New PC Game Officially 3rd Biggest Steam Launch of 2026 With Over 400k Concurrent Players
A new PC game has taken over Steam, amassing over 400,000 concurrent players at launch. This makes it the 3rd biggest launch on Steam in 2026, by this metric. Only two 2026 games have managed more concurrent players, if you discount Palworld that is. Palworld technically went 1.0 this year and managed nearly 1,000,000 concurrent players when it did so, but it’s debatable whether it is a 2026 game. Discounting it, only two games have posted more than this new PC game, and those are Subnautica 2 and Slay the Spire II. Both are notably cheaper than the game in question. Further, they were full launches, while this is an early-access launch.
For those out of the loop or under a rock, the top game on Steam right now, by a wide margin, is Bulkhead and Team17’s new tactical first-person shooter, Wardogs, which, thanks to its over 400,000 concurrent players this weekend, is even comfortably ahead of Valheim, the other major new release on Steam. Valheim has, of course, been around for years, but only went to 1.0 this past week. Meanwhile, only two games in total have managed more concurrent players this weekend on Steam, and both are free and Steam exclusive: Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2.
A New Battlefield Rival?
For those just learning about War Dogs, which specifically hit 400,196 concurrent players on Saturday, September 12, it is actually the fifth release from Bulkhead, which has previously released the following games: 2015’s Pneuma: Breath of Life, 2016’s The Turing Test, 2019’s Battalion: Legacy, and 2022’s Killrun. The first and fourth releases here were notable duds, but The Turing Test was a moderate success, while Battalion: Legacy did alright for a free-to-play game. This is by far, by a super wide margin, its best and biggest success to date.
In the game, which costs $49.99, you engage in all-out first-person shooter warfare that combines tactical gunplay with combined arms combat, and bolsters this with large-scale destruction mechanics on a 100-player militaristic sandbox map.
It’s a 3v3 game, but not a battle royale game, like some think. It’s essentially a remix of the classic “King of the Hill,” where teams of three fight for control of randomized 2×2 km “Control Zones.” The team with the most players within the Control Zone earns points, and once a team reaches 100 points, they win the match.
Not only is it proving popular, but early access players are enjoying it, which is impressive for such a massive early access launch. Despite server issues, it is sitting at an 84% approval rating, with a “Very Positive” score, after more than 27,000 user reviews.
Wardogs is obviously going to be the best-selling PC game on Steam for this week, but the weekly chart isn’t in yet. Last week, it was #3 on pre-orders alone, outdone by a new open-world RPG. No chance it will be outdone this time. No game is even going to be close to it, which is impressive because Valheim just had its 1.0 launch, and it’s been a huge launch itself. How long it will be able to hold onto this spot, though, remains to be seen.