Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 didn’t hit the ground running in the UK. On launch week, Activision’s latest shooter trailed Battlefield 6 in physical sales and fell far behind previous COD benchmarks. The early performance has many wondering if the franchise has finally lost its grip.
Launch week stings for Black Ops 7 sales
The UK retail charts painted a grim picture right from the start. Based on GfK data, Black Ops 7’s launch-week sales dropped 61% compared to Call of Duty 6. That’s a steep fall for a series that used to dominate shelf space. Worse yet, Battlefield 6 managed to pull ahead in the same window an unusual twist for Call of Duty’s long-time rival.
Player counts tell a tougher story
Steam didn’t deliver the backup either. A few days after launch, Call of Duty maxed out at around 100,000 concurrent players. For comparison, Battlefield 6 shattered expectations years ago with 747,000. It’s a stark contrast, especially when Call of Duty typically commands massive launch-week numbers across platforms.
Did Game Pass eat into Black Ops 7 sales?
Some fans argue that Xbox Game Pass may have eaten into retail numbers, but even factoring that in, things still look shaky. Forum estimates suggest around 40,000 physical copies were sold in the UK, compared to 105,000 for Black Ops 6. With digital, the total may reach 170,000, yet it still trails the previous game’s 450,000.
Here’s how the early numbers stack up:
- Black Ops 6: 105,000 physical / 450,000 total (est.)
- Black Ops 7: 40,000 physical / 170,000 total (est.)
- Battlefield 6: Physical sales ahead of Black Ops 7
- Battlefield 6 peak Steam players: 747,000
- Black Ops 7 peak Steam players: 100,000
Fans point fingers at marketing and fatigue
Gamers have floated a few theories. Some point to a softer marketing push from Microsoft and Activision. Others blame the uninspired campaign and small leaps in gameplay. Meanwhile, Arc Raiders has stolen more attention than expected, tightening the fight for players’ time and wallets.
The Black Ops 7 sales picture could shift overseas
International numbers might soften the blow. But in the UK, Activision’s titan is no longer leading the charge. For now, it’s Battlefield’s moment and Call of Duty is left trailing smoke.
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