In a showdown of epic proportions, ARC Raiders has pulled off a stunning upset against the notorious Battlefield 6, clinching the title for the peak concurrent player record on Steam two weekends in a row. It’s like David versus Goliath, if David had a really cool extraction shooter and Goliath was a bit sluggish.
Who, What, When?
Released on October 30, this delightful third-person extraction shooter comes straight from the creative minds of Embark Studios, nestled in the picturesque city of Stockholm. This talented crew is practically a reunion of ex-Battlefield developers—talk about a family affair!
Meet the Mastermind
At the helm is Patrick Söderlund. Once the big cheese at EA and the chief design officer for Battlefield studio DICE, he decided to leave EA in August 2018 after the epic letdown that was Battlefield 5. Just three months later, he dove into Embark Studios like a kid in a candy store—because clearly, failure is merely a stepping stone to success, or in this case, a giant leap for extraction-hood!
Player Count Triumphs
Now, back to the numbers that matter. According to some so-called “SteamDB” wizardry, ARC Raiders hit a staggering peak concurrent player count of 462,488 during the enchanting weekend of November 8-9. This number just tips the hat to Battlefield 6’s peak of 441,035, a number that, let’s be honest, seems a bit lonely in comparison.
This weekend (November 15-16) wasn’t just a fluke; ARC Raiders powered through and smashed its record with a jaw-dropping peak of 481,966 players! Meanwhile, Battlefield’s player count managed to slip down to 299,135—ouch. It’s like showing up to a party and discovering that everyone has moved on to the new hit band.
Not Quite Half a Million, But Who’s Counting?
Now, while ARC Raiders still has a ways to go before it joins the holy grail of 500,000 players (a club only 21 games can proudly claim), it sits comfortably at number 25 on Steam’s all-time peak concurrent player record. It’s ahead of major titles like Fallout 4 (472,962), Helldivers 2 (458,709), and Monster Hunter World (334,684), which is like being the popular kid in a school full of nerds—but, a fun kind of popular!
Next Targets: Hold Onto Your Controllers!
With this rollercoaster of ascending player counts continuing, next on the ARC Raiders to-do list are Terraria (489,886) and the monumental Call of Duty hub (491,670). Not too shabby, eh?
A Little Perspective
Despite the current excitement, it’s important to take a look at Battlefield’s prime time. On its glorious day of release, it soared to an impressive peak of 747,440 players. But who’s counting? Oh right, everyone!
Record-Breaking Champion
And let’s not forget about the reigning champion of Steam, the mighty PUBG Battlegrounds, which boasts an astronomical peak of 3.25 million players from back in 2018. It’s like comparing apples to a 5-tier chocolate cake with sprinkles—but hey, everyone loves a challenge!
In conclusion, while the mighty Battlefield may be licking its wounds after these two weekends of ARC Raiders dominance, one thing remains clear: the extraction shooter scene is heating up, and gamers are at the edge of their seats—just maybe not with Battlefield 6.
