Call of Duty is one of the biggest gaming franchises in history and Battlefield is right up there with them. However, Battlefield has always been just slightly behind them since the Modern Warfare and Black Ops lines have dominated sales. Call of Duty has sold 146,400,000 total units as of November 2015 according to Statistic Brain while Battlefield has sold just under 24 million copies of their last 4 games according to VG Chartz. Now, Infinity Ward (CoD) and DICE (Battlefield) may be switching spots at the top with the anticipated releases of their new games: Infinite Warfare (CoD) and Battlefield 1.
Recently, Call of Duty has been going to much more futuristic war zones and campaigns. Starting with Black Ops 2, which took place in 2025, each game since has been set in the future, with the most recent Black Ops 3 taking place in 2065. Many players have enjoyed Infinity Ward’s take on futuristic warfare while others, like myself, prefer the modern (ha, get it?) versions of warfare. Infinity Ward’s jump to the future has come with a lot of backlash as the anticipated release of Infinite Warfare is looking to be one of the lowest in the franchise’s history, especially due to DICE’s new release set for the fall of this year.
Battlefield 1 goes back in time rather than forward. Taking place in World War 1, Battlefield has done something that very few studios have been able to do. Yet, based on the trailers for BF1, DICE has managed to create one of the most anticipated games of the year, which has many gamers wondering if Battlefield will finally knock Call of Duty from the top spot. Trench warfare, mustard gas, biplanes, horses; BF1 has taken the 21st Century back in time in a good way. After the DICE reveal event, Paul Tassi said in his article for Forbes, “Battlefield 1 has impressed both visually, but more important, conceptually.”
The only saving grace that Infinity Ward seems to have with their new game is the remaster of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for next-gen consoles featuring improved graphics, maps, and gameplay. Tassi says in another Forbes article, “despite one being a $20 add-on that people have already played, while the other is a 100% new title in the series, it’s Modern Warfare that seems to have fans the most excited.”
Both franchises have their dedicated players who only play one or the other. It is a very hot topic for both of these communities. Personally, I have always played Call of Duty. Modern Warfare and MW2, in my opinion, are still the greatest FPS of all time. However, after being disappointed with Ghosts and horrified with Black Ops 3, I purchased my first Battlefield game ever: Battlefield 4. I was amazed by the gameplay and realism. The graphics are insane, the maps are enormous and very well-structured, and is as close as you can get to real warfare aside from joining the military. For anyone who enjoys realistic warfare, Battlefield is a no-brainer. I haven’t played Black Ops 3 since I bought Battlefield 4 nor do I intend to (unless, of course, my friends and I are going to play Zombies on The Giant). But, as the old saying goes: to each, their own.
Due to the anticipated releases and overall response to both games, the internet has done what the internet does. The Infinite Warfare trailer has become the second-most disliked video on YouTube (Tech Times) while Battlefield 1’s views and likes have continued to skyrocket. There have also been multiple memes and videos that poke fun at the relationship between the games and how Infinity Ward is reacting to the overwhelmingly negative response while DICE seems to be holding a full house.
Drew Schroeder 