Steam Hits 40M Concurrent Players: Monster Hunter Rise Drives Record

Steam, the leading digital game distributor for PC gamers, has shattered its concurrent user record, surpassing 40 million players for the first time. This milestone was achieved over a weekend coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on Friday, February 28th, reaching a peak of 40,270,997 simultaneous players. This 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 been steadily climbing, breaking records almost monthly since May 2024. In just over six months, the peak has risen from 35.5 million to over 40.2 million. This growth isn't solely driven by idle users; the number of actively playing users also hit a new high, jumping from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Steam witnessed significant player surges throughout 2024, breaking its record twice in March and again in July. The recent peak is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which saw a 24-hour concurrent peak of 1.38 million players. Other titles also contributed to the overall increase, 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 this success, Monster Hunter Wilds currently holds a "Mixed" user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Capcom has also announced 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: discover hidden tips in "What Monster Hunter Wilds Doesn't Tell You," master all 14 weapon types with our comprehensive guide, follow our detailed walkthrough, learn how to play with friends in our multiplayer guide, and find out how to transfer your beta character.

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