Highlights
- Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red holds the record for the only single-player game on Steam to reach over a million players at one time, despite its flawed release.
- Dota 2 , a free-to-play MOBA by Valve, has an all-time peak of over 1.2 million players and remains popular due to regular updates and evolving gameplay.
- PUBG: Battlegrounds , the most-played game on Steam with over 3.2 million players, started the Battle Royale trend but has lost its status as the best game in the genre.
Few games have achieved such an impressive feat on Steam as reaching an all-time peak of over one million players. Steam Charts allows players and curious onlookers to see the player count on any given game on the Steam platform, whether that is those currently playing the game, the 24-hour peak period, or, the all-time peak, meaning how many players have been active in the game at the same time.
With the release of games like Baldur’s Gate 3, the Steam Charts are once again rising, and it seems like an inevitability that yet another video game title will be added to the most played games on Steam of all time. Yet, as it remains, there are only a handful of titles that have the honor of having an all-time peak of over a million players.
5 Cyberpunk 2077
At over 1,050,000 players, Cyberpunk 2077 makes the list of games on Steam that had over one million players at one single time. Despite the bugs and flawed release of Cyberpunk 2077, no one can deny the ambition of the game by CD Projekt Red, and how the game has since bounced back to excel at becoming one of the greatest RPGs and open-world experiences for a single-player of all time.
Cyberpunk 2077 currently holds the record as the only single-player game on Steam to reach over a million players, even if many other games were close to that number, they were not Cyberpunk 2077. The game itself follows a Night City merc, V, who is trying to make a name for themselves. However, when things go awry, they find themselves in a race against a terminal illness, whilst the dead rocker boy terrorist Johnny Silverhand rambles in their head, whether as a friend or foe.
4 Dota 2
Valve’s very own Dota 2 makes the list, with an all-time peak of over 1,290,000 players at one time. Dota 2 has been popular for years, and it still sees a heavy influx of players on its current peak. No one is forgetting this Valve game anytime soon, and players can enjoy the free-to-play MOBA on the Steam platform, joining the battle alone or with friends, whether it’s their first hour or thousandth.
In Dota 2, players can enter the fight with over a hundred heroes to choose from. Players are constantly coming back to the game thanks to the regular updates and the evolution of gameplay that sees players keep on their toes to garner a competitive edge against the rest in this competitive PvP-based strategy game, where possibilities are near endless in an ever-evolving battlefield.
3 Lost Ark
Amazon Games published this free-to-play RPG created by Smilegate RPG. Lost Ark once had an all-time peak of 1,320,000 players worldwide, and it was only released in 2023. Although player numbers are currently underwhelming for Lost Ark, the title was ambitious and exciting to new players, especially considering it was rather welcoming as a free-to-play title with seemingly endless content.
Within Lost Ark, players could enjoy the MMORPG alone or with friends, in which they would explore a world of vibrant fantasy, filled with thrilling action, intense enemy units, and beautiful lands. Treasure was the constant goal of Lost Ark players, and it seems the developers got theirs with their record-breaking all-time peak. However, recent reviews for the game seem mixed, and a world brimming with potential adventures seems to dwindle.
2 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
One of Valve’s most popular titles may not be the illustrious and ever-seeking Half-Life 3, but instead, a team-based action shooter. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is well over a decade old at this point, but its legacy as one of the best competitive FPS games of all time remains strong, as it has an all-time peak of over 1,810,000 players, very much nearing the 2,000,000 mark. Even to this day, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can reach 24-hour peaks of well over a million players, which is the only game on the Steam Charts to hold a feat as impressive as that.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remains highly entertaining and competitive, with many Esports dedicated to the team-based gameplay and variety of loadouts available in the tactical warfare of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. There’s even a dedicated market for weapon crates and knives in particular, which seems to have its own sub-community. However, the truly deserving praise of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive comes from its new and expertly designed maps, weapons, and modes.
1 PUBG: Battlegrounds
PUBG: Battlegrounds holds the title of the most-played game on Steam, ever. With over 3,250,000 players, PUBG: Battlegrounds almost doubles the users that have played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. However, the overall mixed reviews of the game and the usual consistent 24-hour peak of 350,000 players show that although the game still has a vocal and popular player base, it’s time in the Sun as the best Battle Royale game is behind it.
PUBG: Battlegrounds started as one of the original Battle Royale experiences, and was beloved for its risks as a survival shooter that was fully multiplayer. PUBG: Battlegrounds had multiple locations, weapons, and supplies to try and create the best chance of getting that chicken dinner victory, even if some players could comedically win with nothing more than a frying pan. The joys many found from PUBG: Battlegrounds have carried on through other Battle Royale games, but PUBG: Battlegrounds will always hold the title of the most-played game on Steam at one point, and the essential godfather of Battle Royale.