Steam Hits 40 Million Players: Monster Hunter Wilds Boosts Record

Steam, the go-to digital game distributor for PC gamers, has shattered its own concurrent user record, reaching an unprecedented peak of over 40 million players. This milestone was achieved over a weekend that coincided with the highly anticipated launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28. According to SteamDB, the platform saw 40,270,997 simultaneous users, surpassing the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

Steam's concurrent user record, often seen as a barometer of Valve's digital platform's success, has been broken almost monthly since May 2024. The number of concurrent users has surged from 35.5 million to 40.2 million in just over six months. While this figure includes idle players—those with Steam open but not actively using it—the number of users engaged in games has also set a new high, increasing from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Throughout 2024, Steam experienced significant player peaks, breaking its record twice in March and again in July. The recent peak is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which alone saw a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million concurrent users. Other titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, Dota 2, and Marvel Rivals also contributed to this surge, with impressive 24-hour peaks of 1.7 million, 819,541, 657,780, and 268,283 users, respectively.

Despite its popularity, Monster Hunter Wilds has received a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has unveiled early 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. Check out guides on what the game doesn't tell you, a comprehensive overview of all 14 weapon types, and an ongoing walkthrough. There's also a multiplayer guide to help you play with friends, and instructions on how to transfer your character from the open beta to the full game.

IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, stating, "Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge."