Steam hits new record, exceeds 42 million concurrent users

Steam has reached a new concurrent user peak of over 42 million, with over 13 million users in-game

The Steam user base continues to grow, with concurrent users reaching a new peak of over 42 million. Of these users, over 13 million were in-game. Steam’s previous record was 41.6 million, which was achieved in October 2025.

Over the past five years, Steam has seen its userbase grow significantly. In January 2021, Steam’s concurrent player record was 25.4 million. Today it’s over 65% higher than that. That’s a sign the PC market is growing, and Valve is one of its largest beneficiaries. Despite competition from the Epic Games Store, Steam remains PC’s dominant gaming platform.

(Data from SteamDB)

The past few years have been good to Steam. Publishers such as Xbox, EA, and Ubisoft have returned to Steam after periods of game exclusivity on their own PC storefronts. As it stands, nobody has what it takes to dethrone Valve. With the upcoming release of the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, 2026 is set to be a big year for Valve and Steam. We will undoubtedly see new Steam records this year, especially if those Half Life 3 rumours are true.

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