The launch of Starfield, the newest creation from Bethesda Game Studios, has set off with a bang on Steam’s player count charts. In a mere hour since its release, Starfield has propelled itself into the elite ranks of Steam’s most-played games, marking an impressive start for the anticipated title.
Despite being accessible through PC Game Pass and the initial early access requiring players to purchase premium editions, the expansive space-themed game is already marking significant milestones.
Bethesda Game Studios, known for its popular titles like Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, and Fallout series, is once again pushing the boundaries of gaming. Starfield, the studio’s first game in five years under Todd Howard’s leadership, has sparked immense curiosity, prompting players to eagerly dive into the universe the team has crafted.
Scaling the Steam Charts
The game has quickly soared to the top of the Steam top sellers list, surpassing prominent titles such as Baldur’s Gate 3, and the well-established free-to-play giants Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) and Dota 2. While Valve, the company behind Steam, has yet to provide its official player count figures, SteamDB, a tracking website, offers initial insights into the game’s impressive debut.
Within just one hour of its launch at 7pm PT / 10pm ET on August 31 (equivalent to 3am BST / 4am CEST on September 1), SteamDB recorded a remarkable peak player count of 234,502 for Starfield.
This achievement places the game in fourth position on the list of most-played games, trailing only CSGO, Dota 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3, which reached an impressive player count of 392,957 during the same time frame.
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Early Access Potential and Game Pass Engagement
It’s important to note that this initial player count is likely just the beginning. Starfield’s current release is part of its early access phase, with the full game set to launch on September 6. The early access version is available exclusively to players who have purchased the Premium or Constellation Editions of the game, leading to some potential time zone challenges, particularly for players in Europe.
Considering that Starfield is also accessible through Game Pass, it’s possible that many subscribers might wait to play it there, either to try it out or to explore its weaponry before deciding to purchase it on Steam.
As for Starfield’s ambitions, it aims to surpass notable achievements of past Bethesda games. For instance, Skyrim’s launch achieved a peak player count of 287,411, just slightly higher than Starfield’s initial hour in early access.
A more recent title, Fallout 4, reached an impressive peak of 471,315 players. Bethesda aspires to achieve the player count heights of Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios, which reached 875,343 players in its second weekend post-launch. However, if Starfield significantly boosts Game Pass engagement, Microsoft is likely to find success regardless of the outcome.
