Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is currently experiencing lower wishlist numbers on Steam compared to even the dating sim Palworld. As of now, it sits at the 173rd spot, trailing behind games like Killer Bean at 73rd and the Gothic remake at 17th. With Battlefield 6 capturing significant attention, concerns may arise for Treyarch and Activision Blizzard as the launch of Black Ops 7 approaches in about two weeks.

The competitive landscape for Call of Duty has intensified significantly. Battlefield 6 is emerging as a formidable adversary, drawing substantial interest and overtly challenging Call of Duty’s recent inclination toward celebrity and flashy elements over more authentic military themes.

Notably, Call of Duty has begun to pivot from its traditional approach. The upcoming title will forgo many of the elaborate cosmetics seen in prior iterations, limiting them to Warzone while keeping the latest multiplayer format aligned with conventional settings. This shift might be influenced by Battlefield’s direct appeal to FPS enthusiasts, hinting that competition has prompted Call of Duty to recalibrate its strategy. This leads to the question: Is the lower wishlist ranking on Steam a direct outcome of this competitive pressure?

While Battlefield 6’s popularity is undoubtedly a key factor, other titles like Arc Raiders are also entering the scene, suggesting a fresh wave of contenders in the extraction shooter genre. As it stands, Call of Duty hasn’t faced such fierce competition during a release in years—a potential outcome of prolonged dominance in the market.

Even with some negative online sentiment brewing against Call of Duty, various factors might explain the slow uptake for Black Ops 7 on Steam. Activision’s past decision to distribute titles exclusively through Battle.net from 2018 to 2022 might have negatively impacted its presence among PC gamers, as some players may have come to view that platform as the primary home for the series.

Additionally, the Microsoft Store, while less popular than Steam, has also played a role. Microsoft has made significant strides in promoting Call of Duty through Game Pass with Black Ops 6, leading to record engagements for the service. With Black Ops 7 set to launch on Game Pass on day one next month, this could significantly attract a large segment of the PC audience.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to recognize that Call of Duty has a historically stronger presence on consoles. During the recent FTC vs. Microsoft hearings, former CEO Bobby Kotick mentioned that only 25% of Call of Duty’s daily active players are on PC, based on a user base of around 70 million, with a considerable portion attributed to Call of Duty Mobile. These figures indicate a substantial console player base, underscoring that PC remains an important, albeit smaller, segment of its overall audience.

Considering all these dynamics, what does the current situation suggest for Call of Duty? It’s likely that Black Ops 7 will still achieve strong sales, despite the moderate interest reflected on Steam. However, these early indicators might highlight the long-term ramifications of inconsistent PC platform strategies, rather than revealing any critical missteps by this prominent franchise.

Ultimately, it will be fascinating to observe whether Call of Duty retains its stronghold in the gaming landscape or whether competitors like Battlefield 6 and other new titles can leverage prevailing weariness in the FPS genre to disrupt the market effectively.