Steam, the premier digital platform for PC gaming, has shattered its concurrent user record yet again, surpassing 40 million players for the first time. This milestone was reached over the weekend, coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025. Steam logged an astonishing 40,270,997 simultaneous users, eclipsing the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.
According to SteamDB, Steam's concurrent user record, often viewed as a barometer of Valve's platform success, has been broken nearly every month since May 2024. The concurrent peak has escalated from 35.5 million to 40.2 million users in just over six months. This impressive growth includes idle players—those with Steam open but not actively engaged—yet the number of users actually playing games also hit a new high, rising from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.
Steam experienced significant player peaks throughout 2024, breaking its record twice in March and then again in July. The recent surge is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which achieved a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million players. Other games also saw substantial peaks, with Counter-Strike 2 reaching 1.7 million users, and PUBG, Dota 2, and Marvel Rivals registering 24-hour peaks of 819,541, 657,780, and 268,283 players, respectively.
Despite its popularity, Monster Hunter Wilds has received a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance on PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has shared preliminary details about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.
For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, there are numerous resources available. From guides on what the game doesn't tell you to a comprehensive overview of all 14 weapon types, as well as an ongoing walkthrough and a multiplayer guide to help you play with friends, you'll find everything you need to get started. If you participated in the open betas, there's also information on how to transfer your beta character into the full game.
IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, praising the game for refining the series' mechanics and delivering enjoyable combat experiences, though it noted a lack of significant challenge.
