Age of Empires 4 exceeds 70,000 concurrent players on launch weekend

Age of Empires 4 had a very good opening weekend on Steam. Relic and World’s Edge’s revival of the Age of Empires franchise over a decade after its last entry is off and running, topping the Top Sellers list, and breaching 70,000 concurrent players at its peak during launch weekend.

For comparison, that number is double what Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition saw, and it looks like the game is finding its player base well given that it peaked today at 73,928, putting the game in the top 20 played games. Meanwhile, its sales put it ahead of hits like Back 4 Blood, Phasmophobia, and New World.

The game always had the lingering question hovering above its head on whether real-time strategy games have a place in the current PC gaming landscape, and these numbers seem to emphatically indicate that they’re poised for a comeback, or at the very least that there’s an audience for them now. It helps that it’s currently available on Game Pass for PC, meaning that players who signed up for the service can check it out without much risk. Even so, it's still gaining ground elsewhere, which is a good sign.

Though Age of Empires 4 won’t exactly light the gaming world on fire with innovation, it’s still a strong entry in the series that respects its own history. It’s getting great reviews across the board, at least, so word is out that it’s a game worth paying attention to.

Age of Empires 4 is available now for PC.