Steam, the leading digital distribution platform for PC gaming, has shattered its own concurrent user record, reaching an unprecedented peak of over 40 million players. This milestone was achieved over a weekend that coincided with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025, with Steam registering 40,270,997 simultaneous users, surpassing the previous record of 39.9 million set in February 2025.

Data from SteamDB reveals that Steam's concurrent user records have been consistently broken almost every month since May 2024. The platform has seen a remarkable growth in its peak concurrent users, escalating from 35.5 million to 40.2 million within just over six months. Notably, this figure includes idle players—those with Steam open but not necessarily engaged in gameplay. However, the number of users actively playing games 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 in March and July. The latest peak is attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which alone achieved a 24-hour peak of 1.38 million concurrent users. Other notable games contributing to high user numbers included Counter-Strike 2 with 1.7 million, PUBG with 819,541, Dota 2 with 657,780, and Marvel Rivals with 268,283 players within a 24-hour period.

Despite its popularity, Monster Hunter Wilds received a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to release official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has shared preliminary information about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.

To aid players in their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, there are resources available detailing what the game doesn't explicitly mention, as well as a comprehensive guide to all 14 weapon types. A detailed walkthrough, a multiplayer guide explaining how to play with friends, and instructions on transferring characters from the open beta are also available. IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds gave it an 8/10, praising the game for refining the series' mechanics and offering enjoyable combat, though noting a lack of significant challenge.