Steam hits 23 million concurrent record this Christmas

Steam made headlines recently as it peaked with a new record of concurrent active video game players this Christmas. Toppling last year’s mark at 15.8 million, the platform surpassed itself with 1.5 times the number of players it had in 2019. Thanks to popular games like CS:GO, Cyberpunk 2077, and more, a peak of 23 million concurrent players was reached this year.

Steam peak concurrent users on Christmas day:

2020: 23.0m

2019: 15.8m
2018: 15.3m
2017: 16.2m
2016: 12.5m
2015: 10.5m

Top played games on the platform included CS:GO, Dota 2, PUBG, Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA V

Gaming has been one of the key benefactors of the pandemic this year pic.twitter.com/LjdQ1SYSWB

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 28, 2020

Christmas Peak

According to games analyst Daniel Ahmad, Steam has made a massive jump from last year. With a boost of over 7 million concurrent players, the platform has never been more popular. The sheer impact of the pandemic has been a silver-lining for the platform, especially with A-tier titles like Dota 2, CS:GO, PUBG and GTA V. Subsequently, despite the uproar, Cyberpunk 2077 was among the most-played games during the holiday.

This goes to show how impactful games have been during these hard times. Additionally, with Christmas being a holiday that most can’t celebrate, Steam provides entertainment and comfort for those that need it.

Steam has hit record high peak concurrent user numbers multiple times this year.

The pandemic had a notable impact on both engagement and behavior, with a higher amount of users during off peak times too. https://t.co/tL2pgmcqFW

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 28, 2020

Steam Records

Social and interactive games like Among Us and Fall Guys have taken the world by storm too. Thanks to games like these, people worldwide were able to bond and have fun with their friends and family. It was definitely a staple pastime for everyone and it contributed to the massive growth in the platform’s popularity this year.

Despite the pandemic cutting friends and family from each other, the world has never been more connected. Although some may not physically be with others, games and more have been gateways for interaction and catching-up. Steam has been with the world throughout the rocky ride. And with developers helping by keeping things fresh and shooting continuous updates, things have never gotten stale. With Steam rocking this year and 2021 coming right up, it wouldn’t be surprising if the platform hits another major record.

Written by Jay Hunter

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