Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 6 open beta drew an unprecedented audience, reaching about 520,000 peak concurrent players on Steam on 9 August and eclipsing the 491,000-player high set by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II at its 2022 launch. Research firm Oppenheimer estimates that more than five million people across all platforms joined the test during the first window of 7–11 August, making it the largest beta in the franchise’s history. The surge strained servers, with EA warning of log-in queues as players tried modes such as Conquest and Domination. A second open-beta session is scheduled for 14–17 August ahead of the game’s planned 10 October release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Security was a focal point after reports of cheating surfaced despite a mandatory Secure Boot requirement on PC. EA said its new Javelin anti-cheat system blocked about 330,000 attempts to tamper with the game during the early-access period and logged 104,000 player-submitted reports, data the publisher says will refine its detection tools before launch. Investors welcomed the strong showing. EA shares have risen roughly 10% over the past week, touching a record high of about $176, as analysts pointed to the beta’s momentum and the prospect of Battlefield 6 reviving the publisher’s flagship shooter series.