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

Steam, the leading digital game distributor for PC gamers, has shattered its own concurrent user record, surpassing 40 million players for the first time. This milestone was achieved over the weekend, coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on Friday, February 28th. Steam registered 40,270,997 simultaneous players, eclipsing its 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 broken nearly every month since May 2024. This impressive growth reflects a rise from 35.5 million to 40.2 million concurrent users in just over six months. While this figure includes idle players, the number of actively engaged players also reached a new high, jumping from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Steam experienced significant player peak 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 player peak of 1.38 million. Other titles also contributed to the overall surge, 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 Monster Hunter Wilds' impressive launch numbers, it currently holds a "mixed" user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Capcom has also announced early 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 aspects of the game, master all 14 weapon types, follow our detailed walkthrough, learn how to play with friends in our multiplayer guide, and find out how to transfer your beta character.

IGN awarded Monster Hunter Wilds an 8/10 in its review, stating: "Monster Hunter Wilds continues to refine the series' rough edges, resulting in incredibly fun battles, albeit lacking a significant challenge."