Mike Ybarra, the former president of Activision Blizzard, has expressed his belief that the upcoming Battlefield 6 will significantly outperform Call of Duty this year. According to his recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter), he suggested that this competitive shift will motivate the Call of Duty franchise to improve and become more innovative.

In his message, Ybarra stated, “Battlefield is set to dominate CoD this year. The bigger victory is that this will push CoD to be more dynamic, ultimately resulting in better first-person shooter games for everyone.” He went on to elaborate in a conversation with another user, mentioning, “CoD has been declining for years. It’s a chaotic experience now, plagued by issues like cheating, cumbersome interfaces, and over-the-top graphics. Players are frustrated with it. Fortunately, Battlefield’s success will compel them to adapt.”

Ybarra also commented on the recent layoffs at Microsoft, the parent company of Activision Blizzard and the studio behind Call of Duty. He remarked, “Call of Duty stands to improve because Battlefield will excel. It’s naive not to recognize this. Am I bitter? Not at all; I’m relieved to no longer be part of the challenges facing Xbox. Am I disappointed about the leadership failures that resulted in layoffs? Yes, absolutely, especially knowing they hinder the creation of quality games.”

Since leaving Activision Blizzard prior to its acquisition by Microsoft, Ybarra has taken on the role of CEO at Prizepicks, a sports betting platform that has made a name for itself by integrating esports betting since 2019.

Ybarra appears to be placing his bets on Battlefield this year. While Call of Duty continues to perform well in sales, the franchise has seen a decline in positive reception, with numerous complaints about its current offerings, particularly concerning certain cosmetic choices.