Counter-Strike 2 has hit a new milestone by achieving an all-time record of concurrent players on Steam.
The popular esports title, developed by Valve, reached an all-time peak of 1.86 million concurrent players on April 12, 2025.
This surpassed the highest figure the game had reached in the last three months. This was on March 15, when there was 1.82 million concurrent players on the tactical first-person shooter.
The game is a powerhouse on Steam and 2025 is already shaping up to be a landmark year for the game.
There are a number of high-tier tournaments being held for Counter-Strike 2, which is one of the most popular esports titles of 2025.
Tournaments Help Increase Counter-Strike 2 Popularity
There are several factors to the number of concurrent users who have played Counter-Strike 2.
However, the spike in player numbers align with a packed schedule of elite tournaments.
From April 6-13, PGL Bucharest 2025 saw 16 top teams including FaZe Clan and Team Falcons battle for a $625,000 (£474,000) prize pool. The end result saw Team Falcons clinch victory over G2 in the finals.
The BLAST Open Spring 2025 between March 19 and 30 drew over 850,000 peak viewers. Again, 16 elite teams took part, this time competing for $400,000.
March also featured the ESL Pro League Season 2. The flurry of high-stakes events likely inspired players to jumping back onto Counter Strike 2.
Counter-Strike 2 Changes In 2025
The record for Counter-Strike 2 comes after Valve announced changes to the game’s VRS model earlier this year.
Earlier this year, Valve released significant changes to the Valve Regional Standings model. This is a system that ranks Counter-Strike 2 teams and is tied to invites for sanctioned esports events.
The changes included how forfeits contribute to team rankings and when tournament data is recorded and added to the standings.
Prior to Valve’s adjustments, any forfeits did not contribute to the results which provided some teams with a loophole to give up in matches and avoid their rankings being impacted.
