Just seven months after hitting a new peak, Valve's PC gaming platform has done it again. Steam has set a new record for concurrent users, with over 41 million players logged in at the same time this past Sunday, October 12th.
According to SteamDB, while some might be quick to attribute the new record to the ongoing Steam Next Fest, that event didn't kick off until the following day (although some demos were available before its official start). Instead, the massive influx of players can be credited mainly to the hugely successful launch of EA's Battlefield 6, which has clearly brought a massive number of gamers to the platform (peaking at around 650K CCU on Sunday).
Of course, Battlefield 6 didn't achieve this milestone on its own. While the new shooter was a major contributor, sitting comfortably in the top four most-played games, it was the combination of this huge new release with Steam's evergreen titans that pushed the platform over the top. As always, Valve's own titles were a dominant force, with Counter-Strike 2 leading the charge with a peak of over 1.5 million players, followed by DOTA 2 and the ever-popular PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the top charts, however, is the performance of the new Delta Force. Despite a mixed reception from critics and players on Steam, the game has defied expectations, landing in the top five most-played games over the weekend. The rest of the charts were filled with the usual popular titles, including Apex Legends, Rust, and Grand Theft Auto V, as well as the usual non-game mainstays like Wallpaper Engine and the meme-game Banana.
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KitGuru says: This new record is a clear indicator of the incredible health of the PC gaming ecosystem, with massive new launches and long-standing favourites combining to push the platform to greater heights.