Steam is setting a new record for concurrent players just over a month after it reached a new all-time high of 30 million. The latest record saw more than 31 million concurrent users on Steam, another big achievement for Valve this year (courtesy of DSOG).
Besides Steam’s popularity among PC gamers, there are a number of reasons that contribute to this new record, including the recent launch of Warzone 2.0 as well as the Steam Autumn Sale currently underway that coincides with Black Friday.
As you may already know, concurrent players on Steam also count those who browse store pages, check out games, and buy stuff. In terms of the fact that the sale is currently going on, it’s clear that more people are browsing Steam discounts and games than on a normal day, which means we can probably relate this new all-time high to sales. However, there is a second reason, and that is the fact that more people are buying games that are on sale now, which means that more people are playing.
The growing popularity of Steam, especially after the spread of COVID-19 in the world, has made this platform the first choice for many PC gamers. Some publishers like Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Activision who used to publish their titles exclusively on their own launchers have decided to return to Steam recently as the platform has proven to be one of the best launchers in PC gaming.
Even companies like Ubisoft that considered leaving Steam a few years ago to release their PC titles on the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect will soon return to Steam again. This will certainly make it more difficult for competitors like the Epic Games Store in the future, though some major publishers like Gearbox and Deep Silver still prefer exclusive launches on the Epic Games Store.
Otherwise, Steam is currently the first choice for many new publishers around the world, including PlayStation, which has already launched some of the most popular PC titles in recent years on Steam like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered.
With the holiday season just around the corner, Steam may be able to set a new concurrent player record again in 2022.
[ad_2]
