Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, once hailed as the "most successful title in the series' history," is now facing a sharp drop in its player base. After launching with significant fanfare and glowing reviews, it has seen a staggering 79% drop in its player count within just two months of release. According to recent data from SteamDB, the game's 24-hour peak player count recently fell to just 66,349— a number last seen before the game even launched.

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This sharp decline is a concerning trend for the franchise, as it highlights an accelerated fall compared to previous titles. For context, the most recent Call of Duty installment, Modern Warfare 3, took a full year to dip to similar numbers. Modern Warfare 3’s player count started high, maintaining an average peak of 80,000 players for much of its cycle, and it wasn’t until almost 11 months post-launch that it hit 67,536 players, slightly lower than Black Ops 6's drop in just two months.

Black Ops 6, on the other hand, launched with over 315,000 players at its peak. In just two months, however, it has seen its numbers plummet by 79%, which is a stark contrast to Modern Warfare 3’s 67% drop over a much longer period. This rapid fall has raised questions about what exactly went wrong with Black Ops 6, especially given its initial critical success.

Upon release, the game garnered an 83 rating on Opencritic and was praised for its visuals and gameplay. However, as players dove deeper into the game, issues began to surface. The return of skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) frustrated many, with some claiming it ruined the flow of the game. In addition, the game's microtransactions quickly became a point of contention, with many players feeling the in-game purchases were too expensive and excessive.

Another factor contributing to the decline is the series' decision to incorporate AI-generated artwork in promotional materials, which many fans found off-putting. The lackluster in-game events, which many felt were repetitive and uninspired, also contributed to player fatigue. When these problems combined with the high price of microtransactions and the frustrating gameplay mechanics, it created a perfect storm for player dissatisfaction.

The timing of the decline is also interesting. Two months into Black Ops 6’s life cycle, players seem to have moved on quickly, with other titles in the series like Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 also factoring into the overall player count on Steam. Despite the numbers looking bleak for Black Ops 6, the franchise’s other titles are still managing to hold some of their player base, though they are not immune to the same criticisms.

As Black Ops 6’s player count continues to shrink, it raises concerns about the future of the Call of Duty series. Will the franchise be able to reverse this downward trend, or is this the beginning of a bigger issue for Activision? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear—player sentiment can change quickly, and keeping an audience engaged has never been more challenging for developers.