2024 will be remembered for a lot of great games: Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, Marvel Rivals, and Path of Exile 2 all come to mind.
As great as these new games are, there are plenty of beloved titles from recent memory that are still popular today. These include games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Counter-Strike 2, Elden Ring, and others that are regular parts of our gaming portfolio.
While we can make some good guesses for the most popular games of 2024, we can use data from SteamDB to run down the top ten games of the year based on concurrent player counts. Some of the titles we mentioned will appear on this list, and a handful of surprises.
We almost had a beta test make the cut, too, with the Monster Hunter Wilds Beta just missing the mark at a player peak of roughly 450,000. So, who did make the cut? Let’s find out.
10 Helldivers 2
2024 peak players: 458,709
Franchise Helldivers
Released February 8, 2024
Developer(s) Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher(s) Sony
Multiplayer Online Co-Op
Engine bitsquid
ESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Metascore 83
Platforms That Support Crossplay PC & PS5
Number of Players 1-4
PS Plus Availability N/A
OpenCritic Rating Strong
Cross-Platform Play PC & PS5
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One of the year’s best co-op shooters is also one of 2024’s most popular games.
Thanks to a content update, Helldivers 2 is experiencing a resurgence of active players, proving that concerns about its long-term viability need to be dismissed.
Helldivers 2 is still a great four-player experience, whether you want something to shoot with friends or enjoy its player-driven narrative. It’s never too late to jump in and do what you can to save democracy!
9 Marvel Rivals
2024 peak players: 480,990
Marvel Rivals is the team-based shooter we deserve.
While some may dismiss the game as a simple Overwatch clone, it combines accessibility, surprising hero balance, and deep strategy the more you play.
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It really makes you feel like Spider-Man.
Every hero role (Tank, Healer, DPS) is enjoyable to play, and the Team-Up abilities add a new level of strategy when choosing heroes.
Plus, living out your superhero fantasies is always a good time. Who doesn’t want to play as Venom while taking on Magneto?
8 Path of Exile 2
2024 peak players: 578,569
Path of Exile 2 is an incredibly deep, addicting Action-RPG experience that caters to veterans and newcomers alike.
Whether you’ve been upset with the state of Diablo 4, a long-time Path of Exile fan, or someone just looking to see what the hype is about, you’ll find something to enjoy.
Even in its Early Access state, Path of Exile 2 is a massive improvement over its predecessor, with nowhere to go but up. It’s a benchmark for the ARPG genre and will continue improving over time.
7 Elden Ring
2024 peak players: 781,261
It turns out that when an incredibly popular game releases critically acclaimed DLC, it’s going to see a spike in player count.
That’s precisely what happened when the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring was released.
While its inclusion on several Game of the Year lists is controversial, the Elden Ring DLC is undoubtedly one of the year’s best releases.
It’s a vast improvement on an already excellent game, adding nearly 50 hours of content to an already lengthy game.
6 PUBG: Battlegrounds
2024 peak players: 808,258
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
One of the original Battle Royale games is still going strong today. PUBG: Battleground holds up surprisingly well today.
PUBG’s renewed focus on its competitive scene and continued updates throughout the year are helping it remain relevant to players today.
While it will never reach the same heights during its peak, PUBG has carved out a respectable place in today’s gaming landscape that shows no sign of slowing down.
5 Banana
2024 peak players: 917,272
Sometimes, you can’t explain a game’s popularity. That’s the case with Banana, a free-to-play clicker game where you, well, click a banana. You’ll then have a chance to grow your collection of bananas.
Look, I don’t get it, but it clearly has an audience. At the time of writing, it had over 100,000 concurrent players—more than Call of Duty, Baldur’s Gate, and Helldivers 2.
But hey, it’s been popular this year, and people love the game, so more power to them.
4 Dota 2
2024 peak players: 951,239
Released July 9, 2013
Engine Source 2
ESRB r
OpenCritic Rating Mighty
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From one free game to another, though, Dota 2 offers a little more substance than Banana.
Even after all these years, Dota 2 remains immensely popular in 2024.
Yes, its highly competitive nature makes it inaccessible, but there’s nothing quite like the thrill of Dota 2. Its addictive balance of skill, tactical prowess, and teamwork results in some of the most exciting gameplay moments I’ve ever experienced.
Every now and then, I get the itch to boot back up Dota 2, and I’m always glad I did. Until I join a team of feeders, that is.
3 Counter-Strike 2
2024 peak players: 1,740,261
Franchise Counter-Strike
Released September 27, 2023
Engine Source 2 Engine
ESRB m
OpenCritic Rating Strong
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Some say that Dota 2 is Valve’s juggernaut, but the reality is that the title belongs to Counter-Strike 2.
The game’s popularity will simply never end. Since Counter-Strike 2’s launch in 2023, the game’s popularity has never been higher.
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Wondering what weapons you should master in Counter-Strike 2? Well, we have a list for you!
A combination of a thriving competitive scene and the same pick-up-and-play team-based gameplay that is as popular today as it was twenty years ago helps make it one of 2024’s most popular games.
Just like Dota 2, booting up a game of Counter-Strike 2 is always a good decision, whether playing with friends, strangers, or messing around in Gun Game.
2 Palworld
2024 peak players: 2,101,867
One of the biggest gaming stories of the year, Palworld is the game that keeps going.
Heavily inspired by the Pokemon franchise, Palworld brings the concept to modern audiences, borrowing elements from the open-world survival crafting genre.
With every update, Palworld adds more content, depth, and things to see and do.
It’s come a long way from its shallow state at launch, and provided lawyers don’t stop it, it shows no signs of slowing down.
1 Black Myth: Wukong
2024 peak players: 2,415,714
Released August 20, 2024
Developer(s) Game Science
Publisher(s) Game Science
Engine Unreal Engine 5
ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence
How Long To Beat 39 hours
PS Plus Availability N/A
Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown
OpenCritic Rating Strong
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One of the year’s best games is also one of the most popular games of 2024.
Few games in the Soulslike genre have seen the sustained success of Black Myth: Wukong.
While its linear progression may deter some, the game’s challenge, gameplay, and boss battles more than compensate for it.
Few games can deliver the spectacle that Black Myth: Wukong does; it’s no wonder why it’s one of the most popular games this year.
