Phantom Blade Zero Steam peak tops 431,000

Phantom Blade Zero hit a Steam peak of 431,541 concurrent players at launch. According to Eurogamer, citing SteamDB, that made it Steam's second most-played game behind Counter-Strike 2, and it topped the global top sellers chart.

Phantom Blade Zero Steam launch by the numbers

How big was the Phantom Blade Zero Steam launch?

S-Game's wuxia action game launched on October 28 on PC and PS5. Eurogamer reports it reached 431,541 concurrent players on Steam just hours later. At the time of writing it was Steam's second most-played game, behind only Counter-Strike 2.

It also took first place on Steam's global top sellers chart, climbing 16 places this week, and early user reviews sit at Mostly Positive. TheGamer says the peak is already the fourth-largest concurrent player count of 2026.

Sales: estimates, not official figures

One caveat matters here. S-Game has not announced any sales figures yet. The numbers going around are analyst estimates. Alinea Analytics' Rhys Elliott puts sales at 850,000 copies across PC and PS5, and believes Tencent WeGame sales in China bring the total well above 1 million.

A few days earlier, Elliott estimated 500,000 sales on Steam, with 80,000 of those coming after reviews went live two days before release. We covered the pre-launch estimates in our day-one patch and 1 million estimate story.

How it stacks up against Black Myth: Wukong

Phantom Blade Zero is often compared with Black Myth: Wukong, another Chinese-developed action game. Eurogamer notes that Wukong peaked at 2,415,714 concurrent Steam players in 2024 and is estimated to have sold more than 30 million copies lifetime.

So Phantom Blade Zero's peak is roughly a fifth of Wukong's. Elliott said he does not expect it to reach that level, but still predicts strong sales this year. Eurogamer suggests word of mouth could push the peak above 500,000 by the weekend. That is a forecast, not data.

What did critics say?

Review scores are strong. The Steam page shows a Metacritic score of 88. TheGamer says that at review embargo the game overtook Black Myth: Wukong and Genshin Impact to become the best-reviewed Chinese game of all time.

Not every review is glowing. Eurogamer's Emma Kent criticised a general lack of polish and pace-breaking boss fights, which she felt dampened the best parts of the game: the swordplay and combat. TheGamer senior reporter Sam Woods, meanwhile, says he gave the game his first perfect score in seven years on the job. For a wider roundup, see our Phantom Blade Zero reviews story.

Key details before you buy

• Platforms: PC (Steam) and PS5.
• Steam price: $49.99.
• Full audio: English and Simplified Chinese.
• Developer / publisher: S-GAME Studio / S-GAME Publishing.

Why does this matter? A single-player action game sitting right behind CS2 on Steam is rare. After Black Myth: Wukong, the launch suggests strong ongoing interest in Chinese-made action games. The next few days of player counts will show whether that interest holds.

Live player counts can be tracked on SteamDB, which is where these launch figures come from.

Frequently asked questions

What was Phantom Blade Zero's Steam player peak?

Citing SteamDB, Eurogamer reported a peak of 431,541 concurrent players hours after launch. At the time it was Steam's second most-played game behind Counter-Strike 2.

How many copies has Phantom Blade Zero sold?

S-Game has not announced sales. Alinea Analytics analyst Rhys Elliott estimates 850,000 copies across PC and PS5, with WeGame sales pushing the total well above 1 million.

How does it compare with Black Myth: Wukong?

Eurogamer notes Wukong peaked at 2,415,714 concurrent Steam players in 2024 and is estimated to have sold over 30 million copies. Elliott does not expect Phantom Blade Zero to reach that level.

Sources

• Eurogamer: Phantom Blade Zero Steam launch
• TheGamer: Phantom Blade Zero launches to huge player count
• Steam: Phantom Blade Zero
• SteamDB: Phantom Blade Zero charts