Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 Struggles to Launch Successfully on Steam

Overview of Current Player Engagement in Call of Duty Series

On the launch day of Season 2 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, player participation peaked at 84, 431 on Steam.
In contrast, the season two update of Modern Warfare 3 attracted a higher peak of 154, 491 players on the same platform.
The number of players on consoles remains undisclosed, but rampant hacking concerns have contributed to a notable decline in the Call of Duty player base on Steam.

Upon the release of Season 2 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone on January 28, it appears that the games have not been able to recapture a significant player base. Recent statistics indicate a staggering drop of over 70, 000 players in comparison to the 2023 Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 update. This latest content drop has failed to entice back gamers who have opted to leave the franchise recently.

Initially, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 achieved remarkable success at launch; with Activision declaring it the most successful launch month in the history of the Call of Duty franchise. However, it seems to have faced sharp declines in player engagement since its October 2024 debut. Although specific player counts on PlayStation and Xbox remain undisclosed, Steam has seen close to a 50% reduction in users since the game’s launch.

Black Ops 6 Season 2 Launch Underperformed Relative to Modern Warfare 3

Despite aspirations that the new Season 2 update would draw back players with fresh content and enhanced gameplay, recent insights from CharlieIntel highlight that Black Ops 6 only managed to peak at 84, 431 players—significantly trailing behind the 154, 000 peak observed for the Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 launch. While this disparity raises concerns regarding player retention, it’s noteworthy that Black Ops 6 surged back to the top position on the PlayStation Store during the same launch week, suggesting a more favorable reception on consoles where player data is currently opaque.

Call of Duty on Steam peaked at only 84, 431 players for Black Ops 6 Season 2 launch. In comparison, MWIII Season 02 launch week peaked at 154, 491 players. For consoles, Call of Duty went back to #1 on PlayStation Store this week.pic.twitter.com/vvu5FCIfmO — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) January 30, 2025

The reasons behind the declining player base on Steam for Call of Duty remain a subject of speculation. With successful free-to-play alternatives like Marvel Rivals gaining traction, players might be seeking new experiences outside the franchise. Nonetheless, a significant factor can be attributed to the persistent issues with cheating, especially in Ranked Play modes. Activision has acknowledged these cheating concerns, promising to enhance cheat detection systems and introduce kernel-level driver updates for Season 2; however, players continue to report a high incidence of cheaters.

This issue of player trust has evidently impacted the content rollout for the Season 2 update, leading Activision to confirm that Warzone would receive less content than originally expected. The company has chosen to prioritize gameplay adjustments, bug fixes, and overall quality-of-life enhancements over additional content for this season. While players of Black Ops 6 have access to a plethora of new maps, modes, and features, those engaged with Warzone have experienced limited additions, including new Ranked Play rewards and three additional weapons.

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