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

Steam, the premier digital gaming platform for PC enthusiasts, has shattered its own concurrent user record, reaching an unprecedented 40 million players simultaneously. This remarkable milestone was achieved over a weekend that coincided with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025. The platform logged an astonishing 40,270,997 players at once, surpassing its prior peak of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

According to SteamDB, Steam's concurrent user record, often used as a benchmark for the success of Valve's digital ecosystem, has seen continuous growth. Since May 2024, the record has been broken nearly every month, escalating from 35.5 million to 40.2 million users within just over six months. This figure encompasses not only active gamers but also includes idle users who have Steam running in the background. Additionally, the number of users actively engaged in games has also reached a new high, rising from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Steam experienced significant surges in player peaks throughout 2024, breaking its record twice in March and again in July. The latest peak is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which itself saw a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million concurrent players. Other popular titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, Dota 2, and Marvel Rivals also contributed to the high user counts, with 24-hour peaks of 1.7 million, 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 performance optimization guidance for PC users. In response to community feedback, Capcom has also teased the upcoming Title Update 1 for Monster Hunter Wilds, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, resources are available to enhance your experience. Check out guides on lesser-known game mechanics, a comprehensive breakdown of all 14 weapon types, and an ongoing walkthrough. Additionally, there's a multiplayer guide detailing how to enjoy the game with friends, and instructions for transferring your character from the open beta.

IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, praising the game for refining the series' mechanics and delivering engaging combat, though noting a lack of significant challenge.