Former Activision Blizzard President Says Battlefield 6 Will “Boot Stomp” Call of Duty This Year

Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 7 (Credit: EA/Xbox)

Former Activision Blizzard president Mike Ybarra believes that Battlefield 6 has a real shot at shaking up the first-person shooter scene this year — and possibly forcing Call of Duty to raise its game.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Ybarra stated bluntly, "Battlefield will boot stomp CoD this year. But the real win here is CoD won't be lazy anymore, and we'll all get better FPS games for it." His comment quickly sparked conversation among fans, many of whom have long debated the rivalry between the two franchises.

When asked to elaborate, Ybarra didn’t hold back. He criticized the current state of Call of Duty, claiming that the series has "gone downhill for years" due to persistent issues like cheating, bloated installations, and what he described as overly flashy "rainbow colors." According to Ybarra, these elements have left many players frustrated — but a strong Battlefield release could push Activision to address them.

The former executive also touched on the recent wave of layoffs at Microsoft, which acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023. As per his post, Ybarra suggested that leadership missteps have hurt game quality and morale, stating, "Upset they can't lead teams to make good games? Yes. Because they lay off all those people for leadership's mishaps." He emphasized that a competitive push from Battlefield might be exactly what Call of Duty needs to get back on track.

Tweets by Mike Ybarra criticizing CoD and praising Battlefield (via X).

When asked if Battlefield 6 could outsell Call of Duty, Ybarra acknowledged it’s unlikely. Still, he considers the upcoming release a significant opportunity for Electronic Arts and expressed confidence in EA executive Vince Zampella (known for OG COD).

Tweets by Mike Ybarra on Battlefield's sales (via X).

Ybarra also praised DICE, Battlefield’s developer, for its strong anti-cheat measures during the open beta. He acknowledged that cheating is difficult to completely eliminate but said it should be a top priority for any competitive FPS, pointing to games like Valorant as examples of high-security approaches.

Tweet by Mike Ybarra praising Battlefield anti-cheating system (via X).

Since leaving Activision Blizzard before the Microsoft acquisition, Ybarra has taken on the role of CEO at PrizePicks, a sports betting platform that was among the early adopters of esports wagering back in 2019.

With Battlefield 6 on the horizon, Ybarra’s remarks reflect a sentiment shared by many — competition might be exactly what the FPS market needs to bring back its edge.