CS2 has more players than the next top nine Steam games combined

Counter-Strike 2 is finally here, which means both long-time fans and newcomers to Valve’s iconic shooter are already hopping in-game to play through the updated maps. CS2 arrived as a free update to Counter-Strike Global Offensive, replacing the latter in the process. Now that CSGO is officially dead and Counter-Strike 2 has taken over, an uptick in fans can be seen on Steam’s charts. CS2 has a whopping amount of players after just one hour, sitting with more than the next top nine Steam games combined.

You read that right. The Counter-Strike 2 launch doubled CSGO’s player count in less than an hour, bringing in over 500,o00 more. When compared to the other games occupying Steam’s list of top-played entries, CS2 actually has more players than the nine behind it do altogether. Those games are Dota 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, PUBG, Apex Legends, Rust, Rainbow Six Siege, and Grand Theft Auto.

The FPS game has 1,183,739 active players right now, while the nine behind it add up to have 1,110,845 active players in total. You can check the Steam charts yourself for a closer look at what people are playing right now, but the CS2 numbers are staggering. The Counter-Strike 2 launch literally just happened, and CSGO’s previous number of players was less than half.

Valve has spent the entire day hinting toward the sequel’s release, responding to people’s posts about how players will miss CSGO as CS2 rolls out. The build-up of excitement around the new entry to the long-standing Counter-Strike series now translates into the game’s total player count.

It’s only a matter of time before the growing empire of Counter-Strike 2 skins resembles its predecessor’s. Thankfully, all of your old CSGO skins are available in CS2 with an upgraded look and feel to them. Source 2 is a more powerful engine, after all.

While you wait for your own CSGO copy to update, you can check out some of our other favorite multiplayer games if you’re in search of a new shooter to play alongside CS2 with your pals. Alternatively, browse through our in-depth guide of all the Counter-Strike 2 maps if you’re unsure about what to expect when the upgrade installs. From Overpass to Vertigo, you’ll see a lot of familiar names.