Despite initial industry expectations, Battlefield 6 is facing stiff competition in the shooter market, and is no longer the dominant force it was predicted to be. Steam data indicates a significant decline in concurrent players for the title as it’s release, peaking at over 747,000 but now averaging around 251,000 daily users as of yesterday. A new contender, ARC Raiders, launched in late october and has quickly surpassed Battlefield 6 in player engagement and positive user reviews, signaling a shift in the late-2025 gaming landscape.
Early predictions that Battlefield 6 would dominate the gaming landscape this year have been upended by a surprising contender.
Battlefield 6 enjoyed a peak concurrent player count exceeding 747,000 upon its release. However, Steam data reveals a noticeable decline in player numbers since then. As of yesterday, the game peaked at over 251,000 concurrent users on Steam. While still a significant figure, ARC Raiders has consistently drawn nearly double that amount in recent weeks.
ARC Raiders, not Battlefield 6, is currently the leading shooter of late 2025, based on Steam statistics. Yesterday alone, over 449,000 players were engaged with ARC Raiders, with a similar number enjoying the game on Saturday. These numbers are particularly impressive considering ARC Raiders launched several weeks ago, on October 30th.
Player sentiment also favors ARC Raiders. The title boasts an average 88% rating on Steam, while Battlefield 6 currently holds “mixed” reviews with an average score of 66%. This highlights the importance of positive user feedback in the competitive gaming market.
ARC Raiders’ dominance over Battlefield 6 is further reflected in Steam’s current bestseller rankings, where ARC Raiders consistently remains in the top three.
Players interested in learning more can view a documentary about the development of ARC Raiders, available on the game’s official YouTube channel.
