Battlefield 6 just dropped the most savage marketing move in gaming history. EA’s latest live-action trailer for their upcoming shooter takes a brutal shot at Call of Duty by literally blowing up a squad of celebrities. The message is crystal clear: Battlefield doesn’t need famous faces to sell games.
The two-minute trailer premiered on September 28, 2025, and has already racked up over half a million views. It perfectly captures the heated rivalry between these two military shooter franchises.
The celebrity squad gets obliterated
The trailer opens exactly like a typical Call of Duty commercial. Four celebrities walk across a devastated bridge in slow motion. We see actor Zac Efron, NBA star Jimmy Butler, country singer Morgan Wallen, and British MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett.
They’re all decked out in tactical gear with flashy weapon skins. Everything screams Call of Duty’s recent obsession with celebrity tie-ins and colorful cosmetics. Zac Efron starts his dramatic speech: “We’re here to do one thing, and one thing—”
Then boom. A missile comes out of nowhere and blows the entire celebrity squad to smithereens. A boot goes flying through the smoke and debris. It’s absolutely brutal and hilarious at the same time.
Real soldiers take over the scene
After the explosion, authentic-looking military operators emerge from the smoke. One soldier asks, “Who was that?” Another replies coldly, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s move.”
The rest of the trailer showcases classic Battlefield action. Massive explosions, environmental destruction, and realistic military combat. Everything Call of Duty has moved away from in recent years.
Why EA chose this marketing approach
This isn’t just random trolling – it’s a calculated business move. Call of Duty has featured celebrities in marketing campaigns for over a decade. The 2010 Black Ops trailer with Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel became iconic.
More recent campaigns included actors like Michael B. Jordan and Cara Delevingne. But fans have increasingly criticized these celebrity tie-ins as gimmicky and out of place.
One YouTube comment on the Battlefield trailer reads: “Give whoever’s in the marketing department a raise.” Another says EA’s “marketing team understood the assignment.”
The bigger picture behind the rivalry
This marketing stunt highlights the fundamental differences between these franchises in 2025. Call of Duty has embraced colorful cosmetics, celebrity skins, and crossover content like Fortnite. Battlefield 6 is positioning itself as the serious military simulation alternative.
Both games launch within weeks of each other this fall. Battlefield 6 releases October 10, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 hits November 14. The competition is heating up like we haven’t seen in years.
Battlefield 6 brings back classic features
EA isn’t just talking trash – they’re backing it up with substantial changes. Battlefield 6 returns to the franchise’s roots in several key ways:
The game ditches the specialist system from Battlefield 2042. Classic four-class system is back: Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon. Player count drops from 128 back to 64 players for better gameplay balance.
Portal Mode returns with massive improvements. Players can create custom maps, modify game rules, and even recreate iconic maps from other games. Someone already built a perfect replica of Counter-Strike’s Dust2 map.
The anti-cheat arms race
Both franchises are taking cheating seriously this generation. Battlefield 6 uses the new Javelin Anti-Cheat system. It’s kernel-level protection that requires Secure Boot on PC.
During the beta, Javelin blocked over 330,000 cheating attempts. Players reported more than 100,000 suspected cheaters to EA’s monitoring system.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 continues using Ricochet anti-cheat. Both systems are getting major updates to detect aimbots and wallhacks more effectively.
What the numbers show
Battlefield 6’s beta became the biggest playtest in franchise history. It tripled Battlefield 2042’s concurrent Steam user record within hours. The game even briefly surpassed Call of Duty’s player count on Steam.
Battlefield 2042 sold over 10 million copies since its troubled 2021 launch. DICE producer Jeremy Chubb expects Battlefield 6 to perform even better commercially.
Meanwhile, sources close to Activision claim the publisher isn’t worried. They reportedly consider Call of Duty “too big to fail” regardless of competition.
Pricing stays competitive
Battlefield 6 costs $70 for the standard edition, avoiding the dreaded $80 price bump. The Phantom Edition runs $100 but doesn’t include early access. EA learned from past mistakes where premium buyers got frustrated with day-one issues.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 follows similar pricing. Both publishers recognize that $80 games are a tough sell when competition is this fierce.
Portal Mode could be a game-changer
Battlefield 6’s enhanced Portal Mode might be the secret weapon. Unlike Battlefield 2042’s version, this one focuses on creativity rather than nostalgia. Players can build completely custom maps using powerful editing tools.
The mode supports classic maps from Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3. But more importantly, it lets players create entirely new experiences. Think Halo’s Forge mode but for Battlefield.
One developer mentioned they’re “putting the final touches on a blank slate map” that lets players build from scratch. This could turn Battlefield 6 into a platform for endless community content.
Technical improvements across the board
Battlefield 6 runs at higher frame rates than previous games. PlayStation 5 Pro gets 4K at 60fps or 1620p at 80+ fps. Xbox Series X offers similar performance modes.
The game also supports crossplay but lets console players opt out of PC lobbies. This addresses concerns about PC cheaters ruining console experiences.
The real winner might be gamers
Competition between these franchises benefits everyone who plays FPS games. When Battlefield makes bold moves, Call of Duty responds with improvements. When Call of Duty innovates, Battlefield steps up its game.
YouTuber and content creator reactions suggest this rivalry is pushing both developers harder than they’ve been pushed in years. Players are already seeing the results in better anti-cheat, improved gameplay mechanics, and more responsive development cycles.
What happens next
The real test comes in October when Battlefield 6 launches. Will EA deliver on their promises of a more authentic military experience? Can they avoid the launch issues that plagued Battlefield 2042?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 follows a month later with its own set of promises. The franchise is returning to near-future combat in 2035 while adding cooperative campaign play for the first time since 2015.
One thing is certain: this celebrity explosion trailer shows EA isn’t playing it safe. They’re directly challenging Call of Duty’s dominance and betting that gamers want serious military action over flashy marketing gimmicks.
Whether this bold strategy pays off depends on Battlefield 6 delivering the goods when it matters most – at launch.
