برچسب: peak

  • Grounded 2 breaks its predecessor’s Steam peak record after mere hours

    Grounded 2 breaks its predecessor’s Steam peak record after mere hours


    Grounded is an excellent survival game that is absolutely deserving of a sequel – it’s just that I, and many others, didn’t expect it to get one so soon. Bogged down already this year with Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, I was shocked when Obsidian announced Grounded 2 a couple of months back, and was even more surprised to see a July 29 early access launch date too. Well, today’s the day, and despite Grounded 2’s inclusion in Game Pass, it’s performing very well on Steam – so well, in fact, that it’s already blasted past its predecessor’s all-time player peak on Valve’s platform.

    Given that the original Grounded – a worthy inclusion on our list of the best survival games – only dropped in 2022 and was still being regularly updated and played, Grounded 2 is still a rather unexpected sequel. It follows the same four protagonists (albeit a couple of years on from the events of the first game) and still revolves around a very familiar gameplay loop of exploring, base building, bug battling, and ultimately uncovering the secrets of your shrinking.

    However, Grounded 2 does make some innovations – could they have been big upgrades to the original game? Perhaps. But collectively, these changes will make for a sequel that feels noticeably different.

    The new world of Brookhollow Park is bigger than the previous game’s and contains more biome variety. Dashing has been added as a new movement and combat mechanic, both for you and your insectile foes. Bugs can now be captured and turned into rideable mounts. The UI has been refreshed. It’s all aiming to bring the beloved gameplay of the original up to new heights, and even though it’s launching today in an early access state, it’s proving very popular.

    Grounded 2: A graph showing the Steam player count over time for Grounded 2

    On Steam, Grounded 2’s debut has resulted in a peak concurrent player count of just under 50,000. This is impressive, given it’s immediately available at no extra cost for millions of Game Pass subscribers. That peak player count is also well above the original Grounded’s all-time record, which sits at around 32,000.

    While the player counts look healthy, it’s worth noting that on Steam its early user reviews sit on a 64% positive ‘mixed’ score. Most negative reviews are calling out its PC performance, but given it’s hours old and is in an early access state, Obsidian will likely get things running a lot smoother for everyone in no time at all. I’d be surprised if, over time, that review score didn’t improve by a significant margin.

    If you want in, Grounded 2 is available right now on Steam and Windows Store for $29.99 / £24.99 or as part of your Xbox or PC Game Pass subscription.

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    If Grounded 2 is tempting you into picking up a sub, check out what else you’ll be able to play with our list of the best Game Pass games. If you are going to this new world in miniature, we’ve got loads of guides to help you out, such as this one on the Grounded 2 briefcase combinations.

    You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.



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  • Dead by Daylight hits new player peak on Steam, as Twisted Masquerade returns

    Dead by Daylight hits new player peak on Steam, as Twisted Masquerade returns


    Dead by Daylight has gone from strength to strength, bucking the ongoing trend of live-service games getting ignominiously shut down. This asymmetrical multiplayer slashers vs survivors game has just launched its fourth and final Twisted Masquerade online event, and its Steam player count has soared to new heights.

    While Dead by Daylight was never in danger of being shut down, thanks to a solid player base, this multiplayer horror game has seen a major uptick in its fortunes.

    Dead by Daylight, an image showing the game's new higher steam count

    The release of DbD’s new Five Nights at Freddy’s content saw its concurrent Steam player count hit its highest peak in four years. The update added Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria as a new map, alongside new killer Springtrap, as seen in the FNAF movie. The image of a maskless Matthew Lillard screaming in survivors’ faces has entered memedom, which won’t have done the game’s popularity any harm.

    Now, Dead by Daylight’s Twisted Masquerade event has returned for the fourth and final year, raising DbD’s popularity to even greater heights. This event, which allows players to earn fanciful masks and weapons, has pushed its concurrent player count has hit 120,717. That’s an all-time record and a poke in the eye for rival Evil Dead: The Game which was delisted earlier this year. 

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    The event is currently live and runs until Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST. If you’re wondering what cosmetics are on offer, we’ve got you covered with all the details of DbD’s Twisted Masquerade. But, remember, this is your last chance to get your hands on them.

    Why is Dead by Daylight so popular? It has a lot to do with the sheer wealth of killers and survivors on offer. We’ve ranked all 39 of DbD’s killers, and new menaces are added all the time. But while there are plenty of original characters in the game, dreamed up by developer Behaviour Interactive, there are a huge number of ‘celebrity’ killers too.

    Not all these famous slashers are available to buy right now, but the crossover factor is just mindblowing. This is a game where you can have the Xenomorph from Alien chasing down Nicolas Cage while Resident Evil’s Leon Kennedy takes on Chucky. And while the Evil Dead game may be gone, Ash Williams lives on as a guest survivor. It’s all our horror fan fiction fantasies come to life – what’s not to love?

    Do you want free stuff in Dead by Daylight? Of course you do, which is why we’ve got the latest DbD codes and DbD Twitch drops.

    You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.



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