The newly acquired Electronic Arts and DICE game criticizes Microsoft’s (Activision Blizzard) IP, and perhaps rightly so.

Thanks to Battlefield 6, the franchise can truly compete with Call of Duty for the first time in years. So it’s no surprise that Electronic Arts launched a direct attack on Activision and Call of Duty in the latest Battlefield 6 trailer. The live-action video opens with actors Zac Efron and Morgan Wallen, professional basketball player Jimmy Butler, and MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett walking across a war-torn bridge in New York. They are all wearing different types of gear: Efron is an Assault, Butler is an Engineer, Wallen is Support, and Pimblett is Recon.

When Efron starts talking, he and his teammates suddenly experience an explosion. Smoke follows the explosion, and a squad of better-dressed soldiers appears. One of the soldiers asks who they are. Another soldier quickly replies, “It doesn’t matter. Let’s move on.” The rest of the video is a stylized, live-action version of a Battlefield 6 match. The entire opening takes aim at Call of Duty. Small details, such as the unique paint job on Pimblett’s weapon with multiple stickers, the medallion hanging from Butler’s rocket launcher, and the appearance of celebrities, target the current situation of Call of Duty.

The weapon skins and charm are clearly aimed at monetizing Call of Duty, though Electronic Arts and Battlefield may not fare much better, as weapons can also be customized in Battlefield. The celebrities hail from various entertainment industries and cultures. This seems to poke fun at Call of Duty’s celebrity cameos and skins, making it more reminiscent of Fortnite with its mix-and-match collaborations. Even the song played in the trailer, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by the Smashing Pumpkins, is an attack on Activision and Call of Duty. The Smashing Pumpkins classic was previously used in the marketing campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

Then there’s the timing of the trailer’s release, which comes just days before Call of Duty Next. The Black Ops 7 marketing campaign will be in full swing until the game’s release in November. It’s reminiscent of SEGA’s 90s marketing campaign against Nintendo: Battlefield is a serious, intense shooter, while Call of Duty is a cosmetic, celebrity-endorsed, decidedly less serious alternative. At a time when Call of Duty is experiencing an identity crisis, the video resonates with gamers, as evidenced by the comments.

Battlefield 6 is set to release on October 10 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Source: WCCFTech