Steam Hits 40M Concurrent Users Playing Monster Hunter Wilds

Steam, the leading digital game distributor for PC enthusiasts, has shattered its concurrent user record once again, surpassing 40 million players for the very first time. This milestone was reached over a weekend that coincided with the much-anticipated launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025. During this period, Steam registered an impressive 40,270,997 simultaneous users, eclipsing its previous record of 39.9 million set just a month earlier in February 2025.

Data from SteamDB highlights that Steam's concurrent user record, often seen as a barometer for the success of Valve's platform, has been consistently broken on a nearly monthly basis since May 2024. Over the span of just six months, the concurrent peak has soared from 35.5 million to the current 40.2 million users.

It's worth noting that this figure encompasses idle players—those with Steam running but not actively engaged in gameplay. However, the number of users actively playing games has also set a new record, rising from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Steam experienced significant surges in player peaks throughout 2024, with records being broken twice in March and again in July. The latest peak is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which alone achieved a 24-hour concurrent user peak of 1.38 million. Other titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, Dota 2, and Marvel Rivals also contributed significantly, with 24-hour peaks of 1.7 million, 819,541, 657,780, and 268,283 users, respectively.

Despite its popularity, Monster Hunter Wilds has garnered a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has teased early details of Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.

For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, it's beneficial to explore what the game doesn't explicitly mention, along with a comprehensive guide to all 14 weapon types available. IGN's ongoing walkthrough, multiplayer guide, and instructions on transferring your beta character can further enhance your experience.

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