Steam Hits 40M Concurrent Users Playing Monster Hunter Wilds

Steam, the leading digital distribution platform for PC gamers, has shattered its concurrent user record, reaching an unprecedented 40 million players simultaneously. This milestone was achieved over a weekend that coincided with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, pushing Steam's user count to 40,270,997 players, surpassing the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

According to SteamDB, Steam has consistently broken its concurrent user records almost every month since May 2024, with the peak rising from 35.5 million to 40.2 million within just over six months. This figure includes idle players—those who have Steam running but may not be actively playing. Additionally, the number of users actively engaged in games has also set a new record, increasing from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

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

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

For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, resources are available to enhance your experience. Check out guides on what the game doesn't explicitly tell you, a comprehensive look at all 14 weapon types, a detailed walkthrough in progress, a multiplayer guide to play with friends, and instructions on transferring your character from the open beta.

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."