Plus: Two Weeks of Steam Madness in One!

This analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the PC and console gaming market during late September and early October 2021, focusing on Steam, Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. Utilizing proprietary Hype scores and wishlist data, the report evaluates recent launches and forecasts upcoming performance for major and independent titles. The geographic scope is primarily global for Steam, with specific download and revenue rankings focused on the United States for console platforms.

Key findings highlight the massive success of Amazon Games’ New World, which achieved over 800,000 concurrent users at launch. In the competitive sports segment, FIFA 22 demonstrated strong initial momentum, while its rival eFootball 2022 suffered from significant technical issues and poor user reception. The report identifies a growing trend in the success of niche genres on Steam, such as the 2D fighter Melty Blood: Type Lumina and the co-op title Madness: Project Nexus, which both exceeded expectations in player engagement and reviews.

Looking ahead, the analysis predicts significant launches for Back 4 Blood, estimated to have nearly 2 million wishlists, and The Riftbreaker, which utilized effective wishlist accumulation strategies. On consoles, Diablo II: Resurrected emerged as a dominant force across both Switch and Xbox. The data suggests a stark contrast in discovery across platforms: while Steam remains a viable hub for diverse indie successes, the Xbox market is heavily dominated by AAA titles, making Game Pass the primary discovery vehicle for independent developers on that hardware. Methodology relies on Steam follower counts, concurrent user data, and regional digital storefront rankings to assess commercial viability.