Last year, Battlefield 6 achieved a miracle, finally surpassing Call of Duty in sales to become the best-selling paid game of 2025. However, given that a significant portion of players frequently criticize the Battlefield series for copying or following Call of Duty, some fans may not be as pleased as publisher EA.
Although the player community may hold this view, Rebecka Coutaz, Vice President and General Manager of Battlefield Studio and head of multiple first-party studios within the franchise, does not entirely agree. Coutaz believes that competition encourages developers to take more risks, unleash creativity, and pursue innovation. Regarding her team's own work, she particularly cares about whether players remain engaged, have fun, and desire more content.
In an interview with GamesIndustry discussing the success of Battlefield 6 (and its comparison to Battlefield 2042), Coutaz addressed the topic of competition. The executive believes competition is a good thing, but she does not endorse chasing after competitors, stating: "We certainly keep an eye on the competition. But we never chase our competitors. That's not how we make games. If we chased our competitors, we wouldn't make good games. We make games because we believe in what we do, because we listen to our players and understand their needs. Is competition good? Yes. It motivates us. It pushes us to take more risks, sparks creativity, and drives continuous innovation, but we never chase any competitor."
However, foreign media outlet MP1st remains reserved about Coutaz's statements. Citing examples such as EA's past adjustments to its business model and inviting Call of Duty content creators to promote Battlefield 6, they argue that the Battlefield franchise has borrowed from its competitors.