Over the weekend, Steam set a new record for concurrent users, with a stunning 27,942,036 users logged in at the same time. According to SteamDB, between 7 and 8 million users were playing various games during that window, with the top five being Counter-Strike, Dota 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, and GTA V. The rest of the users at the time were likely browsing the site. It’s unclear exactly why so many users flocked to Steam yesterday, but it’s an incredible number, and it says quite a bit about the strength of Steam as a platform for gaming!
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the holiday weekend might have had something to do with Steam’s uptick in interest. A lot of users might have been trying to squeeze in those last precious moments of gaming before heading back to the office or school on Monday morning. That likely played some factor, but there’s also the fact that the winter months leave a lot of people with fewer entertainment options, and there’s a lot less competition from other activities. It just goes to show how gaming can help so many people find enjoyable ways to pass the time!
As 2022 continues on, it will be interesting to see when (or if) Steam can manage to top yesterday’s number. It’s possible that some of the year’s bigger releases could result in a new concurrent record being set; perhaps major PC releases like Elden Ring or Starfield might help drive that number even higher! As Kotaku points out, however, the top played games yesterday had all been available on Steam for quite some time. The newest game in the top five was Apex Legends, which released in 2019. Clearly, new releases aren’t the only determining factor when it comes to concurrent user numbers! For now, those interested will just have to wait and see what the future brings.
Did you spend any time playing games on Steam over the weekend? Are you surprised the service set a new record for concurrent users? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
[H/T: Kotaku]
