Recent events have shown that Steam continues to advance its position in the gaming industry, achieving remarkable online engagement among PC players.
On September 22, 2024, the platform recorded an astounding 38,366,479 simultaneous users, surpassing its previous record by over a million. This impressive milestone was part of a larger trend, following last month's successful launch of the popular title Black Myth: Wukong.
Several key titles contributed to this surge, with familiar favorites such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG leading the way. Additionally, newer releases like Black Myth: Wukong, Satisfactory 1.0, and Space Marine 2, as well as Valve’s own Deadlock, attracted numerous players over the weekend. The recent availability of PlayStation exclusives like God of War: Ragnarok and Final Fantasy XVI on Steam has also likely provided a helpful boost.
The growing popularity of Steam reflects Valve’s increasing dominance in the PC gaming market. While rivals including the Epic Games Store and GOG have made their presence known, they still hold a limited share of the overall market. Despite challenges faced by the industry, Steam's success appears resilient, particularly with the launch of the Steam Deck, which adds another dimension to its offerings.
The pressing question is whether Steam will reach the milestone of 40 million concurrent players. With the highly awaited launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 next month, many believe this target is within reach.