Mike Ybarra, the former president of Blizzard Entertainment, boldly claims that Battlefield 6 is going to “boot stomp” Call of Duty this year. Such a statement matters because it hints at a major shake-up in the FPS genre, where competition might finally get fierce enough to push games to be better.
The hype around Battlefield 6 is real. Thousands of players have already flocked to its beta, with over 200,000 players waiting in line before the beta even launched. On Twitch, BF6 has outperformed nearly every Call of Duty title in terms of viewership. But will it be enough to topple the juggernaut that is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7? That’s the million-dollar question.
Former Blizzard President Thinks Battlefield 6 Will Force Call of Duty to Change
Mike Ybarra shared his thoughts on X, saying, “Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year. But the real win here is CoD won’t be lazy anymore, and we’ll all get better FPS games for it.”
Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year. But the real win here is CoD won’t be lazy anymore, and we’ll all get better FPS games for it.
— Mike Ybarra 🎮 (@Qwik) August 8, 2025
He added in a follow-up tweet that Call of Duty has been “going downhill” for years, pointing out issues like “cheating, heavy UI/install, rainbow colors” and more. Yikes. Ybarra hopes Battlefield 6 will be the catalyst that forces change in the franchise.
Meanwhile, the Battlefield 6 beta has already been hit by cheaters, as clips circulating online show. Meanwhile, Call of Duty is leaning on a 17-year-old character to drive pre-orders for Black Ops 7, which seems like a strange move in 2025.
If you ask me, this is why having competition is super importnat for literally every industry in the world, and not just gaming.
