Age of Empires fans have been pleading for a successor for years, so it should come as no surprise that players are eager for a new chapter in the venerable strategy game franchise. With Age of Empires 4 hitting the scene, it’s like a dream come true for the community. It’s not just making waves; it’s practically causing a tsunami over on Steam. The game has more players than any prior edition or re-release, and it’s safely ranked in the top 20 on the platform.
According to SteamDB, immediately after Age of Empires IV’s release, the game had 54,851 active players. It even left heavy hitters like Rocket League and Rainbow Six: Siege playing catch-up for a bit there. At one point earlier this year, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition had a peak player count of 38,725. And the Xbox Game Pass subscribers on PC are other than these numbers.
For a strategy game launch, this is huge—like, record-setting huge. If we’re splitting hairs between ‘tactics’ and ‘strategy,’ sure, Total War: Warhammer still holds a mighty impressive record. But Age of Empires 4’s launch is something special.
