2022 was another big year for Steam, with Valve’s platform breaking concurrent user records, but what were all those folks actually playing? Sure, breakout Steam hits like Vampire Survivors grabbed headlines, and stuff like DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike are always popular, but what’s the full picture look like?
Well, Valve has released their 2022 list of Steam’s best sellers (which actually measures which games produced the most gross revenue, rather than unit sales). Valve doesn’t provide an exact ranking, instead sorting them into pools – Platinum for the #1 through #12, Gold for #13 to #24, and Silver for #25 to #50. They’re listed here in alphabetical order.
Platinum
Apex LegendsCall of Duty: Modern Warfare IICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveDestiny 2DOTA 2Dying Light 2 Stay HumanElden RingLost ArkMonster Hunter RiseNaraka: BladepointPUBG BattlegroundsYu-Gi-Oh! Master DuelGold
Cyberpunk 2077Dead by DaylightFIFA 23Forza Horizon 5God of WarGrand Theft Auto VRainbow Six SiegeReady or NotRed Dead Redemption 2Total War: Warhammer IIIWar ThunderWarframeSilver
Black DesertCities: SkylinesCivilization VICult of the LambFIFA 22Final Fantasy XIVHunt: ShowdownIt Takes TwoLego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaNBA 2K22PhasmophobiaProject ZomboidRaftRimworldRustSea of ThievesSpider-Man RemasteredStellarisStrayTeam Fortress 2The Elder Scrolls OnlineThe ForestThe Sims 4V RisingWarhammer 40K: DarktideSome interesting results! Stuff like Elden Ring and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II aren’t a huge shock, but Dying Light 2, Monster Hunter Rise, and Lost Ark did better than I thought. Also, I guess everyone still loves Yi-Gi-Oh! Go figure. Valve also listed the most-played Steam games, grouped by whether they surpassed certain peak player milestones. While these largely mirror the highest-grossing games, there are some key differences.
Over 240K Peak Players
Apex LegendsArk: Survival EvolvedCall of Duty: Modern Warfare IICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveDestiny 2DOTA 2Dying Light 2 Stay HumanElden RingGoose Goose DuckLost ArkPUBG BattlegroundsYu-Gi-Oh! Master DuelOver 130K Peak Players
Cyberpunk 2077Grand Theft Auto VMonster Hunter RiseMultiVersusNaraka: BladepointNew WorldPath of ExileRustTeam Fortress 2Total War: Warhammer IIIV RisingOver 75K Peak Players
Civilization VIDead by DaylightDead HungerFIFA 22FIFA 23Football Manager 2022Football Manager 2023Left 4 Dead 2Need for Speed HeatRaftRainbow Six SiegeStar Wars: The Skywalker SagaTerrariaThe ForestThe Sims 4The Witcher 3UnturnedValheimVampire SurvivorsWar ThunderWarframeWarhammer 40K: DarktideWarhammer: Vermintide 2What do you think? Surprised by this year’s Steam hits? Which games listed above did you pick up?