Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra boldly claims Battlefield 6 will “boot stomp” Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, but he sees a deeper win—this rivalry might spark improvement across FPS titles.
What Mike Ybarra Said
- Battlefield 6 will “boot stomp” Call of Duty this year — he tweeted that its success will pressure CoD to step up.
- He argues CoD has been “lazy” since Infinite Warfare (2016), citing cheats, bloated UI and installs, and gaudy cosmetics as key issues.
- For Ybarra, the real triumph is that increased competition will lead to better FPS games all around.
What’s Fueling the Debate
- Battlefield 6’s Open Beta smashed numbers with over 334,000 concurrent players on Steam, making it the most popular Battlefield beta yet.
- The game emphasises grounded, authentic cosmetics and a relatively lean 55 GB install—an intentional contrast to CoD.
- But not everything’s rosy—cheating (notably wallhacks) has already surfaced in the beta, highlighting shared genre woes.
What This Means for You
- If you’re an FPS fan, this rivalry could be a win. Battlefield pushing CoD to innovate might spark a refreshed era of shooter games. Ybarra certainly hopes so.
- Battlefield 6 hits shelves in October 2025; Black Ops 7 is expected later in 2025, with details to follow at GamesCom’s Opening Night Live.