100 most played games on Steam in 2023

Valve revealed the most played games on Steam in 2023 via an infographic on their website and storefront. Sorted into categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, each section has a particular requirement about the peak players for that game. For a game to make this list, it needed to have 40,000 or more concurrent players across the year.

Some of the most played games on Steam in 2023 may surprise readers, while others are going to be incredibly obvious. We’ve kept the same categories as Valve set up for easy reading. What games were the best, and what lagged behind the rest? Here’s this year’s top 100 for Valve’s Steam platform.

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Listing the 100 most played games on Steam in 2023

1) All Platinum most played games on Steam in 2023

It's no shock that Baldur's Gate 3 topped this list. (Image via Larian Studios)

Platinum games (300K+ peak players):

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Starfield
• Destiny 2
• DOTA 2
• Apex Legends
• Counter-Strike 2
• PUBG Battlegrounds
• Lost Ark

The Platinum most played games on Steam in 2023 shouldn’t surprise anyone. Counter-Strike 2, for example, is a game fans have been waiting for years. Then there’s 2023’s Game of the Year and all-around fan-pleaser Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a CRPG that fans have been putting hundreds if not thousands of hours into - and that’s while the game was still in Early Access! It’s a masterpiece of turn-based RPG game design.

However, what is interesting about the most played games on Steam in 2023 is Starfield - a game that was positively reviewed on launch, now has a “Mixed” rating on Steam, with “Mostly Negative (7,526) recent reviews. People have considered it a “Big cup of mediocrity” in the reviews section, while others feel it is an unfinished title.

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2) All Gold most played games on Steam in 2023

Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty was a revelation (Image via CD PROJEKT RED)

Gold games (150K+ peak players):

• Rust
• Team Fortress 2
• Call of Duty (MW3, WZ, MW2)
• The Finals
• Path of Exile
• Resident Evil 4 Remake
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Naraka: Bladepoint
• Lethal Company

Some of the most played games on Steam were brand-new this year. Armored Core 6 and the more recent Lethal Company make up the Gold games. There are a few titles that are far less surprising: Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto 5. Rust continues to be a popular hardcore survival game as well.

However, the many updates Cyberpunk 2077 had between 2022 and 2023 keep it a popular title and easily one of the most played games on Steam. CD PROJEKT RED’s open-world Cyberpunk title has had a genuine renaissance, thanks to devoted fans and hard-working developers. The Phantom Liberty expansion may be one of the best single-player expansions ever.

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3) All Silver most played games on Steam in 2023

Elden Ring remains one of the most popular Souls titles on the market. (Image via Bandai Namco/From Software)

Silver games (80K+ peak players):

• Elden Ring
• Battlefield 2042
• Warframe
• VPet Simulator
• Battle Bit Remastered
• Phasmophobia
• 7 Days to Die
• ARK: Survival Evolved
• Left 4 Dead 2
• EA Sports FC24
• ARK: Survival Ascended
• Party Animals
• Battlefield V
• Dave the Diver
• Valheim
• Remnant II
• Rainbow Six Siege
• War Thunder
• Football Manager 2024
• Don’t Starve Together
• Cities Skylines II
• FIFA 232
• Civilization VI
• Football Manager 2023
• Dead By Daylight
• Unturned

The Silver tier of the most played games on Steam in 2023 is filled with some exciting choices. We have games with decidedly mixed reviews, like Battlefield 2042, alongside classic Steam games like Left 4 Dead 2. Both ARK: Survival Evolved and the more recent ARK: Survival Ascended reached the Silver tear in 2023.

Another title with a Mixed reception and impressive playtime is Cities Skylines II. Football Manager 2024, which our reviewer loved, made it to the Silver tier, as did its predecessor, Football Manager 2023. Whether you love multiplayer or single-player, quite a few popular titles were at this tier of the most played games on Steam in 2023.

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4) All Bronze most played games on Steam in 2023

Skyrim Together makes the classic Action RPG feel like a new game (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

Bronze games (40K+ players):

• Final Fantasy 14
• My Hero Ultra Rumble
• Risk of Rain Returns
• Farlight 84
• Project Zomboid
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Rocket League
• Payday 3
• Age of Wonders 4
• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• Terraria
• Lords of the Fallen
• V Rising
• Farming Simulator 22
• New World
• tModLoader (Mod)
• DayZ
• The Sims 4
• Love is All Around
• Last Epoch
• Cities Skylines
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Crab Game
• Hearts of Iron 4
• Street Fighter 6
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Hunt: Showdown
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Total War: Warhammer 3
• Monster Hunter World
• NBA 2K22
• Garry’s Mod
• Payday 2
• Sea of Thieves
• Overwatch 2
• The Forest
• VR Chat
• HoloCure - Save the Fans!
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Stardew Valley
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
• Wo Long

Defying all the odds, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim maintains a dominant presence on Steam. Despite its age, it continues to be one of the most played games on Steam, perhaps in part due to the incredible modding community the game has. It keeps the single-player action RPG fresh. Though, on the topic of mods, it can now be played in co-op, thanks to the Together Reborn mod.

Some might find it surprising to see Final Fantasy 14 so far down this list, though as a long-time player of the game, I’m not shocked. 40,000+ play on the client monthly, making it one of the most played games on the platform, but you have to consider the millions who play via the standalone client or on a console. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense.

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One thing Valve noted in their list was that this does not include games that had giveaways and free weekends. This only includes regular gameplay and had a peak of 40,000+ concurrent players on Steam.