Steam Hits 40M Concurrent Users Playing Monster Hunter Wilds

Steam, the leading digital game distributor for PC gamers, has shattered its concurrent user record, reaching an unprecedented 40 million players simultaneously. This milestone was achieved over the weekend, aligning perfectly with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025. The platform logged an impressive 40,270,997 players at once, surpassing its previous high of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

Steam's concurrent user record, often seen as a barometer for the success of Valve's digital platform, has been broken nearly every month since May 2024. The concurrent peak has climbed from 35.5 million to 40.2 million users within just over six months. While this figure includes idle players—those with Steam running but not actively using it—the number of users engaged in gameplay has also reached a new peak, rising from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Throughout 2024, Steam experienced surges in player peaks, breaking its record twice in March and again in July. The latest peak can largely be attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which 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 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 received a 'mixed' review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance on PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has teased early details about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub.

For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, resources are available to enhance your experience. Check out insights on what the game doesn't tell you, a comprehensive guide to all 14 weapon types, an ongoing walkthrough, and a multiplayer guide to enjoy the game with friends. If you participated in one of the open betas, there's also a guide on transferring your beta character 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."