There are only a handful of video game franchises that have managed not only managed to stay relevant but grow over the course of 20 years, andCall of Dutyis one of those few. Debuting in October 2003,Call of Dutytook a few entries to really grasp the mainstream market, but once it had it, that chokehold has held strong ever since. ButCall of Dutywasn’t without its competition, and in the 2010sthe rivalry betweenCall of DutyandBattlefieldbecame one of the greatest in gaming. However, it is a rivalry that’s all but finished now.
TheBattlefieldfranchise actually has a slightly longer history thanCall of Duty, first debuting in 2002 withBattlefield 1942. And it was quite the debut, offering gamers some of the most intuitive, expansive, and satisfying gameplay of any military shooter at the time. The franchise only continued to gain popularity in the 2000s, withBattlefield 2being another big hitthat took players to the modern age of warfare two whole years beforeCall of Dutywould. But it’s been a rough few years forBattlefield, and nowCall of Dutyhas been left with no real competitors.
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Battlefield Has Dropped the Ball, and Call of Duty Has Continued to Grow
It’s no secret thatBattlefieldhas not quite lived up to expectationsover the last eight years. WhileBattlefield 3and4are widely considered to be some of the best FPS games ever made, with their servers still full of players even all these years later, theBattlefieldentries that succeeded them aren’t nearly as beloved. It all went downhill the momentBattlefield Hardlinereleased in 2015. Though its premise was unique, and it reviewed surprisingly well,Battlefield Hardlinejust wasn’t the game fans were hoping for, with it feeling much smaller in scale than previous entries.
WhileBattlefield 1has had somewhat of a resurgencein the last few years, at the time some fans weren’t too hot on it. However,Battlefield 1’s main criticisms came from those who simply didn’t like the WW1 setting, as it is a solid game all around. 2018 was when theBattlefieldfranchise truly started to crumble, withBattlefield 5feeling incomplete at launch. Though additional modes were eventually added, the damage was already done, and fans had become disillusioned withBattlefield 5. Next came the biggest disappointment of the lot, 2021’sBattlefield 2042. Though expectations were high, with fans citing this as the return to formBattlefieldneeded,Battlefield 2042ended up being a bit of a disaster thanks to a severe lack of content, half-baked features, and unnecessarily large maps, along with a slew of other issues.
While DICE is still trying to resuscitateBattlefield 2042with infrequent updates, there’s no denying that theBattlefieldfranchise just isn’t as loved as it once was, andCall of Dutyis happy to live without the competition. On the other end of the spectrum,Call of Dutyhas managed to remain just as relevant and popular as it always has, if not even more so. While long-time fans have plenty of criticisms over the last few entries in the franchise,Call of Dutyis still selling extremely well every year, and withCall of Duty: Warzoneas an additional source of income and audience, there’s no end in sight for the biggest FPS franchise on the planet.
Battlefieldmay have been the biggest competitor forCall of Duty, but it wasn’t the only one. Back whenCall of Dutywas first hitting the mainstream in the early-mid 2000s, a slew of other military shooter franchises rose up to give the series a run for its money.Medal of Honorwas one ofCall of Duty’s biggest competitors, with its roots dating all the way back to 1999. EvenGearbox’sBrothers in Armsseriescould go toe-to-toe withCall of Duty, with its unique tactical gameplay setting it apart from the crowd. But these franchises are long gone, and with Battlefield struggling so much,Call of Dutyremains untouchable.
