Call of Duty gets a free jab thrown at it in the new Battlefield 6 trailer

Battlefield 6 launches in just over a week, and EA has fired a bold shot at its biggest rival with the game’s latest live-action trailer: Riding high on the momentum of its popular open beta, the publisher is clearly trying to frame Battlefield as a serious competitor to Call of Duty for the first time in years.

The trailer opens with an unusual cast: actor Zac Efron, NBA star Jimmy Butler, country singer Morgan Wallen, and MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett. Each plays a different Battlefield class — Efron as Assault, Butler as Engineer, Wallen as Support, and Pimblett as Recon. Before they can even get a word in, however, the squad is blown to pieces, clearing the way for a group of soldiers.“Who was that?” one asks. “Doesn’t matter, let’s move,” came the reply, a not-so-subtle jab at Call of Duty’s growing reliance on celebrity cameos and flashy marketing to push numbers.

There are other jabs hidden within the details, like Pimblett’s weapon, painted in an over-the-top skin, and Butler’s launcher having a dangling charm, both clear digs at Call of Duty’s monetization system. And to make it extra clear exactly who this was for, the soundtrack choice, Smashing Pumpkins’ Bullet With Butterfly Wings, was the same track used in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’s campaign marketing.

The timing isn’t accidental either. The trailer dropped just days before Call of Duty Next, Activision’s showcase event for Black Ops 7. It’s the clearest sign yet that EA wants players to think of Battlefield not just as another option, but as the alternative.

By throwing down this gauntlet, Battlefield has positioned itself as a grounded, no-nonsense shooter, while casting Call of Duty as a cosmetic-heavy, celebrity-filled spectacle. And with a Call of Duty movie officially on the way, EA had plenty of material to work with.

Whether Battlefield 6 can actually compete is still to be determined, but if the success of their Beta is any indication, EA certainly seems confident. They're in for a tough battle, though. Call of Duty has remained the undisputed heavyweight of the FPS genre for years, with annual releases that consistently dominate charts, despite criticism. Outselling it is unlikely, but for players burned out on collaborations and crossovers, Battlefield 6 could serve as the reminder that shooters don’t have to feel like Fortnite to be fun.

At the very least, the trailer made one thing clear: Battlefield didn't come to play this time around; it came to win.