These were the biggest games on Steam (and Steam Deck) in 2023
Valve on Wednesday offered a behind-the-scenes look at Steam's biggest games of 2023, revealing which titles dominated the sales charts on the biggest digital platform for PC gaming. Valve also announced which games Steam users – and Steam Deck owners – played most this year, with Baldur's Gate 3, Hogwarts legacy, StarfieldAnd Sons of the forest appear in several top 12 lists.
Some of the data won't be too surprising to Steam users who pay attention to it Valve's publicly available statistics; perennial Steam favorites such as Counterattack 2 (no Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), Dota 2, PUBG: BattlefieldsAnd Apex Legends are well represented in the lists of best-selling and most played games. But 2023 brought new contenders, such as The finale And Deadly companyto Steam's most played games.
Valve doesn't provide specific sales figures or numbered rankings, but rather reveals the top 100 Steam games in multiple categories, splitting each 100-game list into multiple tiers based on sales or play performance:
- Platinum: 1st – 12th
- Gold: 13th – 24th
- Silver: 25th – 50th
- Bronze: 51st – 100th
The company's data covers the period from January 1 to December 15 this year, so high-performing latecomers in 2023 like The finale usually missed a higher ranking on Valve's lists. Here's a look at the biggest, most played, and best-selling games on Steam this year.
Best-selling games on Steam in 2023
The top 12 (platinum-tier) games on Steam, based on total gross revenue earned in 2023, include numerous free-to-play titles such as Apex Legends And Lost Arkin addition to paid premium games such as Hogwarts legacy And Starfield. (Publisher Activision also mentions Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3And War zone so simple Duty on Steam, to explain that naming convention.)
- Apex Legends
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Duty
- Counterattack 2
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Lot 2
- Dota 2
- Hogwarts legacy
- Lost Ark
- PUBG: Battlefields
- Sons of the forest
- Starfield
Just outside the top 12, in the 'gold' sales level, cool games like Dead by daylight And Grand Theft Auto 5in addition to newer releases such as the Resident Evil 4 recreate and EA SportsFC24.
Bestselling new games on Steam in 2023
Only a third of the top 12 best-selling games on Steam this year were actually released in 2023, so Valve is highlighting the new release's bestsellers separately. It also bases the following list on the first two weeks of earnings after launch.
- Armored Core 6: Burning Rubicon
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Cities: Skylines 2
- EA SportsFC24
- Hogwarts legacy
- Payday 3
- Remnant 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Sons of the forest
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Starfield
- Street fighter 6
Notable new releases from 2023 such as Empty space, Mortal Kombat 1And Party Animals ranked in the gold tier, while Diablo 4, Lies from PAnd Six days in Fallujah ranked in the silver category. (Valve did not reveal any bronze data.)
Most played Steam games of 2023
The most played Steam games of 2023 is a largely well-known list, with venerable favorites Counterattack 2, Dota 2And Lot 2 ranking in the top 12. Newcomers to the most played list include big hits like Baldur's Gate 3 And Hogwarts legacyalongside challengers like Goose Goose Duck.
Here you'll find the top 12 most played Steam games of the year, all peaking at over 300,000 concurrent players. (Valve said it excludes games with “short spikes in player count due to things like giveaways and free weekends.”)
- Apex Legends
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Counterattack 2
- Lot 2
- Dota 2
- Goose Goose Duck
- Hogwarts legacy
- Lost Ark
- PUBG: Battlefields
- Sons of the forest
- Starfield
Most played games on Steam Deck in 2023
Steam users played many familiar favorites on the go this year, including blockbusters Baldur's Gate 3 And Starfieldin addition to smaller dishes such as Dave the diver And Vampire survivors. The original Half-life also made the top 12 most played Steam Deck games, almost certainly because Valve made it free for its 25th anniversary.
Valve says the list of most played Steam Deck games was measured by “daily active player counts throughout the year.”
- Armored Core 6: Burning Rubicon
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Dave the diver
- Elden Ring
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Half-life
- Hogwarts legacy
- Resident Evil 4
- Starfield
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Vampire survivors
Just outside the top 12 Steam Deck games are notable 2023 releases such as Diablo 4, DredgingAnd Risk of return of rain.