Starfield didn’t just land on PS5 this week. It also got big updates on all platforms. The hype surrounding the arrival of its PS5 port, coupled with those updates, has resulted in a resurgence for Bethesda’s space epic on Steam, as its concurrent player count hit its highest numbers in almost two years.
More Than 20,000 People Have Returned To Starfield On Steam
The Starfield updates that went live at the same time as its PS5 launch were the Terran Armada expansion, which you have to pay for, and Free Lanes, which is not only free but the biggest free update Starfield has received so far. Those updates have resulted in players either flocking back or new players finally checking Starfield out as its concurrent player count almost hit 21,000 players on Steam on Wednesday evening (via SteamDB).
Starfield’s Creative Producer Teases There’s Still More To Come After Free Lanes And Terran Armada
Starfield’s journey won’t end with the upcoming DLC and free patch.
The updates actually went live on Tuesday, which resulted in more than 19,000 people firing Starfield up on Steam. That the number was even higher the following day is a promising sign for Bethesda. It means either those same people who logged in on Tuesday came back for more the following day (and brought friends), or that more people are logging back in as word of the updates continues to spread.
This Is The Highest Starfield’s Player Count Has Been Since Shattered Space
The last time there were more than 20,000 people playing Starfield at the same time on Steam was September 2024. That spike was thanks to the release of its Shattered Space DLC. That paid expansion also arrived alongside a free update. That a new Starfield DLC can still pull the same interest more than 18 months later is promising and impressive, and there’s a strong chance Terran Armada and Free Lanes end up helping Starfield’s Steam numbers surpass what it managed when Shattered Space released.
Starfield’s Wednesday numbers were better than Tuesday’s. There’s a chance that even more people return to the game tonight, and it’s even more likely that a significant chunk of potential players are waiting until the weekend. Steam numbers typically spike the weekend after a new release or a big update, which means there’s a chance Starfield pulls its biggest numbers since launch before the end of the week.
Between Tuesday’s updates and its arrival on PS5, Starfield is getting a new lease on life. Even though it is often the butt of the joke as it didn’t live up to the lofty standards Bethesda fans have for its games, the studio has stuck with it and turned the game into a success. It will almost certainly never be as revered as Fallout or The Elder Scrolls, and many of you will forever resent it for pushing the arrivals of the next installments in those respective series further into the future, but Starfield has found an audience, and that audience keeps coming back for more.
- Released
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September 6, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ / Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases
