Activision has announced yet another free trial of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies, which just so happens to launch as EA releases its Battlefield battle royale, REDSEC.
Yesterday, October 27, was a big day for first-person shooter fans. EA finally confirmed a shadowdrop for the Battlefield battle royale, dubbed REDSEC, which is set to go live today, October 28, at 8am PT / 11am ET.
Then, later yesterday, Activision announced Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies will go free starting today and run until November 3.
Grab your squad. We’ve got Black Ops 6 💥
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) October 27, 2025
Get access to Black Ops 6 Multiplayer and Zombies for free starting tomorrow 🎮 pic.twitter.com/xTZv7VQlnP
Is Activision trying to spoil EA’s fun here? Fans are certainly debating the timing of the free trial and its clash with Battlefield’s big moment. Some are suggesting it’s nothing more than a pre-planned trial to coincide with Halloween (Black Ops 6 does have a Halloween update). But it’s hard to get away from the sense that there’s more going on here. After all, Activision only last month released a significant Black Ops 6 free trial the day before the Battlefield 6 release date. And it's not just the Battlefield battle royale that launches today — Battlefield 6 Season 1 kicks off, too.
This is the latest salvo in what has become a popcorn-worthy back-and-forth between Activision and EA, with each 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 it confirmed that Operators, Operator Skins, and Weapons from Black Ops 6 would no longer carry forward into Black Ops 7. This came as a big surprise to players who had expected content they’d bought for Black Ops 6 to carry forward, as it has done with previous entries. Explaining the decision, Activision said Black Ops 7 “needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting.”
The feeling was that Activision felt the heat from Battlefield 6, which is going for a more grounded aesthetic. Developer DICE has indicated it has no plans to release crossover skins that would break the aesthetic Battlefield 6 is going for, and promised the developers were listening to fan feedback.
In a recent interview with DBLTAP, Battlefield 6 design director Shashank Uchil doubled down on EA's commitment to grounded realism, and even pointed to Call of Duty's infamous Nicki Minaj skin as something Battlefield 6 doesn't need.
“It has to be grounded," he said. "That is what BF3 and BF4 was — it was all soldiers, on the ground. It’s going to be like this,” Uchil said, pointing at the key art featuring soldiers in soldier gear looking out over a wartorn New York City.
He added: “I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded.”
Then, last month, EA ramped up its Battlefield 6 marketing, taking a direct jab at Call of Duty with a new live-action trailer. More recently, Activision extended the Black Ops 7 open beta to run an additional 24 hours to October 9, taking it right up to Battlefield 6's release date.
Both games are crucial releases for their publishers. Battlefield 6 has the jump on Call of Duty this year, launching a month ahead of its rival. And the battle royale comes out to add competition to Call of Duty’s own free-to-download battle royale, Warzone. Black Ops 7 counter-attacks on November 14. It will be interesting to see which of the two mega publishers is happiest when the dust settles.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
