With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 now released, comparisons between it and the other big multiplayer shooters of the fall are inevitable. XDA itself has already pitted the new Call of Duty against Battlefield 6, and I'm curious to see if Arc Raiders can maintain its momentum in the wake of a more popular shooter's release.

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In reality, I think that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Arc Raiders, and Battlefield 6 can all healthily coexist. While it's natural to want to compare them, they all appeal to different segments of the multiplayer shooter audience. Each offers something unique you can't get from the others. Ultimately, if all three games are doing well, the video game industry is better off for it.

All three of these shooters have different strengths

The reason I play Call of Duty and Battlefield isn't always the same

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Arc Raiders, and Battlefield 6 all fall under the genre moniker of "multiplayer shooter," but each has carved out its own niche within that space. Of course, Call of Duty is the quintessential multiplayer shooter, offering faster-paced gameplay and a wide variety of modes and progression systems we've come to expect from the franchise.

In comparison, I see Battlefield 6 as a much more specialized shooter. Its game feel might not be quite as snappy as Black Ops 7's, but EA uses that to its advantage. Battlefield 6 is the shooter to play if you enjoy large-scale battles, working with a squad, or trying out player-created content through Battlefield 6. I can't get those things out of Black Ops 7.

Obviously, Arc Raiders is the most distinct out of the three. It's not just a multiplayer shooter but an extraction shooter. That means it incorporates survival elements as players scavenge for and fight over materials and weapons they gather on the surface. If you do want to squad up and play Arc Raiders more competitively against other players, that is still possible.

I could easily recommend all three of these games to a fan of shooter video games, but for different reasons. Call of Duty is for those who prioritize game feel and short, snappy matches. Battlefield 6 is for those who want to squad up or partake in massive conflicts. And Arc Raiders is the best choice for those who like emergent moments in their multiplayer games. All three games might have connective tissue, but they are far from being the same game.

Competition is good for the multiplayer shooter space

The reality where Call of Duty dominated was boring

The multiplayer shooter space is better off when multiple games compete for the top spot. For a long time, Call of Duty could rest on its laurels as Battlefield struggled. During that time, many of the audience moved on to battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends. It's been a long time since I've been this confident in three multiplayer games launching within a two-month span.

The fact that they all appeal to slightly different players is particularly important.

There's a reason to play both Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders in addition to Black Ops 7. If they were simple Call of Duty clones, that wouldn't be the case. Instead, players have the choice between well-made multiplayer shooters that all excel at particular things. My hope is that this competition breeds innovation, too.

I'd be interested to see Battlefield 6's stab at an extraction mode, Black Ops 7 incorporate something like Battlefield Portal, or Arc Raiders take steps to make the competitive side of the game more engaging. Those improvements would not only draw new players in but also breathe new life into and improve the quality of the games that already exist.

Nowadays, new games are increasingly competing for players' time and attention. If someone is spending all their time in Arc Raiders, it may be assumed that engagement comes at the cost of Battlefield 6 or Black Ops 7 attracting new players. That view drastically oversimplifies things. Players will be drawn to good, engaging games, and if three within the same genre can thrive in that way at once, that's a good thing.

Black Ops 7, Arc Raiders, and Battlefield 6 are competitors, but not enemies

Ultimately, the video game industry will be better off if all three do well

Battlefield vs. Call of Duty is one of the gaming's longest franchise feuds, while dark horse entrants into the space like Arc Raiders are always exciting in how they shake things up. Rather than wonder whether these three games are cannibalizing each other's player bases, I'm choosing to focus on the fact that all three being successful concurrently would speak to the health of the genre.

2025 has been a good year for several gaming genres, like RPGs and puzzle games. We can now add multiplayer shooters that mix. Black Ops 7, Arc Raiders, and Battlefield 6 might all be competing for players' time and attention, but their ability to coexist suggests that all three games are doing something right and that the genre is in a good place right now.