Lost Ark sets new Steam record with over 1.3 million concurrent players [Update]

What you need to know

• According to the Steam Charts, Lost Ark already has over 1 million concurrent players.
• The game's population has surpassed CS:GO's player count and continues to climb.
• Lost Ark's wealth of quality content and its free-to-play model most likely led to its explosive success.

Update Feb. 12: Lost Ark's concurrent player count swelled to 1,324,761, surpassing CS:GO's record of 1,308,963. The game now has the second highest number of active players ever recorded on Steam.

It's not uncommon for new MMOs to have massive player counts soon after they release, but Amazon Games' and Smilegate RPG's Lost Ark is taking things to an entirely different level. At the time of writing, the game has 1,065,000 concurrent players according to Steam Charts, surpassing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's 906,000 player count and solidifying its launch as one of the biggest in PC gaming history.

The game's initial explosive success can likely be attributed to a variety of factors. For one, the game is full of action-heavy content and doesn't bog the player down with excessive menus or other things that typically turn some players off from MMOs, making it incredibly easy to jump into. The game's writing has also been recieved positively thus far, and the game's seven different continents offer fans a variety of interesting cultures and characters to interact with. Of course, the game is also free-to-play, which ensures the game has no barriers to entry.

Another reason why the game is appealing to players is that it's a large game with a ton of engaging stuff to do. Unlike some MMOs that don't have a healthy amount of quality content to enjoy prior to the endgame (looking at you, New World), many players have reported that they're still in the early stages of the game even after over 10 hours of playtime — and they haven't encountered excessive and boring grinds that water down the experience, either. If you're looking for a game with a ton of fun content to experience, Lost Ark is arguably one of the best multiplayer PC games you can play to scratch that itch.

Ultimately, Lost Ark is off to a phenomenal start, and it will be interesting to see if the game keeps this momentum going as players eventually reach the later stages of its progression. The game is available now on PC through Steam and is free-to-play, though there are also multiple paid editions that include some exclusive in-game items and progression boosters as well.

Update Feb. 12 — Lost Ark sets a new record

Lost Ark's player count has continued to swell, with the game's concurrent player peak currently resting at 1,324,761. This beats CS:GO's record of 1,308,963 and makes it the second most played Steam game ever released. At the time of writing, the player count has dipped slightly, settling at 1,299,021. The next record to beat is PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' (PUBG) peak of 3,236,027 concurrent players in 2018.