Summary:
- Battlefield 6 loses players at a fast rate, dropping about 85% of its player base within months of launch on Steam.
- Meanwhile, ARC Raiders maintains around 91% retention of its peak concurrent player count.
The last months of 2025 saw a surprising change in the world of shooter games. EA’s Battlefield 6 is losing many players, while the lesser-known ARC Raiders has shown it can stabilize its community. The data shows Battlefield 6 loses about 85% of its Steam players since its release. Meanwhile, Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders was able to retain 91% of its players despite launching alongside two major games.
Dramatic Player Decline
The anticipation for Battlefield 6 was high when the game launched in October 2025. This is because the early test reviews of the game were mostly positive. It was able to reach 747,440 players on Steam real-time upon their release on October 10. Making it the best-selling shooter of 2025 and even beating the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for a while.
However, the excitement after the launch did not last long. The current SteamDB data shows the game’s recent peak was only 113,000 players. It is notable that it dropped below 100,000 players on some days. This conclude an 85% drop compared to its launch numbers.
Contributing Factors
It was evident that several problems and developer decisions have led to Battlefield 6 losing its players. During Season 1, they added the RedSec battle royale mode, but most players of the game disliked it. Meanwhile when the players ask for bigger maps, they receive more bugs after each update instead. In addition, the latest Winter Offensive update brought even more problems, upsetting players who were still trying to play and enjoy the game.
Some players have also accused Battlefield 6 of mimicking the well-known Call of Duty. This further fuels disappointment over it. As days pass, the piling issues of the game and studio have left many feeling disconnected from something they once loved.
Unexpected Success Story
As for the ARC Raiders, many people doubted it when Embark Studios said it would launch in October. This is because it is right between the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6. This seemed like a bad idea for a game from a little-known developer. Mostly because it is common for extraction shooters to have a hard time getting lots of players.
The experts thought the game would be pushed out by the two big games. But it proved them wrong, reaching 481,000 concurrent Steam users on November 16. The game even recently peaked at 439,000 players. This shows that the developers maintained 91% of their player base months after launch, unlike others.
Indeed, player feedback is key to long-term success. Studios that ignore their communities and make decisions alone risk losing players. This explains how the developer of the game were able to stabilize their community. Most impressively, ARC Raiders won Best Multiplayer Game at the recent The Game Awards 2025. They were able to defeat other known nominees, including Battlefield 6, Split Fiction, Peak, and Elden Ring Nightreign.
Final Thoughts
As 2026 begins, both games face important turning points. DICE says it will keep improving Battlefield 6’s gameplay, fix balance issues, and add new maps, weapons, seasons, and a solo mode for RedSec. It’s unclear if these changes will bring back the 85% of players that Battlefield 6 loses. Meanwhile, ARC Raiders enters the new year with strong support and a happy community. All eyes are on the developers to see how they will maintain the game and community.
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