Wow, the Battlefield community is sending a clear message to EA and DICE - they're so done with Battlefield 2042 that they'd rather stare at Battlefield 6's main menu than actually play the previous game. No kidding, the pre-download for Battlefield 6's open beta, which isn't even playable yet, has already hit a concurrent peak of 9,463 players according to IGN. That's just wild when you think about it - thousands of gamers are literally just hanging out in the options menu, listening to the background music, and basically doing... nothing. But hey, after the disaster that was Battlefield 2042, can you really blame them?

The Numbers Don't Lie: Menu-Sitting Beats Actual Gameplay

Let's break down these crazy statistics that tell quite the story:

• Battlefield 2042 24-hour peak: 11,245 players (via SteamDB)

• Battlefield 6 open beta pre-load peak: 9,463 players

• That's only a difference of: 1,782 players!

At the time this article was written, the numbers were even more telling - 4,145 players in the Battlefield 6 beta (again, NOT playable) versus 6,801 in Battlefield 2042 (a fully functional game). The community is basically voting with their downloads, and the results are... awkward for EA.

Why This Community Rebellion Matters

Battlefield 2042 had a rough ride, to put it mildly. It briefly held the title of worst-reviewed game EVER on Steam, and the player count has been... let's just say it's seen better days. The community has been desperate for a proper Battlefield experience, and they're putting all their hopes into Battlefield 6.

What players are probably doing in that non-playable beta:

• 🔧 Tweaking every single graphical setting to perfection

• 🎧 Vibing to that sweet menu background music

• 🤔 Staring at the screen imagining what could be

• 🙏 Praying this isn't another Battlefield 2042 situation

The Smart Strategy Behind the Menu Camping

These players aren't just being dramatic - there's actually some big brain thinking going on here. With the open beta officially launching on August 9, everyone knows what's coming:

🚨 Expected Launch Day Chaos:

• Server crashes (it's tradition at this point)

• Hour-long queues to get in

• Endless "connecting to EA servers" messages

• The inevitable day-one hotfix that breaks everything

By pre-loading early and getting all their settings sorted beforehand, players are basically doing the digital equivalent of stretching before a marathon. They want to hit the ground running when those servers finally go live, not waste precious beta time fiddling with graphics options.

What This Means for Battlefield's Future

EA and DICE are watching these numbers closely, and they should be. The community is basically saying: "We still believe in you, but you better not mess this up." The pressure is absolutely on for Battlefield 6 to deliver where its predecessor failed.

The community's wishlist probably looks something like:

• ✅ Stable servers (please, for the love of gaming)

• ✅ Classic Battlefield gameplay mechanics

• ✅ Proper destruction physics

• ✅ Actually functional squad systems

• ❌ No more... whatever Battlefield 2042 was trying to do

This weekend's open beta isn't just a test - it's a redemption arc in the making. Thousands of players sitting in menus, waiting, hoping... The silence before the storm, you could say. Will Battlefield 6 live up to the hype? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure - the community is ready to forgive, but they won't forget.