August 7 is suddenly a big day for first-person shooter fans, as Battlefield 6 has now confirmed that its early access beta will be launching on the same day as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6‘s highly anticipated Season 5 update. It has been four years since Call of Duty and Battlefield went head-to-head, but August 7 is now set to be a significant date for both series, as it could be a big indication of which franchise is going to come out on top this year.

There’s no denying that Battlefield and Call of Duty are two of the biggest names not only in the first-person shooter genre, but in the entirety of gaming. With that being said, EA has never quite managed to reach the same heights with Battlefield as Activision has with Call of Duty. Year after year, the Call of Duty series comes out on top, dominating sales charts with its annual releases. Battlefield, on the other hand, does not release new titles annually. The last entry in the series, Battlefield 2042, received massively negative reviews due to its performance issues, a controversial new specialist system, a lack of server browser and scoreboard, and more. But with Battlefield 6 on the horizon, the series could be coming for the throne.

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With Season 5 of Call of Duty set to go live next week, August 7 was already shaping up to be a big day for FPS fans. But now that EA has confirmed the open beta dates for Battlefield 6, it’s shaping up to be an absolutely massive day. The first early access beta for Battlefield 6 will take place between August 7 and 8, and is only available to those who were lucky enough to obtain a code via Twitch Drops during the game’s multiplayer reveal. The good news is that those who weren’t lucky enough to receive a code won’t have to wait long, as there will then be two open beta weekends shortly after. The first will kick off on August 9 and run until August 10, but a longer beta period will then be available from August 14 to 17.

Battlefield and Call of Duty Will Go Head-To-Head on August 7

Given that Call of Duty tends to come out on top year after year, it’s a bold move for EA to kick off its first beta on the same date as Black Ops 6 and Warzone‘s Season 5 update. With that being said, it could be a sign that EA is confident that Battlefield 6 can go toe-to-toe with Call of Duty, especially as fans continue to show fatigue with the franchise. While Black Ops 6 was a huge success for Activision and developer Treyarch Studios, its post-launch seasonal updates have been met with controversy after controversy. Players are growing tired of the unrealistic cosmetic items, hackers, and lackluster content updates, which means now is the perfect time for Battlefield to strike.

It may take a lot for the next Battlefield game to dethrone Call of Duty, but EA recently hinted at Battlefield 6 having a more grounded approach to cosmetic items, something that many Call of Duty fans have been requesting for years now. It may not seem like a huge deal to some, but Black Ops 6‘s unrealistic operator skins have resulted in huge backlash, and with the controversial Carry Forward feature potentially making a return for Black Ops 7 later this year, it could give Battlefield 6 a huge edge over its competitor.