Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Launch Sales Nosedive 63% Behind Battlefield 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has launched to disappointing sales in Europe, falling 63% behind Battlefield 6 and posting a 50% drop compared to last year's Black Ops 6. For a franchise used to dominating shooter sales, these numbers signal real trouble.​

The data comes from Game Sales Data tracking across European markets. Black Ops 7 sold roughly 4.4 million copies in its opening week, calculated from Battlefield 6's reported 7 million copies sold in three days. Neither Microsoft nor Activision has officially confirmed Black Ops 7's figures, which itself is noteworthy. When a franchise performs well, companies shout about it. Silence usually means something's wrong.​

Black Ops 7 Reality Check on Steam

Steam numbers add another layer of concern. Black Ops 7 hit just over 100,000 concurrent players on launch day, down from Black Ops 6's 315,000. Modern Warfare 3 managed 190,000, even without Game Pass support. Currently, the 24-hour peak sits around 74,000 players. This is the weakest Steam launch for a mainline Call of Duty in recent years.​​

Of course, Steam's only one piece of the puzzle. But for a game that's supposed to be the franchise's latest blockbuster, losing this badly on the platform is hard to spin positively.

The Game Pass Problem (Or Solution?)

Here's what complicates everything: Black Ops 7 landed on Xbox Game Pass day one. Battlefield 6 demands a $70 purchase. Millions of Game Pass subscribers can play Black Ops 7 without paying extra. GSD data doesn't track Game Pass installs, so actual engagement could be higher than sales suggest.​

But here's the thing: Microsoft hasn't bragged about Game Pass numbers this time around. Last year they declared Black Ops 6 the "biggest Call of Duty launch ever" for players. That announcement never came for Black Ops 7. The silence is deafening. If Game Pass adoption was strong, why not mention it?​

Bloomberg reported Microsoft lost roughly $300 million in Black Ops 6 sales because of Game Pass. Maybe that hit convinced them the subscription gamble wasn't worth repeating the hype. Or maybe Black Ops 7 simply didn't drive the subscriptions they hoped for.​

Competition From All Angles for Black Ops 7

Battlefield 6 isn't Black Ops 7's only competitor. Arc Raiders, a free-to-play extraction shooter that launched last month, has sold over 4 million copies and pulled in 700,000 concurrent players. The game's still growing on Steam. Players looking for something different now have actual options besides Call of Duty.​

Then there's the Metacritic problem. Black Ops 7 holds the lowest user score of any Call of Duty game ever: 1.7. Critics gave it 83, so there's a massive gap between what professionals think and what players actually feel.​

The campaign gets roasted constantly. It requires an always-online connection and boots you for being inactive. You can't pause the single-player mode. Boss encounters feel forced. And Activision apparently used AI-generated art for calling cards and cosmetics. Players saw that as lazy, and they're not wrong... cutting corners on assets that people pay for isn't a great look.​

Arc Raiders (credits: Epic Games)

What Happens Now?

Black Ops 7 has problems in its launch week, but the Call of Duty brand still carries weight. The franchise has bounced back before. Infinite Warfare and Vanguard both had rough starts, then recovered through post-launch content.​

The real story arrives when U.S. sales data drops in November. If Black Ops 7 struggles domestically too, it won't be a regional problem, it'll be a franchise problem. Activision needs to see what content updates and balance changes might win back players. They also need to address the AI art controversy and campaign design complaints before they become permanent damage.​

Battlefield 6 proved that when a shooter executes well, it can beat Call of Duty. Black Ops 7's stumble shows the franchise isn't invincible anymore. If this becomes a comeback story or a sign that the annualized model is finally breaking remains to be seen.

Stay tuned to Strafe Esports for more Call of Duty news and information. Don't forget to follow us on Social Media for real-time updates of your favorite game.

Feature image credits: Call of Duty

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