Battlefield 6 Is Losing Steam: What’s Happening Three Months After Launch?

Battlefield 6 stormed onto the scene as one of EA’s strongest FPS launches ever, but as of January 2026, things are looking grim. The game, which peaked at 747,000 concurrent players at launch, has now lost 80% of its player base in recent weeks. So why did the initial hype around the “return of Modern Battlefield” quickly turn into a flood of criticism?

Steam Reviews Drop to “Mixed”

The game’s average Steam review score has slipped from “Very Positive” to “Mixed.” In the last 30 days, only 53% of reviews have been positive. Here are the main complaints from players:

• Aggressive Monetization: Even before entering the main menu, players are bombarded with Battle Pass ads in a $70 game, which has caused major frustration.

• Generative AI Scandal: Players noticed that some cosmetics (like the bizarre double-barrel M4A1) were created using unchecked generative AI artwork. This has been slammed as “a billion-dollar company selling low-quality content.”

• Bugs and Performance Issues: The 1.1.3.0 update brought stuttering problems and hidden nerfs to movement mechanics, pushing the community’s patience to the limit.

Competition Heats Up: The Arc Raiders Effect

While Battlefield 6 is bleeding players, its competitors are thriving. In particular, Arc Raiders—developed by Embark Studios (founded by ex-Battlefield developers)—overtook Battlefield in January with 352,000 concurrent players. We’re in an era where giants like Call of Duty and Battlefield are struggling against fresher, more player-friendly alternatives.

Community Divided: Reddit vs. LowSodium

The backlash has become so intense that the main Reddit community (r/Battlefield) has turned into a “complaint center,” prompting more optimistic players to create a new sub-community called r/LowSodiumBattlefield. Still, the consensus is clear: while the core gameplay is solid, the business model and content management are falling short.