REDWOOD CITY, California: Electronic Arts’ latest blockbuster, “Battlefield 6,” has shattered franchise records, selling over seven million copies within its first three days, the strongest launch in the series’ two-decade history, the company said.

The record-breaking debut marks a crucial win for EA, which had been banking on the new installment to revive the Battlefield franchise and challenge Activision Blizzard’s “Call of Duty,” the dominant force in the first-person shooter genre.

Launched on October 10, just weeks after EA finalized its US$55 billion sale to a Saudi-backed investor group, Battlefield 6 quickly became the publisher’s most-watched and most-played title ever. Players logged 172 million online matches and 15 million hours of viewing time across streaming platforms over its opening weekend, EA said.

The game also saw the highest number of concurrent players in franchise history, underscoring the massive interest surrounding the rebooted title.

The early success comes at a pivotal moment for EA, which has been under pressure to prove the enduring value of its portfolio after several of its other major shooter franchises, including “Apex Legends,” “Titanfall,” and “Star Wars Battlefront”, have seen waning engagement.

EA said Season 1 of Battlefield 6 will launch on October 28. As part of its ongoing content strategy, new maps, weapons, and live events will be released in the following months.