Monster Hunter Wilds peak Steam player count already ranks 6th all-time

If early Steam player counts are any indication, Monster Hunter Wilds should surpass Capcom's sales goals. Its midnight EST launch wasn't ideal for some U.S. and EU time zones, but players worldwide assembled regardless. Monster Hunter Wilds already has the 6th highest ranking for concurrent Steam players. With 1.3 million hunters, the action RPG recently leapfrogged Dota 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.

Despite the massive player surge, Capcom's servers are handling the load well. A constant online connection is necessary for co-op action, but that doesn't apply to single-player hunts. However, some PS5 players have experienced occasional PlayStation Network error messages.

With stable servers, the series of open beta tests have proven beneficial. On the other hand, many players aren't seeing the optimizations promised before the Monster Hunter Wilds release date. The sprawling hunting grounds teeming with activity are taking a toll on PCs. Gamers have complained about poor framerates with hardware well above the recommended specs. A common opinion is that the game's often blurry visuals shouldn't stress systems to this degree.

As a result, Monster Hunter Wilds has a mixed Steam rating, with most negative reviews focused on lackluster performance. These complaints are not causing many PC users to give up on the game. Even so, without patches that reduce stuttering, their patience could diminish.

The lack of an early access period for non-creators resulted in more gamers logging on simultaneously. The prospect of an even higher peak Steam player count is likely as the weekend approaches. With dramatically fewer players than on its 2018 debut, the MMO Lost Ark is the next target for Monster Hunter Wilds. Counter-Strike 2 will prove a more formidable challenge, but the shooter is not available on consoles.