In a straightforward and thought-provoking statement, former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra has shared his thoughts on the ongoing rivalry between the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises. He has made a bold prediction for the upcoming year. Ybarra, who worked at Blizzard from 2019 to 2024, believes that the highly anticipated Battlefield 6 is set to outperform the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
His public comments go beyond a simple prediction. Ybarra sees this possible shift in dominance as a positive development for gamers. He argues that the real benefit is that Call of Duty won’t become lazy anymore, which will lead to better FPS games for everyone. This suggests he believes competition drives innovation and quality, indicating that Call of Duty has grown complacent in recent years.
Ybarra’s critique of Call of Duty is not new, but his experience as a former industry leader gives it extra significance. He pointed out a decline in quality he feels has been happening since 2016. He mentioned issues such as rampant cheating, a complicated user interface, and too much visual clutter. He hopes that the arrival of a strong competitor in Battlefield 6 will push Call of Duty developers to tackle these problems and elevate the series to past standards.
This kind of industry commentary often leads to heated discussions among fans of both franchises. Some might see it as a jab at a rival company, while others may view it as a sincere call for higher standards in a genre that has experienced many highs and lows. No matter the perspective, Ybarra’s remarks remind us of the significant effect competition can have on the quality of the games we play.
