Steam, the leading digital game platform for PC gamers, has achieved a new milestone, surpassing 40 million concurrent users for the first time.
This record-breaking number, reaching 40,270,997 simultaneous players, was achieved over a weekend coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28th. This surpasses the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.
SteamDB data indicates a consistent upward trend in concurrent users since May 2024, climbing from 35.5 million to over 40.2 million in just over six months. While this includes inactive users, the number of actively engaged players also reached a new high, increasing from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.
Steam experienced significant user growth throughout 2024, breaking its concurrent user record multiple times in March and July. The recent surge is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which saw a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million concurrent players. Other popular titles also saw impressive 24-hour peaks: Counter-Strike 2 (1.7 million), PUBG (819,541), Dota 2 (657,780), and Marvel Rivals (268,283).
Despite its popularity, Monster Hunter Wilds received mixed user reviews on Steam, prompting Capcom to address PC performance issues and announce details for Title Update 1, which will include an endgame social hub.
For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, IGN offers various resources, including guides on lesser-known game mechanics, weapon types, a walkthrough, a multiplayer guide, and instructions for transferring beta characters.
IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, praising its improved gameplay but noting a lack of significant challenge.
