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Popular Games
Images: Smilegate RPG, Pocketpair, KRAFTON, Inc.

Top 25 most played Steam games of all time, ranked by concurrent users

Some of the best Steam has to offer.

Steam is one of if not the most popular platform for PC gamers. This allows us to check what could be some of the most popular games of all time by checking concurrent player counts for Steam games. I know I’m super curious, so let’s get started.

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I will be using the highest peak of concurrent users to define this ranking. This is the highest number of players that were playing at the same time. This allows us to see how much of the world was playing the game at the highest point, and it suggests how popular the game was around that peak.

25. Grand Theft Auto V

Acid Lab GTA Online
Image: Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto V had an all-time peak of 364,548 concurrent players.

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most popular online games across the board. But that isn’t due to GTA V itself, but GTA Online players can access through this game. Thanks to regular updates and the illicit fantasies that players can enact, GTA V remains firmly in the public eye.

24. World of Warships

World Of Warships
Image: Wargaming Group Limited

World of Warships had an all-time peak of 411,338 concurrent players.

Despite being rather niche, as a historical naval combat game, World of Warships has managed to remain relevant and popular thanks to the community that’s really taken a shine to the game. Clips and memes of World of Warships even leak into the wider internet community at times, keeping this game relevant.

23. Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Featured Image
Image: Arrowhead Games

Helldivers 2 had an all-time peak of 411,359 concurrent players.

Helldivers 2 was only released recently, and the developers have had to limit the amount of people that can play at one time. Helldivers 2 will certainly soar much higher on this list soon, but it’s amazing that it’s even managed to get this far.

22. Postal

Postal
Image: Running With Scissors

Postal had an all-time peak of 412,063 concurrent players.

Postal is an old game, released in 1997, but one that spurred a whole franchise. Incredibly popular, this isometric shooter paved the way for many others, and it’s currently free now on Steam for players to try.

21. Sons of the Forest

All Sons Of The Forest 1.0 Full Launch Changes And Updates
Image: Endnight Games

Sons of the Forest had an all-time peak of 414,257 concurrent players.

Sons of the Forest was a highly anticipated sequel to Forest, the horror survival adventure game that gripped online streaming platforms. Although Sons of the Forest was only released in early access, it took players by storm.

Related: 30 Best Games on Steam of all time

20. Among Us

Among Us Emergency Meeting
Image: Innersloth

Among Us had an all-time peak of 447,476 concurrent players.

Had you expected anything differently? Honestly, if I had to guess I’d probably place it higher on this list. However, it’s worth noting that the vast majority of Among Us players used mobile devices. This is the concurrent players for Steam users, which will be much smaller than the total number for Among Us.

19. Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium

Capcom Arcade 2
Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium had an all-time peak of 463,928 concurrent players.

It’s unusual for both the original and sequel titles of a game series to be this popular, but here we have it. With even more Capcom classics, this sequel allows you to play even more retro arcade games. No wonder this one blew up, too.

18. Life is Strange 2

Life Is Strange 2
Image: DONTNOD Entertainment, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)

Life is Strange 2 had an all-time peak of 468,717 concurrent players.

Despite there being no multiplayer functionality and being a solo story game, the fact that Life is Strange 2 managed to amass so many concurrent players is telling of its quality as a game. It has taken hundreds of thousands of people on a very emotional journey.

17. Fallout 4

Fallout 4
Image: Bethesda

Fallout 4 had an all-time peak of 472,962 concurrent players.

It’s no surprise that Fallout 4, the massively popular Bethesda entry in the Fallout series, is on this list. Although it may not have benefitted from constant updates, the richness of the RPG itself attracted so many players.

16. Capcom Arcade Stadium

Capcom Arcade
Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Capcom Arcade Stadium had an all-time peak of 488,791 concurrent players.

Naturally, a service allowing you to play dozens of old-school Capcom arcade games on your PC for incredibly low prices couldn’t not be a bit of a hit. If you ever get a craving for old arcade games, then there isn’t a much better way to play them than with Capcom Arcade Stadium.

15. Terraria

Terraria Bosses Art Large Battle
Screenshot: Re-Logic

Terraria had an all-time peak of 489,886 concurrent players.

Terraria is massively popular through the sheer dedication of its developers. With content updates that put Minecraft to shame, Terraria has cemented itself as a modern classic — almost as soon as it came out. You’ll scarcely find someone who doesn’t know about this game.

14. Call of Duty

Call Of Duty Warzone Covert Exfils
Image: Activision

Call of Duty had an all-time peak of 491,670 concurrent players.

Call of Duty is pretty much a household name at this point. This franchise has branched over many storylines and many entries. This game, however, stretches only over Warzone and their two most recent Modern Warfare titles, all of which took the internet by storm.

13. Valheim

Valheim Player Facing Monster
Image: Iron Gate AB

Valheim had an all-time peak of 502,387 concurrent players.

Valheim is a procedurally generated exploration and survival game set in a purgatory inspired by Viking culture. Despite being Early Access, the premise and features of Valheim piqued the interest of — apparently — over half a million players.

12. Apex Legends

Apex Legends
Image: Respawn Entertainment

Apex Legends had an all-time peak of 624,473 concurrent players.

Say what you will about the huge online competitive shooter game, Apex Legends enthralled many being an alternative to Fortnite Battle Royale. Being free-to-play allowed everyone to give it a try, and many enjoyed it enough to stay.

11. Goose Goose Duck

Goose Goose Duck Exp Guide
Screenshot: PC Invasion

Goose Goose Duck had an all-time peak of 702,845 concurrent players.

Goose Goose Duck is a free-to-play social deduction game (de-duck-tion, more like). Providing an interesting alternative to Among Us with a huge range of roles for players to utilize, Goose Goose Duck certainly caught the attention of a lot of players.

10. Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldurs Gate 3 Artwork
Artwork by Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 had an all-time peak of 875,343 concurrent players.

Baldur’s Gate 3 requires zero introduction. This massive Dungeons and Dragons-inspired RPG where you pave your story attracted many players. Even those not partial to Dungeons and Dragons enjoyed Baldur’s Gate 3 thanks to how attractive and accessible it made the systems. No wonder so many flocked to it.

Related: How to speed up Steam downloads

9. Hogwarts Legacy

What Is The Best Platform To Play Hogwarts Legacy On
Image via EMP

Hogwarts Legacy had an all-time peak of 879,308 concurrent players.

Despite its controversial nature, Hogwarts Legacy still managed a top 10 spot on the Steam charts for peak concurrent players. The allure of living their own Hogwarts fantasy is all the Wizarding community has wanted for a very long time.

8. New World

Steam New World
Image via Amazon Games

New World had an all-time peak of 913,634 concurrent players.

New World is a grand MMO that understandably caught the attention of a lot of gamers. It’s no wonder, either, considering the huge adventure it promises you. It still retains a good player base to this day despite the game being a few years old now.

7. Elden Ring

Elden Ring
Image: FromSoftware Inc.

Elden Ring had an all-time peak of 953,426 concurrent players.

As the first proper open-world Soulslike game, Elden Ring was extremely well received and introduced many new players to the Soulslike genre that FromSoftware created. Incredibly rich and incredibly deep, it took the streaming sites by storm.

6. Cyberpunk 2077

Top 50 Best Animated Wallapapers Cyberpunk2077
Screenshot: Uncle_BES

Cyberpunk 2077 had an all-time peak of 1,054,388 concurrent players.

The extremely dodgy and buggy release of Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t seem to stop players from flocking to the game. Since then, the game has improved incredibly, with its 2.0 update and release of its DLC, Phantom Liberty.

5. Dota 2

Steam Games Dota 2
Image: Valve

Dota 2 had an all-time peak of 1,295,114 concurrent players.

This free-to-play MOBA game provided an amazing experience for millions of players, and it seems many were willing to give this game a go for the sweet price tag of zero. Receiving regular updates also helps Dota 2 remain a very active game.

4. Lost Ark

The Best Free Pc Games Lost Ark
Screenshot: Smilegate RPG

Lost Ark had an all-time peak of 1,325,305 concurrent players.

Lost Ark is a free-to-play MMORPG that has layers exploring a vast world. The game oozes character and adventure, so it’s of little wonder that so many have wanted to give it a try and that so many people love it.

3. Counter-Strike 2

Cs2
Image: Valve

Counter-Strike 2 had an all-time peak of 1,818,773 concurrent players.

Counter-Strike 2 was the extremely anticipated sequel of CSGO. Despite some controversy from the developers, it remains one of the most concurrently active played games in all of Steam, with over a million players at any one time.

2. Palworld

Palworld Grizzbolt
Image: PC Invasion

Palworld had an all-time peak of 2,101,863 concurrent players.

Palworld really took the internet by storm. Alongside all of the controversy surrounding a potential Nintendo lawsuit, the game gained incredible traction and surpassed the expectations of indie developers by an incredible margin.

1. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

Steam Games Pubg Battlegrounds
Image: KRAFTON, Inc.

PUBG: Battlegrounds had an all-time peak of 3,257,248 concurrent players.

PUBG: Battlegrounds shook the internet and introduced gaming corporations to the battle royale gaming scene. Despite all of the other battle royale games out there now, PUBG: Battlegrounds still retains a large player base.

Now that you know all about the Steam games with the most concurrent players, why don’t you check out the best Steam Deck games?


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Author
Image of Aidan Lambourne
Aidan Lambourne
Aidan Lambourne is a contributing writer for PC Invasion, with almost a couple years of experience in the industry. He has written about Roblox extensively, although has keenly covered new releases and indie games. A passionate writer and gamer, he still can't really believe he gets to indulge in both for a career.