In what's probably the least surprising turn of events in gaming this month, Street Fighter 6 is the most concurrently played fighting game at launch on the PC, setting a new record and beating a lot of its contemporaries, specifically Mortal Kombat 11.

With an all-time peak of 66,317 players on Steam (and counting), Steet Fighter 6 blows away the previous record held by its predecessor, Street Fighter 5, by a huge margin. This achievement isn't just an internal victory for Capcom. The numbers of the new entry in the fighting game series also surpass Tekken 7 (18,966 players), Mortal Kombat X (15,743 players), and Mortal Kombat 11 (35,147 players).

Furthermore, Street Fighter 6 is more than holding its own against games from other genres, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (63,681 players), NBA 2K23 (59,006 players), and so much more.

It's quite evident that Capcom's redemption tour has succeeded.

Street Fighter 6 comes out years after Street Fighter V disappointed fans at launch. The initial reviews from critics and even the subsequent testimonies from gamers all claim that it's a vast improvement over its predecessor. Some are claiming that Street Fighter VI is right up there among the best fighting games ever, alongside Street Fighter II.

The "concurrent players" metric refers to the number of individuals engaged in a video game at a particular moment. The all-time peak is usually achieved around the game's release. Thus, we don't expect Street Fighter 6 to post higher numbers than it already has. Nevertheless, Street Fighter 6 has shown its strength and has set a new standard for the franchise going forward.

More importantly, the success of Street Fighter 6 isn't limited to just the player count. As previously mentioned, the latest Street Fighter game has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics as well as players alike.

From its solid online gaming experience, appealing base character roster, and a beginner-friendly combat system that isn't a disappointment to experts either, Street Fighter 6 has quickly won the hearts of casual audiences and hardcore fighting game fans. It also helps that it's a full, complete game from the outset. This marks a departure from the release strategy of many contemporary titles that often need ongoing updates and improvements.

As Street Fighter 6 continues its launch journey, the question on everyone's lips is whether it can maintain this momentum, especially with Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 both slated for release in just a few months.

For now, Capcom can celebrate. After all, the company has earned it: Street Fighter 6 is a knockout that has raised the bar for fighting games.