In what might be the most under-the-radar success story of Q1, the Battlefield Hardline Beta has racked up an astounding 5 million players since opening up on Feb. 3. The news came from Steve Papoutsis, executive producer of the next installment in the popular first-person-shooter series.
Wow, we’ve passed 5 MILLION players in the #BFHardline beta! So proud of our team. Glad you’re having fun and keep that feedback coming.
— Steve Papoutsis (@leveluptime) February 8, 2015
While initial spurts of popularity are expected, this is an unrivaled number when put up against other recent titles. Evolve, by comparison boasted more than 2 million total matches played between Jan. 15 and its close on Jan. 28. Even if every one of Hardline‘s players only played one game (a possible, but unlikely stat), the happy folks at Visceral Games would still have over doubled Evolve‘s numbers.
Also See: Battlefield Hardline Open Beta: Date Announced, New Trailer Released
Due to release March 17 for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4 and PS3, Battlefield: Hardline is looking like a sexy choice for most popular title of Q1. The other major already released competitor was Dying Light, which only garnered more than 1.2 million players even post-launch.
Whether Hardline can sustain this success long term is another story, but don’t be surprised if you hear the faint sound of champagne bottles popping from outside the offices of Visceral Games.
