In a surprising turn of events, Battlefield V has shattered its all-time player record on Steam thanks to a steep discount coinciding with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s lukewarm reception. The World War II shooter from DICE, which came out in 2018, recently hit over 100,000 concurrent users on Valve’s popular digital game distribution platform, trouncing its previous peak by several thousands.
Battlefield V went on sale November 21, with its price dropping by 92% all the way down to $3.99. Since then, plenty of users have flocked to the well-received military epic depicting gritty, large-scale historical conflict across stunning frontline locales.
Over the past week player figures quintupled, eliciting excitement at this enduring franchise entry seeing renewed fan interest many years later. Several nostalgic fans have reunited alongside curious newcomers to explore Battlefield V’s sandbox warfare for the first time.
The initial Battlefield V player surge started a few days after it went on sale. On November 23 specifically, Battlefield V registered over 77,000 simultaneous players on Steam. Then, on November 25, it achieved the new milestone of 90,542 users online, topping its August 2021 record by nearly a thousand. Most recently, it peaked at 104,618 players with no signs of slowing down.
Comparatively, Battlefield 2042 struggles to keep pace despite releasing just last year. Its peak concurrent player count during the same November timeframe stalled around 43,000. So Battlefield V clearly retains immense goodwill and replay value in the community.
The immense player spike also signifies Battlefield V nearing the realm of competitor Call of Duty’s vaunted figures. The latest entry, Modern Warfare 3, has averaged only 86,000 Steam players since launching this November. This number is laughable when compared against its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2, which boasted a 225,000 user average last year.
As of the moment of writing, more than 70,000 players are enjoying Battlefield V, which is merely a stone’s throw away from the combined total player numbers of the entire Call of Duty franchise on Steam at more than 80,000.
Thus, as Call of Duty witnesses a downward trend in engagement, the Battlefield franchise, specifically, Battlefield V, is seeing renewed interest as it flourishes through its discounted Steam promotion. If nothing else, it represents the ever-shifting tides in the eternal rivalry between the industry’s two foremost FPS titles.
Considering the negative feedback that’s plaguing Modern Warfare 3 despite its supposed commercial success, perhaps fans yearn for escape into Battlefield V’s transportive historical fiction instead. Its massive battles immerse while unlock and customization hooks satisfy for dozens of hours.
For EA and DICE, this player resurgence has to feel validating as well. Maligned initially for its flaws and slim post-launch support, Battlefield V eventually found its groove after updates, map expansions and new modes patched holes. Now, a long overdue recognition as a fan favorite and possible franchise high point feels fitting.
At four dollars, no multiplayer shooter delivers more comprehensive destructive joy across air, land and sea. The perfect storm of price, relevance and quality now pays back dividends that should inspire Battlefield’s future.
Thus, credit goes to DICE for not abandoning Battlefield V post-release, transforming middling reception into acclaim a few years later. This patient approach earned player trust and signaled what the studio can achieve when afforded more development freedom. May the next Battlefield similarly blossom into a patiently nurtured fan favorite down the road.
Criterion Games is currently working with DICE on the next Battlefield game. On the other hand, players who want to enjoy a “different” FPS experience can look forward to Respawn Entertainment’s still-unrevealed Star Wars FPS title.
