No more than six months after peaking at 36 million concurrent users earlier this year, Steam has reached an unprecedented number with over 37 million players logged into the juggernaut of PC gaming platforms at the same time.
The exact figure, a jaw-dropping 37.26 million concurrent users, represents a huge leap from the previous record set in March 2024.
Several factors play into the role of this surge in player numbers, but a huge part of the reason is the success of Black Myth: Wukong.
The unexpected rise of Black Myth: Wukong, a Chinese-developed action RPG, is an event nobody really expected. It’s now the second-most-played video game on Steam of all time, with over 2 million enjoying it simultaneously.
While reports suggest that 90% of the game’s sales originate from China, its appeal isn’t limited to one country. It’s topping the sales charts worldwide, proving that Chinese developers are all but ready to take advantage of the global market and vice versa.
Another unexpected entry in Steam’s top charts is a game called Banana. This free-to-play clicker game, where players literally click on a banana, boasts “Very Positive” reviews. The simplicity and addictive nature of Banana have propelled it to be the fourth most-played game on the platform, moving it past established titles such as PUBG: Battlegrounds and Grand Theft Auto V.
Valve, the company behind Steam, isn’t resting easy either. Deadlock, currently in closed beta, has already made its way to the top of the list as it closes in on a peak player count of 100,000 despite its invite-only nature. This early success bodes well for Valve, potentially signaling another multiplayer hit in the making, joining the ranks of Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2.
With Black Myth: Wukong playing such a crucial factor in the newest Steam player record, it’s only fair to wonder if the growing number of Chinese games in the next few years will have a similar impact on the digital games distribution platform.
With the Chinese gaming market becoming increasingly accessible and more high-quality titles emerging from the region, Steam could very well reach the 50 million concurrent player milestone next year if not earlier.
Black Myth: Wukong could mark the beginning of the dominance of titles from East Asia on Steam, with more Chinese-developed games, including those from the PlayStation’s CHINA HERO PROJECT.
As Steam continues to expand its reach and influence, competitors like Epic Games Store and GOG find themselves struggling to keep pace. Despite offering exclusive titles and free games, these platforms have yet to come close to Steam’s numbers. Epic Games, for instance, reported a peak of nearly 13 million concurrent users last year, a figure that Steam has now almost tripled.
Steam’s ability to foster a sense of community, provide a user-friendly interface, and offer a vast library of games continues to attract both developers and players alike.
With a new record secured, Steam’s position as the go-to platform for PC gamers worldwide remains untouched.
Between incoming PlayStation ports of another massive hit like Stellar Blade and several more titles from the rest of the world, all eyes are on Steam as it continues its upward trajectory.
