The Most-Played Games on Steam for 2026 (So Far)

We're not quite one week into 2026, and already, there are some clear front-runners for the most-played games on Steam. Most of these titles are continuing their reign of supremacy from 2025, coasting on their continuing popularity and new seasonal content to stay fresh in players' minds as they wait for the next big thing to hit Steam. Of course, some games (like Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA) are practically guaranteed to be at or near the top of the most-played charts regardless of month, but there are still a handful of surprises to find on the Steam charts for the year so far. Free-to-play games are, as per usual, some of the most popular games among players (especially if they have a PvP component), and ARC Raiders' domination over the extraction shooter genre is all but solidified at this point.

• Release Date — August 11, 2021
• Developer — 24 Entertainment
• Publisher — NetEase Games
• Genre — Action, Spectacle Fighter, Battle Royale
• Steam User Score — 81% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 119,787

24 Entertainment's Naraka: Bladepoint isn't a game I would've necessarily expected to see on the Steam "most-played" charts, given its decline in popularity over the years, but it's been seeing a bit of a resurgence in player counts thanks to an upcoming new season and an end-of-year widespread player ban of confirmed cheaters. Accordingly, Naraka has hit a peak of just under 120,000 players this month, a number which it's been consistently hitting almost daily since the cheater bans on December 30. If the upcoming new season proves to be a hit among the current player base, we could very well see it climb the charts before the end of the month.

• Release Date — December 5, 2024
• Developer — NetEase Games
• Publisher — NetEase Games
• Genre — Hero Shooter
• Steam User Score — 79% (Mostly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 121,712

While it may have fallen a bit from its previous chart-topping positions, Marvel Rivals is still one of the most popular free-to-play hero shooter games, especially among streamers. There have certainly been quite a few players who have gotten plenty of mileage out of the new Rogue-centric season and cosmetics, but she's far from the only fan-favorite among spectators who prefer to watch high-level Marvel Rivals play rather than engage in matches themselves. Rivals had a major patch go live on January 1, which seems to have given the game a bit of a shot in the arm as players await the next major character addition and content drop.

• Release Date — October 10, 2025
• Developer — Battlefield Studios
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — FPS
• Steam User Score — 72% (Mostly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 124,134

Following a fairly large exodus of regular players and a steep decline from its previous chart-topping peaks, Battlefield 6 is once again crawling its way back up. Unfortunately, most of the major glaring issues that have frustrated players post-launch are still obvious hindrances to the core experience, especially where things like lag and monetization are concerned. But as much as players rightfully complain about these persistent issues on one of 2026's best-selling games, the actual core gameplay is still some of the best the series has seen in over a decade. If EA can course-correct on Battlefield 6's technical issues and egregious microtransactions, it has every chance to be a consistently played game by a large subset of players.

• Release Date — December 6, 2024
• Developer — Grinding Gear Games
• Publisher — Grinding Gear Games
• Genre — ARPG
• Steam User Score — 75% (Mostly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 125,067

Switching from the free-to-play model of its predecessor to become a premium product was a major risk that Path of Exile 2 and developer Grinding Gear Games took, and it's one that seems to have mostly paid off with it being a consistently popular ARPG, regularly overshadowing competitors like Diablo IV and Last Epoch in terms of player counts. The recent major content update and addition of a new class certainly didn't hurt either. The learning curve for Path of Exile 2 may be a little steep compared to the more casual-friendly approach of Diablo IV, but those who stick with it will find an incredibly rewarding game that earns its "Dark Souls-meets-Diablo II" comparisons.

• Release Date — August 3, 2023
• Developer — Larian Studios
• Publisher — Larian Studios
• Genre — RPG
• Steam User Score — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 127,254

More than two years since its official 1.0 launch, and more than 5 years since its Early Access launch, Baldur's Gate 3 continues to be one of the most important and groundbreaking games of this generation, reflected by its continuous presence on Steam's most-played charts. A recent deep discount (courtesy of the Steam Winter Sale) helped encourage plenty of new players to pick the game up, all while existing players continue to dabble in fourth, fifth, or even sixth playthroughs thanks to continuous improvement and support from both Larian Studios and an engaged and creative mod community. Expect Baldur's Gate 3 to be one of the most popular RPGs for years to come, at least until Larian releases Divinity.

• Release Date — April 14, 2015
• Developer — Rockstar North
• Publisher — Rockstar Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Steam User Score — 83% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 127,585

Both versions of Grand Theft Auto V for PC, Legacy and Enhanced, are on Steam's most-played charts, but it's Legacy that ekes out a win thanks to more stable technical performance, allowing more players to enjoy the game in both single-player and the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto Online. It almost feels like these next few months are going to be a "last hurrah" for Grand Theft Auto V ahead of the November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, but that's really only on console. As of right now, there's no official release date for the PC version of GTA 6, which means PC players are likely to be playing plenty of Grand Theft Auto V for months to come.

• Release Date — December 4, 2024
• Developer — Team Jade
• Publisher — TiMi Studio Group
• Genre — Extraction Shooter
• Steam User Score — 65% (Mixed)
• Peak Player Count — 138,411

As many players complain about Delta Force and say that it's nigh-unplayable due to cheaters, it's still somehow one of the most-played games on Steam. It's also the second-most-played extraction shooter on the service, handily beating out other games in the genre — including the Steam release of one of the genre's most influential games, Escape From Tarkov. If you're fortunate enough to land on a server that doesn't have too many people using aimbots or other advantage-granting cheats, Delta Force is reportedly a fantastic experience with some strong visuals and a commendable attempt at blending military realism with more accessible gameplay. Plus, a recent update to coincide with the new year is pulling players back at least weekly in hopes of taking home some free rewards.

• Release Date — February 26, 2016
• Developer — ConcernedApe
• Publisher — ConcernedApe
• Genre — RPG, Simulation
• Steam User Score — 98% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 140,160

Nearly a decade out from its original release, Stardew Valley continues to be one of the most popular RPGs and farming sims ever made, cementing its place in the annals of gaming as one of the more significant indie games of the century. A large part of its continued popularity rests on the game's seamless co-op mode, which ends up serving as a great introduction tool to new players who are shepherded through the game (pun intended) by more experienced players and have an easier time learning the ropes of this endearing and charming cozy farmPG. Many games have tried to unseat Stardew Valley as Steam's most popular cozy game to no avail, and it seems like none ever will.

• Release Date — March 5, 2025
• Developer — Marcel Zurwaka, Julius Krüger
• Publisher — Irox Games
• Genre — Clicker, Idler
• Steam User Score — 97% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 163,974

If a game is free, quirky, and features cats, it's practically a guarantee to be a major hit on Steam. Sure enough, Bongo Cat is all three, and in less than 12 months, it's become one of the most consistently played games on Steam. The premise is simple: this idler/clicker game runs in the background on Steam while you work or browse on your computer, rewarding you with adorable cat animations as you do. There's not much "game" to be had with Bongo Cat, but it's also hard to deny that something free and cute is hard to pass up, hence why it has a January peak of nearly 170,000 players logging in to click their keys and watch some cats do silly dances.

• Release Date — November 4, 2020
• Developer — Respawn
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — Shooter, Hero Shooter
• Steam User Score — 76% (Mostly Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 174,089

Part hero shooter and part battle royale, Apex Legends has rarely fallen out of the Steam charts since its launch on the service, and the same can be said about its performance so far this year. Over the first few days of the month (and of the year), Apex Legends has steadily hovered around 200,000 daily players, proving that it has lasting popularity that many other games in the genre don't. Most of that boils down to how satisfying both the movement and gunplay are in Apex Legends, which honestly makes up for the game's fairly egregious monetization and matchmaking issues. Players are also likely flocking back to Apex in droves right now ahead of the upcoming winter-themed event, hoping to brush up on their skills and rack up plenty of wins while they can earn unique seasonal rewards.

• Release Date — February 8, 2018
• Developer — Facepunch Studios
• Publisher — Facepunch Studios
• Genre — Survival
• Steam User Score — 86% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 247,254

After a brief tumble down the Steam charts (thanks to the viral popularity of another survival game, Abiotic Factor), Rust is once again back in the top 5 most-played games on Steam. Funnily enough, Rust is almost like what you would get if ARC Raiders never let you extract and instead forced you to persistently live in its post-apocalyptic wasteland, pitting you against both the environment and other players as you all struggle to survive an inhospitable planet. Minus the robots, that is. Rust is still one of the most rewarding survival games available if you can overcome its incredibly steep learning curve, and the promised major updates coming to the title this year, as part of its 12-year anniversary (since the original Early Access launch), are likely to draw even more new lapsed players back into the fold.

• Release Date — October 30, 2025
• Developer — Embark Studios
• Publisher — Embark Studios
• Genre — Extraction Shooter
• Steam User Score — 87% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 466,372

Speaking of ARC Raiders, Embark Studios' wildly popular extraction shooter continues its dominance with an eye-watering average daily player count for January of 400,000 players. It's no wonder that ARC Raiders is so popular. Its blend of PvE and PvP combat, combined with its unique pulp sci-fi setting and satisfying gunplay, has allowed it to be a great on-ramp for the extraction shooter genre, inviting millions of players to come see what makes it so fun after only admiring from the sidelines or being put off by games like Hunt: Showdown or Escape From Tarkov. ARC Raiders understands that accessibility is just as important as challenge and does a great job of balancing those elements with a game that's a blast solo, but absolutely incredible in a squad.

• Release Date — December 21, 2017
• Developer — PUBG Corporation
• Publisher — Krafton
• Genre — Shooter, Battle Royale
• Steam User Score — 65% (Mixed)
• Peak Player Count — 709,468

If you can just ignore the microtransactions and focus on the game itself, PUBG: Battlegrounds is easily one of the best battle royale games on Steam. And rightfully so — it's arguably the first game in the genre! To be able to consistently maintain player counts north of 500,000 Steam users for nearly a decade since its release is impressive, and the secret is that PUBG never gets complacent. Battlegrounds is always adding new maps, updating the game and tweaking technical performance, and banning players who have been identified as perpetrators of harassment or cheating. And if you can look past the monetization, PUBG is perhaps some of the most fun you can have in a free-to-play game.

• Release Date — July 9, 2013
• Developer — Valve
• Publisher — Valve
• Genre — MOBA
• Steam User Score — 88% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 815,765

As is typical, both of the top two spots on Steam's most-played chart are dominated by titles that have incredibly strong competitive scenes. The first of these is DOTA 2, which, while not nearly as widely viewed as League of Legends in the eSports scene, is still one of the most popular MOBA games (second only to League, really). And depending on who you ask, DOTA 2 is actually the better MOBA as far as mechanics go. Regardless, DOTA 2 turns thirteen years old this year, and it's somehow able to still pull in nearly a million daily active users on Steam across the globe, which is no small feat for any game, but especially impressive for a PvP battle arena.

• Release Date — September 27, 2023
• Developer — Valve
• Publisher — Valve
• Genre — FPS
• Steam User Score — 86% (Very Positive)
• Peak Player Count — 1,611,978

Shocker. Counter-Strike has retained the number one spot on Steam's player count charts for years, and the switch from Counter-Strike: GO to Counter-Strike 2 in 2023 didn't hurt its popularity in the slightest. In fact, it actually enhanced it, owing to a slew of impressive graphical updates and balance tweaks that ushered in a new generation for the world's most popular competitive shooter. Even the recent rebalancing of the game's economy (in which some players lost tens of thousands of potential earnings based on skins in their inventory) has done little to pull players away from this legendary FPS. In life, only three things are certain: death, taxes, and Counter-Strike 2 remaining at the top of the Steam charts.