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

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 observed over the weekend, coinciding with the Friday, February 28th launch of Monster Hunter Wilds. It surpasses 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 seen almost monthly increases 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 player growth throughout 2024, breaking its record multiple times in March and July. The latest surge is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which saw a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million concurrent players. Other 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 currently holds a "mixed" user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to address PC performance issues and announce details for Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

To enhance your Monster Hunter Wilds experience, explore resources such as guides on lesser-known game mechanics, weapon type breakdowns, a comprehensive 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.