The Battlefield 6 free trial week has failed to boost its player count — but why? Some thoughts from a daily player and longtime fan

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2025 has seen a lot of exciting new game releases, but Battlefield 6 is the clear standout. This explosive, team-based shooter from Electronic Arts and Battlefield Studios has quickly become a multiplayer phenomenon. While ARC Raiders has also gained popularity through streaming, it hasn’t quite matched Battlefield 6’s overall impact.

Since launching in early October, Battlefield 6 has been a massive success. It quickly peaked with almost 750,000 players simultaneously on Steam and sold over 7 million copies in its first weekend, with strong sales continuing in the weeks after. The game was recently named the best-selling title of the year and generated more revenue in a single month than any other game since 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

To attract more players, EA and Battlefield Studios launched a free trial this Tuesday. Players on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 can now try out a limited selection of Battlefield 6’s multiplayer features for free until December 2nd.

Looking at current data from SteamDB, the recent free trial of Battlefield 6 hasn’t significantly increased player numbers. The game is still averaging around 200,000 concurrent players, which is the same level it’s been at for the past few weeks. It’s important to note that Steam is the only platform where we have reliable public player count data.

It’s surprising that more players aren’t trying the new, highly anticipated game. As a big fan of both this installment, Battlefield 6, and the series overall, I think there are several reasons for this low turnout.

The free trial doesn’t showcase the very best of Battlefield 6. While the Cairo map is enjoyable and the Eastwood map from Season 1 is great, Blackwell Fields isn’t popular because it heavily favors vehicles and snipers, making it unbalanced.

Beyond the standard Battlefield modes like Conquest and Breakthrough, the game features Team Deathmatch and Season 1’s unpopular Sabotage mode, which feels out of place. While a smaller-scale mode is good, the popular ‘Escalation’ mode from the previous game would be a better fit than Sabotage. Also, the game should allow free trial players to experience all of the multiplayer options.

Many potential Battlefield 6 players have likely already been testing it out through Battlefield REDSEC, the free-to-play battle royale mode released last October. These players might now be shifting to the full Battlefield 6 multiplayer. However, because the game platforms combine player numbers for both REDSEC and Battlefield 6, it’s hard to see if there’s been any real change in overall player activity.

I haven’t noticed much online advertising for the free trial, just the trailer and a few social media posts, which could be impacting its visibility. Considering how much I enjoy the show, I’d expect to see ads for it on platforms like YouTube, but I haven’t yet.

It’s also important to remember that this is Thanksgiving week in the US. Many potential Battlefield 6 trial players are likely spending time with family and friends or busy shopping for Black Friday deals instead of gaming.

As a Battlefield fan, I think I’ve figured out why the recent free trial hasn’t really boosted player numbers. It seems like a few things are working against it. REDSEC being free-to-play already takes away some of the appeal, and honestly, the free trial content felt a little limited and wasn’t always the best. Plus, everyone’s distracted with the holidays, so it all adds up to pretty steady, but not growing, player counts.

There’s no changing the holiday promotion now, but I think Battlefield Studios missed an opportunity. Instead of limiting the free trial, they should have given players a full week to experience all of Battlefield 6’s multiplayer. Offering access to only three maps – including one that isn’t very popular – and just two of the game’s best modes really didn’t showcase the large-scale battles that make Battlefield great. It was a missed chance to make a strong impression.

Despite any issues, Battlefield 6 is still one of the most enjoyable first-person shooter games I’ve played in a long time, and I highly recommend it. It typically costs $69.99 on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, but you can currently find it for $60.69 on Loaded and through the EA App.

FAQ

What is Battlefield 6?

Battlefield 6 is a first-person shooter game developed by EA and Battlefield Studios. It includes a story campaign, user-created games through the Portal feature, traditional PvP multiplayer, and a free-to-play battle royale mode called REDSEC. The game focuses on large-scale battles where players on foot, in vehicles, and in aircraft fight together.

What platforms is Battlefield 6 on?

You can now play Battlefield 6 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC – through Steam, the EA App, or the Epic Games Store.

When does the Battlefield 6 free trial week end?

The free trial for Battlefield 6 ends on Tuesday, December 2nd at 4 a.m. Pacific Time / 7 a.m. Eastern Time. After that, you’ll no longer be able to play the game without purchasing it.

Is Battlefield 6 on Xbox Game Pass?

Battlefield 6 isn’t included with Xbox Game Pass. If you want to play, you’ll need to purchase the game separately, as it’s not available through the Game Pass subscription, except possibly during limited-time free trials.

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2025-11-29 00:40