Steam Tops 40 Million Concurrent Players For First Time As We All Jump On to Play Monster Hunter Wilds

Steam, the leading digital game distributor for PC gamers, has shattered its concurrent user record yet again, surpassing 40 million players for the first time. This milestone was achieved over the weekend, coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on Friday, February 28th. Steam registered a staggering 40,270,997 simultaneous players, eclipsing the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

According to SteamDB, Steam's concurrent user count—a key indicator of the platform's success—has been steadily climbing, breaking records nearly every month since May 2024. This impressive growth reflects a rise from 35.5 million to 40.2 million concurrent users in just over six months. While this figure includes idle users, the number of actively engaged players also reached a new high, jumping from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Steam experienced significant player peak increases throughout 2024, breaking its record twice in March and again in July. The latest record is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which saw a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 1.38 million. Other popular titles also contributed to the surge, with Counter-Strike 2 reaching 1.7 million concurrent players, PUBG at 819,541, Dota 2 at 657,780, and Marvel Rivals at 268,283.

Despite Monster Hunter Wilds' impressive player numbers, its Steam reviews are currently "mixed," prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Capcom has also announced early details for Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

To enhance your Monster Hunter Wilds experience, explore our resources: a guide highlighting what the game doesn't explicitly explain, a comprehensive guide to all 14 weapon types, a detailed walkthrough (in progress), a multiplayer guide, and instructions on transferring your beta character.

IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded the game an 8/10, stating: "Monster Hunter Wilds continues to refine the series' rough edges, resulting in incredibly fun battles, albeit lacking in significant challenge."