The Battlefield 6 beta ended far too long ago already, and fans are chomping at the bit for more fast-paced, destructive action. Instead of waiting until October 10 to get their hands on Battlefield 6, hundreds of thousands of players are pouring into Battlefield 2042, sending the game rocketing back up the sales charts almost four years after launch.
Battlefield 2042 was a rocky title from day one, and for a while, it threatened to bring about the ‘end’ of the franchise. It has been a dark few years for Battlefield fans, and while Battlefield 6 is expected to be the savior of the series, Battlefield 2042 is finally getting a long-awaited moment in the sun.
Battlefield 2042 Player Count Soars
Battlefield 2042 recently leapt up the charts on Steam, rocketing to 75,000 peak concurrent players and rivalling other top-tier shooters thanks to a) Battlefield 6 hype, and b) a staggering sale that dropped the game to record-low prices.
It was the highest peak player count Battlefield 2042 had secured on Steam since launch, provided you don’t count the free weekend in October 2023 that saw the game land 107,376 concurrent players.
It’s safe to assume similar numbers are circulating on other platforms, particularly as Battlefield 6 draws ever closer.
In the most recent release of the Alinea Analytics newsletter, Battlefield 2042’s growth was studied by the team:
Battlefield 2042 sold almost 500,000 on Steam last week. While the hype for the imminent Battlefield 6 explains part of this, the real reason for its spike is a HUGE price drop, -95% to $2.99, its cheapest price yet on Steam.
EA often does massive fire sales like this on its legacy titles to give it revenues a boost ahead of its financials. The $1.4 million in Steam revenues from Battlefield alone is nothing to sniff at. Expect more at the end of Q3.
What’s sad is that folks will be pouring into Battlefield 2042, perhaps expecting a similar experience to Battlefield 6, which many would have recently run through when the open beta was live. What they’ll be getting isn’t bad, but it’s not a patch on Battlefield 6.
Have you jumped into Battlefield 2042 in anticipation of Battlefield 6? Or did you pick it up just because it’s cheap? Either way, let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Skate has an early access release date
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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