EA’s Stock Gains On Battlefield 6 Beta, Analyst Bullish Despite Technical Challenges

Electronic Arts' stock (NASDAQ:EA) is trading down 3% today, as the open beta launch of its highly anticipated title, Battlefield 6, showed initial enthusiasm and strong player engagement, tempered by subsequent technical issues.

The first weekend of the Battlefield 6 open beta, commencing August 7, witnessed remarkable player participation, exceeding 5 million individuals. This surge in engagement propelled EA's stock up to new highs last week of $180.90.

Oppenheimer analysts, encouraged by the game's polished design and robust initial technical performance, reaffirmed their “Outperform” rating and $185 price target for Electronic Arts shares. The substantial player count signaled a potentially strong launch for the title, boosting market confidence.

However, the beta phase was not without its challenges. Players encountered a “Super Bullet” bug, characterized by abnormally fast time-to-kill scenarios, raising concerns about the game's combat balance. EA acknowledged the issue and committed to resolving it before the official release. Furthermore, the second beta weekend, starting August 14, was marred by the absence of DLSS and DLAA features on PC and matchmaking difficulties. These technical setbacks, particularly negative feedback regarding the “Rush” game mode, prompted some apprehension amongst players and observers.

Despite these challenges, Oppenheimer maintains its positive outlook, asserting that these issues are unlikely to significantly detract from the overall positive reception of the game. The firm's continued “Outperform” rating and $185 price target suggest confidence in EA's ability to address these technical concerns and deliver a successful final product.