are likely waiting to play through Game Pass, where Black Ops 7 will launch day one.

Data also supports a broader point about where Call of Duty’s real audience lives. During the FTC vs. Microsoft hearings, former Activision Blizzard King CEO Bobby Kotick stated that only a quarter of the series’ daily active users played on PC. The console base has always been the lifeblood of the franchise. Even if PC wishlist rankings seem low, the figure represents only a fraction of the total player pool—one that has historically leaned on PlayStation and Xbox rather than Steam charts.

Still, it’s a notable moment. Call of Duty has rarely looked over its shoulder this way. For years, competitors have tried and failed to dent its position at the top of the shooter hierarchy. Now, Battlefield 6 is doing more than surviving—it’s defining itself in opposition. Its campaign, shown at Sony’s latest State of Play, promises a straightforward modern military story, a choice that contrasts sharply with the cerebral, fragmented tone of Black Ops 7’s single-player mode. One reaches backward toward authenticity; the other looks inward at psychological warfare.

The numbers tell part of the story, but perception may tell more. Battlefield 6’s open beta was the series’ strongest in a decade, and player sentiment—particularly among the FPS faithful—has tilted in its favor. It helps that EA has shed some of its own baggage. The removal of the controversial specialist system and a return to class-based combat echo older installments that fans have long wanted back.

On the other side, Call of Duty continues to move massive volumes annually. Even a low Steam ranking may prove little more than noise once launch day arrives. Sales across platforms, bundled Game Pass downloads, and console preorders will likely dwarf most competitors. Yet there’s a symbolic undercurrent to this moment. For a series that built its empire on cultural ubiquity, slipping beneath indie projects and nostalgia remakes on PC wishlists hints at something structural—a long-term shift in how players engage with blockbuster shooters.

Whether this signals genuine fatigue or simply a redistribution of attention remains uncertain. What is clear is that Call of Duty no longer commands automatic dominance in the public eye. The landscape around it has sharpened, and its oldest rival has finally learned how to turn opposition into opportunity. Battlefield 6 may not dethrone it outright, but it has done what few games in the genre have managed lately—make Call of Duty look cautious.

If Black Ops 7 ultimately delivers, these weeks of doubt will fade into irrelevance. But for now, the once-unshakeable king of shooters is staring down a rare and visible challenge—one that might not threaten its sales, but could redefine how long its crown fits.

Read also, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Became Free to Play During Battlefield 6’s Launch Week, as Activision opened access to last year’s entry from October 9 to 16 — a direct counter to EA’s major release window.