November 10, 2015 may very well be remembered as the day over 450,000 people across the globe mysteriously called in sick to work. According to Steam’s game statistics page, Fallout 4 has shattered Grand Theft Auto V’s previous record of over 300,000 concurrent users and has become the most played third party title in Steam’s history.
This is not the first time a Bethesda franchise has set this record on Steam either. When The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim first launched in 2011, it drew in a crowd of 280,000 users which stood until Grand Theft Auto V was released on Steam earlier this year.
It’s important to note that this record only applies for third party titles; in other words, games not developed by Valve. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DotA 2 still draw totals that double Fallout 4’s.
Quick take: More than anything, this record is indicative of the growth that Steam has seen as a platform for PC gaming, which can also be attributed to the decline of physical game distribution. So it’s not that there weren’t that many people playing Skyrim, it’s that more of them were playing with hard copies. Regardless, it’s still neat to see so many people come together on one day to play one great game.
