PUBG overtakes Dota 2 for most concurrents on Steam

After coming close twice on Saturday, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds topped Dota 2 for most concurrent users on Steam early this morning, a milestone speaking to the game’s uncommon appeal.

It’s a feat because PUBG would seem to face many disadvantages. Steam is Valve’s platform and Dota 2 is Valve’s biggest game, after all. Dota 2 is free to play where PUBG costs $29.99. And PUBG has launched in early access where Dota 2 is a finished game.

But PUBG packs a wallop in its own right: It’s fun, the most important part. It’s a very watchable and streamable game, which is critical to reaching widespread popularity today. And it’s a first-person shooter that offers a puncher’s chance at winning, which few can resist: Drop into a map of 100 players and be the last one standing.

And yet, no sooner had PUBG beat Dota 2 on its own service than this happened:

This weekend also saw the PUBG Invitational from Gamescom (won by Luminosity) and teased a new map coming with the game’s next update, which is expected soon. The Gamescom tournament dominated Twitch’s viewership numbers over the four days it was held, likely drawing people in to see what the fuss is about (or back to enjoy it).

PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds also recently surpassed 8 million units sold on Steam, another eye-opener for a title still in an early access release but a legitimate candidate for game of the year.