Activision has announced another free trial Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies, which will serendipitously release at the same time as EA's Battlefield battle royale REDSEC.
Yesterday, October 27, was a significant day for fans of first-person shooters. EA has finally confirmed a shadow drop for Battlefield royale, dubbed REDSECwhich airs today, October 28th at 8am PT/11am ET.
Then, yesterday, Activision announced that Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies will be free-to-play starting today and running until November 3rd.
Gather your squad. We have Black Ops 6 💥
Get access to Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies for free starting tomorrow 🎮 pic.twitter.com/xTZv7VQlnP
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) October 27, 2025
Is Activision trying to ruin EA's fun? Fans are, of course, debating the timing of the free trial and how it coincides with Battlefield's big moment. Some are speculating that this is nothing more than a pre-planned challenge to coincide with Halloween (Black Ops 6 has a Halloween update). But it's hard to shake the feeling that there's something more going on here. After all, Activision just last month released a significant free trial of Black Ops 6 a day before the Battlefield 6 release date. And today not only the battle royale Battlefield starts – the first season of Battlefield 6 also starts.
It's the latest salvo in what has become a popcorn-worthy dispute between Activision and EA, with every mega-publisher's big-budget FPS vying for the hearts and minds of the gaming community this holiday season.
In August, Activision shocked the Call of Duty community when he confirmed that operators, operator skins, and weapons from Black Ops 6 will no longer be carried over to Black Ops 7.. This came as a big surprise to players who were expecting the content they purchased for Black Ops 6 to carry over as it did with previous games. Explaining its decision, Activision said that Black Ops 7 “needs to be authentic to Call of Duty and its setting.”
It felt like Activision was feeling the heat from Battlefield 6, which has a more grounded aesthetic. Developer DICE has stated that it has no plans to release crossover skins that would disrupt the aesthetics of Battlefield 6.and promised that the developers would listen to fan feedback.
In a recent interview with DBLTAPBattlefield 6 Design Director Shashank Uchil reiterated EA's commitment to grounded realism and even pointed out The infamous Nicki Minaj skin from Call of Duty like what Battlefield 6 doesn't need.
“It has to be justified,” he said. “That's what BF3 and BF4 were – all the soldiers were on the ground. That’s how it will be,” Uchil said, pointing to key art depicting soldiers in GI gear looking out over war-torn New York.
He added: “I don't think Nicki Minaj is needed. Let's be honest and reasonable.”
Then, last month, EA stepped up its marketing for Battlefield 6. Takes a direct shot at Call of Duty with new live-action trailer. More recently, Activision has extended the open beta testing of Black Ops 7 will last another 24 hours until October 9, leading to the Battlefield 6 release date.
Both games are important releases for their respective publishers. This year, Battlefield 6 overtook Call of Duty by launching a month before its competitor. And the battle royale adds competition to Call of Duty's own free-to-play battle royale, Warzone. Black Ops 7 Counterattack will take place on November 14th. It will be interesting to see which of the two mega-publishers is happier when the dust settles.
Wesley is IGN's News Director. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
