Steam has now presented the 12 games that were played the most on the PC platform by the number of concurrent players at the end of the year. In addition to Destiny 2, many MMOs are on the list, especially free-to-play games. But with “Goose Goose Duck” there is also a surprise: it is a free-to-play variant of Among Us.
What kind of list is this? Steam has presented the 12 games that surpassed the mark of 240,000 concurrent players in 2022. This has been summarized under the term “most played”.
The games are not in any specific order, and Steam does not reveal any numbers: These are just the 12 games that were over the mark of 240,000 concurrent players at any point in 2022.
Many classics dominate player numbers on Steam in 2022
These are the 12 games:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – a perennial favorite on Steam
- Destiny 2 – the loot shooter is often written off but still has its moments. Apparently, Destiny 2’s “New Light” offers a free-to-play experience.
- ARK: Survival Evolved – the dino classic is back in 2022. A sequel is already awaited.
- Apex Legends – the shooter from EA is free to play and considered a fast, well-made shooter
- DOTA 2 – the MOBA is especially known for its large esports tournaments, which can make people millionaires overnight
- PUBG – once the biggest game in the world, still has its fans in 2022
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel – a free card game in a popular universe
- Lost Ark – the only proper MMORPG on the list, surely benefits from being new and free to play
- Goose Goose Duck – an “Among Us” variant with ducks, certainly the surprise on the list. It is free, unlike Among Us
- Dying Light 2 – apparently had a huge release hype, people are into zombies
- Elden Ring – for many the game of the year 2022
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – CoD returned to Steam after 5 years. Feels a bit out of place because it actually belongs in the Battle.net launcher. But it is enough for the top tier.
What stands out about the list? In “most played”, free-to-play games clearly have an advantage. Only Elden Ring, CoD: Modern Warfare 2, and Dying Light 2 are “true purchase titles.” Ark nominally requires a purchase as well, but it’s available very cheaply.
The Steam list also shows that 2022 was a rather “quiet” gaming year, only Elden Ring and Lost Ark are new game brands, CoD and Dying Light are sequels to established series.
Many other games have been around for several years. CS:GO and DOTA 2 are Valve’s in-house classics that are on this list every year.
The biggest surprise is certainly “Goose Goose Duck”, which simply seems to function as an “Let’s play Among Us without paying for it” alternative.
Maybe we’ll see some of these games on the list in 2023:
5 extremely ambitious multiplayer games that are supposed to be released in 2023
