Call of Duty Hits Record Low on Steam — Is the Franchise in Trouble?
Call of Duty has hit a record low player count on Steam, sparking widespread speculation about what’s going wrong. The franchise recently celebrated a high point with the release of Black Ops 6 and exciting updates to Warzone, but despite this initial success, player numbers are dipping sharply.
Call of Duty Decline: What’s Happening?
Black Ops 6 was praised as a return to form, bringing back the classic feel that fans love. However, recent controversies have cast a shadow over that success. Players have voiced frustrations over:
- AI experiments in gameplay
- Unfitting skins that break immersion
- Pay-to-win concerns with certain cosmetics
While these issues might not seem game-breaking individually, the combined impact appears to be pushing players away.
Record-Low Player Counts on Steam
According to SteamDB, Call of Duty’s concurrent player count recently dropped to just 54,000 — barely a quarter of its 223,000 peak in November 2022. News of this drop has spread rapidly across social media, with fans debating whether this could be the wake-up call the franchise needs.
Check the Reddit discussion for player reactions!
Interestingly, the player count has since rebounded by around 10,000, but the long-term trend remains uncertain — especially with the game’s performance on PlayStation and Xbox Game Pass still unclear.
Can Call of Duty Bounce Back?
Many players argue that Call of Duty has lost touch with its audience. Complaints about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), frustrating seasonal updates, and a lack of meaningful incentives are driving players toward competing titles. With the FPS genre more competitive than ever, Activision and Treyarch may need to make bold changes to win back players’ loyalty.
For now, the franchise isn’t dead — but this slump could be a pivotal moment for its future.
Meanwhile, check out the other blog – Black Ops 6 Leak Teases
