Steam shattered its previous record for the most concurrent players online, reaching 38,366,479 users on Sept. 22, 2024.

Driving Factors Behind The Surge

This latest surge in player activity can be attributed to several key titles. Long-standing favorites like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG, and the quirky Banana remain fixtures in the top 10 most-played games on Steam, IGN reported.

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Additionally, the recent launch of Black Myth: Wukong — a critically acclaimed title — played a pivotal role in attracting players.

The game's release last month alone contributed significantly to the platform’s rising numbers, with its blend of action and storytelling resonating strongly with the gaming community.

Further boosting player counts were the recent Steam debuts of popular PlayStation exclusives, God of War Ragnarok and Final Fantasy 16.

The Future: Aiming for 40 Million

With Steam’s current trajectory, hitting the 40 million concurrent players mark seems increasingly likely.

Upcoming releases, particularly Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, set to launch next month, may serve as a catalyst for reaching this ambitious milestone.

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Photo: Rokas Tenys on Shutterstock.