Battlefield 6 Becomes EA’s Biggest PC Shooter Launch Ever

According to SteamDB, Battlefield 6 peaked at 747,440 concurrent players, eclipsing both its open beta and major rivals like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Destiny 2. The numbers only reflect the Steam version, meaning total player counts across all platforms are likely much higher.

Battlefield 6 First Reviews are pouring in just one day after release, and it’s already one of Steam’s biggest games ever. The long-awaited shooter from Electronic Arts has become the fourteenth most popular game of all time on the platform by concurrent user numbers within 24 hours of its official launch.

At launch, Battlefield 6 immediately claimed the top spot on Steam’s global sales chart, maintaining it for over a week. Analysts estimate that pre-launch sales exceeded $100 million before release. On Steam alone, over 25,000 reviews have been posted, with 78 percent currently positive — an early sign of solid player reception despite server issues.

The game’s open beta had already hinted at the surge to come. Every Battlefield 6 game mode explained during pre-release testing contributed to high engagement, as players rushed to experience the franchise’s updated multiplayer design, new environmental destruction system, and large-scale combat maps.

Ahead of launch, Eurogamer’s Connor Makar reported that nearly 250,000 players were waiting in queues during the beta weekend. “Battlefield 6 currently has close to 250,000 players waiting in queue for access,” Makar wrote, noting that the number on Steam alone reached around 296,500 at one point. The stress test provided valuable insight into what awaited EA’s servers on release day.

Image: Eurogamer

Lead producer David Sirland confirmed that the team had anticipated large queues during the official launch. “The open beta helped gauge the interest,” Sirland stated on social media after release, explaining that the beta’s 250,000-player wait time was used to prepare for server strain. Despite this, many players faced long waits as servers hit maximum capacity in the first hours after launch.

Comparing these metrics to EA’s other flagship titles highlights the scale of Battlefield 6’s debut. Apex Legends, previously EA’s biggest online hit, peaked at around 624,000 concurrent players in 2021. Battlefield 6’s 747,440 figure surpasses that record by a wide margin, making it the publisher’s most successful shooter launch to date.

Image: SteamDB, 11 Oct

Critics and players alike are pointing to Battlefield 6’s combination of large-scale warfare, sandbox chaos, and experimental multiplayer structure as key factors in its rapid success. Gameplay footage shared across YouTube and Reddit shows densely packed matches filled with vehicle combat, collapsing skyscrapers, and coordinated squad tactics — the type of spectacle that has long defined the Battlefield brand.

Vikki Blake of Eurogamer noted that Battlefield 6 is not only performing commercially but also critically, calling it “EA’s most successful shooter ever” and highlighting that it “has already made history on Steam within a single day.”

While many users continue to experience queue times and occasional disconnects, the response remains largely positive. Community sentiment on Steam and social platforms reflects excitement about the game’s dynamic modes and large-scale action.

The ongoing conversation also centers on post-launch updates and server improvements. EA has not yet confirmed specific patch schedules, but developers have acknowledged the current strain and are actively scaling infrastructure to handle demand.

As the dust settles after launch week, Battlefield 6’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. The title’s strong start positions it as one of the biggest multiplayer events of 2025 and sets a new benchmark for EA’s future shooters.

For players still deciding whether to jump in, the statistics speak clearly: Battlefield 6 has already reshaped the FPS landscape on PC. Whether it can maintain that dominance will depend on upcoming content drops and continued technical stability, but for now, the launch stands as one of the most successful in modern gaming history.