A Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Free Trial has been announced, available Oct 9 through Oct 16.
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 7, 2025
The Trial, for the first time ever, includes full access to play the Black Ops 6 Campaign, too, alongside MP and Zombies. pic.twitter.com/ckwJmYSIJm
The cold war between first-person shooter titans is heating up, and the battlefield—pun intended—is the month of October. In a move that has the gaming community raising its collective eyebrow, Activision has announced a free trial for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and its timing is anything but coincidental.
From October 9th to October 16th, players can jump into the 2024 shooter at no cost. The elephant in the room? The hotly anticipated Battlefield 6 is scheduled for its full release on October 10th, placing it directly in the middle of the Call of Duty free access period. This strategic overlap has many players and industry watchers labeling the move as a transparent, and perhaps desperate, attempt to siphon attention and players away from its chief rival.
The official announcement of the free trial period was made clear in a recent social media post, confirming the dates for players on all platforms. You can see the official confirmation from the account.
A Shifting Tide in the FPS Landscape?
The context for this aggressive tactic is a potential power shift in the military shooter genre. For years, the Call of Duty franchise has been the undisputed king in terms of revenue and player count. However, the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, slated for a November 14th release, appears to be losing significant ground early in the marketing cycle.
Steam data from recent beta events indicates that the Battlefield 6 playtest attracted a staggering five times the number of concurrent players than the Black Ops 7 beta. Furthermore, pre-order sales for DICE's title are reportedly substantially higher. This has led to growing speculation that the longstanding rivalry is about to see a major upset. As one analysis suggests, the momentum is firmly on Battlefield's side this year.
A Campaign of Distraction?
What makes the Black Ops 6 free trial particularly interesting is its scope. Unlike many trials that focus solely on multiplayer, this one grants full access to the game's critically acclaimed single-player campaign. It seems developer Treyarch is betting big that its narrative strength can win over skeptics.
Reviews for last year's Call of Duty solo experience were largely positive, praising its compelling story and diverse mission design. This stands in stark contrast to the early, uneven impressions of the Battlefield 6 single-player component. With Battlefield 2042 having infamously shipped without a campaign, the pressure is on DICE to deliver a compelling narrative. Early testers, however, have complained about poor enemy AI and overly scripted missions that limit player freedom.
That said, the playtests for the Black Ops 7 campaign haven't been all positive either, with a common complaint being a frustratingly fixed difficulty level. It seems both giants have their own struggles behind the scenes. In fact, a deeper look at player sentiment reveals that the issues with Black Ops 7 may be more fundamental than just timing.
Pulling Out All the Stops
The free trial is just one part of Activision's multi-pronged strategy to curb the Battlefield 6 hype. In what many see as another sign of concern, the publisher recently opted to extend the Black Ops 7 beta by an extra 24 hours. The test will now conclude on October 9th—the day before Battlefield launches and the very day the Black Ops 6 free trial begins.
This creates a nearly seamless transition for players, keeping them engaged within the Call of Duty ecosystem right up to (and through) its competitor's release day. To further sweeten the deal, Treyarch has promised to unlock additional maps, modes, and playlists during this period to maintain player loyalty.
The Long Game
While the October showdown is shaping up to be a defining moment, it's crucial to remember one key strategic difference: release cycles. Call of Duty is an annual franchise, while Battlefield is not. This gives DICE and EA more development time between titles, a factor that often contributes to the heightened anticipation for each new entry.
Even if Battlefield 6 delivers a knockout blow this fall, the relentless annual schedule of Call of Duty means Activision will have another shot at the title in just twelve months. Rumors suggest EA may even be considering a shift to a more frequent release schedule within the next six years. For now, though, the stage is set for an explosive October, and Activision is making it clear it won't surrender its crown without a fight.
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