Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 2021 are set to reignite a heated competition between EA and Activision’s flagship FPS franchises. The first time a Battlefield and Call of Duty game are releasing in the same year since 2018, there is plenty on the line in their latest encounter. The first competition of the generation, it could determine how things will go for the remainder of the PS5 and Xbox Series X life cycle. Further, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s launch struggles and Battlefield 5’s lukewarm reception, both releases have something to prove for their respective series.

As of now, though, gamers have been given almost no official information about Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 2021. Nearly everything about the games comes from leakers, and while many of the sources sharing the information have proven to be reliable in the past, fans need to take it with a grain of salt. Still, assuming it does prove true, gamers know a few interesting things about the competition. Based on all the rumors that have been shared thus far, Call of Duty 2021 and Battlefield 6 are vastly different games, with their only similarities being a genre and release window.

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Release Windows And Reveal Times

Battlefield 6 vs Call Of Duty 2021

The entire reason that Battlefield and Call of Duty’s competition has grown so fierce over the years is that the two games usually release right around the same time. With both games targeting holiday shoppers, Call of Duty and Battlefield always release at the end of the year, dropping somewhere in the October and November months. This same scenario can be expected to play out later this year, with Call of Duty likely to maintain its yearly release schedule. As for Battlefield 6, a holiday release is already confirmed, ensuring that the competition is likely going to occur.

As for their reveals, gamers are looking at two entirely different strategies. First, Battlefield 6’s reveal is expected to take place any day now, with leakers claiming that the first trailer will drop as early as next week. As for what will be seen inside the first footage of the game, fans have been teased about the first map shown. Supposedly set on a huge desert island, gamers will be able to see the immense scale of the next Battlefield game. On top of that, other leaked features like natural disasters could be shown, with a fitting option for this rumored map being a sandstorm.

As for Call of Duty 2021’s reveal, gamers should not expect to receive any information on the project until later this year. While past Call of Duty games were always revealed around the month of May, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War changed this, as the project was first shown off only a few months before launch. This proved to be a successful strategy for Activision, with the decision to have the reveal take place inside Call of Duty: Warzone working out well for the publisher. As a result, gamers can expect another in-game event later in 2021, with the next premium Call of Duty game showcased live in front of millions of players. While Call of Duty’s reveal potentially being more unique is exciting, Battlefield 6 taking a more traditional approach to get ahead of Call of Duty could prove wise.

Different Settings And Gameplay Styles

Battlefield 6 vs Call Of Duty 2021

Another aspect of the competition that will surely be used in the marketing for both games is their different settings. First, Battlefield 6 is expected to have a modern setting, with Battlefield 3 inspirations supposedly noticeable throughout the game’s design. Rumors about robot dogs have added to the potential of this modern setting leak proving accurate, while the possibility of World War 3 has also been mentioned. With some of the most heavily praised Battlefield titles being modern, and Battlefield 5’s attempt at bringing World War 2 to life falling flat, coming back to the modern era would make sense.

As for Call of Duty, the franchise will reportedly be returning to the World War 2 era for the first time since 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2. While some insiders have been butting heads about the game featuring an alternate history approach to the time period, or sticking to traditional World War 2 storytelling, all seem to agree that Call of Duty is going back to the past. While it remains to be seen how well fans respond to this step back in time, it will allow Activision to easily market the differences between Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 2021. Rumored developer Sledgehammer Games also has experience with the setting, as it made Call of Duty: WW2 a few years back.

Outside of this interesting bit of role reversal for Battlefield and Call of Duty, gamers can expect both games to stick to their guns in terms of gameplay. While Battlefield will be larger than ever due to an increased player count and bigger maps, a focus on destruction and vehicular combat will likely remain. As for Call of Duty, small-scale arcade action has been the series’ bread and butter for years. In turn, players can expect plenty of 6v6 action from the game alongside some more integration with the incredibly popular Call of Duty: Warzone. As with past competitions, both series will likely double down on their strengths as opposed to pulling ideas from one another.

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Opposing Strategies For Launch

Battlefield 6 Call Of Duty 2021

Finally, one of the most intriguing things about the latest completion is how different Battlefield and Call of Duty’s strategies seem to be. For Call of Duty, leakers have suggested that the game will be launching on last-gen as well as current-gen consoles. While this will hold the game back graphically, it will ensure that a larger audience can purchase and play the game. It also lines up with Activision’s previous strategy for Call of Duty, as the series continued to support the PS3 and Xbox 360 until 2016.

As for Battlefield 6, leakers have suggested that it will be next-gen only. While this limits sales and cuts out console gamers without a next-gen platform to play on, it also allows DICE to take full advantage of the power provided by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Destruction could look better, character models could be more detailed, and environments could truly look realistic. With the Battlefield series always marketed as cutting edge in terms of its visuals, ensuring that the next game’s graphics impress via a next-gen only release seems fitting.

With Battlefield 6’s rumored Game Pass launch also having the potential to give it a larger player base from the get-go, it will be interesting to see which strategy proves more viable in the long term. While all the leaks and rumors about the two games should be taken with a grain of salt, they do paint an interesting picture. If gamers are going to choose between one or the other, they might just end up with a tough choice on their hands later this year.

Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 2021 are in development for unspecified platforms.

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