While this year’s Call of Duty, Black Ops 7, is launching into a competitive landscape, Battlefield 6 secures a significant advantage by releasing on October 10, a full month before its rival. Given that Sony is placing a major bet on the success of Battlefield 6, why is the company backing a competitor so strongly?
Sony Throws Its Weight Behind Battlefield 6
Push Square observed that Sony has gone all-in on Battlefield 6 by funding a massive pre-release advertising campaign. Furthermore, the company’s placement of the PlayStation logo on every advertisement proved to be the right move. As a result, it aims to associate the PS5 console with this warzone experience in players’ minds. Fans have stormed throughout social media, actively sharing images of these pervasive advertisements. From enormous billboards to entire buses wrapped in Battlefield 6 branding, players will find a wide range of pictures persuading them to buy the game — and it may be working.
Furthermore, the PlayStation logo is visibly slapped on every ad. Meanwhile, Black Ops 7 has unfortunately been announced for November 14, as a similar Sony-backed campaign for that game has not yet materialized. Currently, fans are preparing for more Call of Duty advertisements, which will undoubtedly ramp up as the release date approaches. It’s well known that Microsoft now owns Activision, with many asking: Will anyone see a PlayStation logo on those ads? It seems highly unlikely.
Microsoft’s Ownership Changes the Ad Game
While PlayStation consoles will still carry Call of Duty games, Microsoft holds a contractual obligation to release the series on multiple platforms. This condition was necessary for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard to pass regulatory scrutiny. Therefore, Sony’s vigorous support of its direct competitor makes perfect strategic sense, especially when Call of Duty is practically guaranteed to sell well on the PS5 regardless of any marketing support.
This reasoning is also why a great deal is riding on the success of Battlefield 6. For many players, it marks a return to form after the disappointment of Battlefield 2042. However, genre fans simply want a title that makes up for Call of Duty‘s recent shortcomings. Additionally, a group of investors is being acquired by publisher EA, as they will want a strong return on their multi-billion-dollar investment.
Still, this ongoing corporate pressure has many questioning whether a successful FPS launch will protect developers from the expected layoffs. Eventually, players will judge for themselves soon enough. Until then, Battlefield 6 launches this Friday on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Similarly, Black Ops 7 will be released on the same platforms next month, as well as the previous generation PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
