Activision have never been more scared of Battlefield stealing Call of Duty players

It seems Activision has never been more concerned that Battlefield will steal away a portion of its player base, as the publisher has now announced Black Ops 6 will be completely free to try between the following dates: October 9 to October 16.

In the seven years I have been a gaming industry journalist, and the many years prior to that of being an avid gamer following industry movements, I have never seen Activision more concerned about potentially losing some of the Call of Duty community to EA's Battlefield franchise.

The publisher's recent movements, in my opinion, signal nothing but concern for the upcoming launch of Battlefield 6, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is now offering a free trial period just two days before Battlefield 6's launch.

This announcement, coupled with yesterday's announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's open beta will be extended to October 9, screams concern from Activision, as these marketing campaigns aren't pure coincidence. Activision is intentionally running the free trial of BO6 and the extended open beta of BO7 on the launch of Battlefield 6 as an attempt to deter any Call of Duty players from making the switch to BF6, and to attract players who are still undecided between the two upcoming first-person shooter titles.

Activision must maintain the attraction for the Call of Duty franchise through November 11, when Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches, which the publisher will struggle to do, as hype for Battlefield 6 appears to be eclipsing Black Ops 7.