Valve’s digital distribution service Steam has continued a pattern of breaking its own records, passing 28 million concurrent users on January 9.
As reported by analyst Daniel Ahmad (tweet below), the Steam community recently helped set another record for the PC service as over 28 million players flocked to the platform. The exact number, which stands at 28,230,661, is the first time in history that Steam has reached over 28 million concurrent players – after narrowly missing out earlier this month.
Steam hit 28 million concurrent users today.
Concurrent users saw strong growth during 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19, but it’s clear that growth also continued to persist in 2021.
Peaks reached each Jan:
Jan 2019: 17.6m
Jan 2020: 18.3m
Jan 2021: 25.4m
Jan 2022: 28.2m https://t.co/iBRLqLGqAw— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) January 9, 2022
Since the beginning of the global pandemic, Steam has seen a consistently growing fanbase. In March 2020, the platform celebrated a landmark milestone as over 20 million different players were seen to be using the service.
You might have expected the mass lockdowns of 2020 to make that the peak, but those numbers have only continued to grow, breaking the record multiple times. In February of last year, IGN reported that the service had seen over 26.4 million players, while further records were later set over Thanksgiving weekend, when over 27.3 million players were playing at one time.
Steam’s most recent record-breaking success story has drawn upon a mix of classic titles and heavy-hitting newcomers. As has been the case for some time, Valve’s very own Counter-Strike: Global Offensive still proves to be an incredibly popular choice for players logging into the platform, while more contemporary releases such as the likes of Football Manager 2022, Apex Legends, and Amazon’s New World have also played their part.
Looking forward, Valve will almost certainly be hoping that the upward trend continues. While its classic titles continue to provide a solid foundation for its fanbase, the company may look toward the release of its upcoming handheld, the Steam Deck, to draw in further players. Originally planned for release in 2021, the portable PC was delayed until February 2022. While news of the handheld’s initial delay may have been disappointing at the time, fans will be glad to know that the company recently said that it’s still on track to meet the new deadline.
For more on Steam, make sure to check out this article detailing the platform’s best-selling and most played games of 2021.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
