How Shadowverse World Beyond managed to touch almost 100k player count despite "mostly negative" reviews on Steam

Cygames’ new card game, Shadowverse Worlds Beyond, was launched on June 17 and is already making waves. Even though it has an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating on Steam, it reached over 108,000 concurrent players at once, making it one of the biggest new games of 2025 so far.

In this article, we will talk about how Shadowverse World Beyond, with such poor reviews, can climb the charts.

How has Shadowverse World Beyond managed to get almost 100k players despite negative reviews on Steam?

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Pre-launch hype and franchise loyalty

Before launch, Shadowverse Worlds Beyond had over one million pre-registrations. These early sign-ups came with milestone rewards like free card packs and in-game currency, giving players a reason to jump in immediately. That early momentum helped flood the servers on day one, even if many stuck around out of curiosity or for the freebies.

The original Shadowverse has been around since 2016 and has built a loyal player base, especially on mobile. Long-time fans were eager to see how the sequel improved or evolved, even if the final result disappointed some.

Free to play and launch curiosity

Being free to play means there’s zero cost for entry. Paired with a simultaneous launch on Steam, Epic Games Store, and mobile, it was open to a wide player base. On mobile alone, the game saw massive download numbers.

New games always attract attention, especially sequels with an established name. Many players log in to see what’s new or to grab launch bonuses. Influencer streams and social media buzz also add to the success.

Why all the negative reviews?

Despite the player count, the game's Steam rating is only 19% positive. Players are frustrated with two major issues:

Aggressive monetization: Many feel the game pushes microtransactions too hard.
Balance issues: Some cards and mechanics seem unfair or broken, hurting competitive play.

It’s also worth noting that early reviews tend to be more critical, especially from hardcore players who expect better.

A mix of hype, accessibility, and brand loyalty helped the game explode at launch, but whether it can hold that audience long-term will depend on how Cygames addresses the criticism.

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About the author

Ishant Jadhav is an Esports and Gaming writer at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing a B.Sc. in animation and VFX — a course that integrates various forms of media — and has worked with game developers, journalists, as well as filmmakers. He's also a game designer who has lent his talents to multiple indie projects.

Ishant's love of gaming was inspired by the Witcher series, and though he prefers single-player experiences, he doesn't restrict himself to them and often plays It Takes Two and Chained Together with his friends.

When Ishant isn't analyzing or playing video games, he can be found indulging in the works of authors like Dan Brown, George R.R. Martin, and more.

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar