Over 27million Steam users were online at the same time, setting a new record for the platform.
According to data from SteamDB, the game distribution platform hit a new all-time peak of 27,182,165 concurrent users on November 27. The previous record was 26.9million users and was achieved in April. The number fluctuated but always remained high as the Covid-19 pandemic forced people to stay inside.
During the peak, the Steam charts detailed which games had the most players. Many of the titles featured on the list are mainstays of the Steam charts suggesting a new release or update is not responsible for the surge of users.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive took the top spot with 849,144 players. Valve’s Dota 2 was in second with 663,561 players. PUBG, Apex Legends, and New World round out the top five.
The remainder of the top ten contained Grand Theft Auto 5, Team Fortress 2, Rust, MIR4, and Wallpaper Engine.
Steam is currently in the middle of its Autumn sale. The discounts will be available until December 1 and currently features headliners like Hades, Outer Wilds, and Monster Hunter: World. Each of the games has had between 30-40 per cent of their price dropped. Outer Wilds is the cheapest at £11.69. Roguelike Hades is available for £13.64, and Monster Hunter: World can be purchased for £16.49. There are significant discounts across Steam’s library, with the highly praised Disco Elysium: Final Cut reduced to £17.49
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AAA games have also had their prices reduced. Cyberpunk 2077 is available for £24.99. Horizon: Zero Dawn and Deathloop are both half price currently.
Elsewhere, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time has been successfully reverse-engineered by a group of fans. The codebase has been translated to a more familiar and accessible language, allowing for PC ports and even mods.