Why Nioh 3 Is Off to the Biggest PC Start in Series History

Koei Tecmo's rise seems real, especially after seeing the Nioh 3 Steam Player Count in recent days. According to SteamDB, the souls-like action RPG peaked at 88,045 concurrent players three days ago, and currently, 40k+ players are playing through the Steam platform. Let's be honest, in a world where most souls-like enjoyers lean towards popular franchises like Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, and Bloodborne, Koei Tecmo's Nioh series is quite underrated.

Initially revealed during Sony's State of Play last year, Nioh 3 created hype around the community, with its gameplay mechanics and highly rewarding combat. However, who would've thought Nioh 3 would surpass its predecessors even in the numbers game?

Nioh 3 Actually Outplayed Predecessors in The Number Game

We've already discussed the mammoth 87k+ concurrent players that Nioh 3 garnered recently, and with it, Nioh 3 Steam Player Surge surpassed its predecessors. While Nioh started with barely 10k+ peak, and Nioh 2 peaked at 41,325 concurrent players around five years ago, nobody would've thought Nioh 3 Steam Player Count would be this astounding.

Also, taken into account the numbers are only from Steam, while the game has launched simultaneously on PlayStation 5 as well. And if you are playing the game, check out our coverage on how to use Nioh 3 Character Codes.

What Made Nioh 3 Standout Among the Mainstream Titles

Looking at the gameplay, Nioh 3 features a massive open world, enabling players to discover secret places and bosses. Fighting those bosses will grant pivotal in-game resources that'll be helpful in the long run. Coming from my personal experience, Nioh 2 was extremely technical, whereas its successor offers fluid mechanics. That's one of the reasons players are leaning towards this RPG, and results are showing in the Nioh 3 Steam Player Count.

Additionally, Nioh 3 is set in a completely different period (Edo Period), and focuses on Tokugawa Takechiyo's journey to become a shogun. While Nioh 3's previous iterations focused on personal revenge and identity crisis, the current souls-like takes you on a journey where you experience a sibling feud. The game features two simple endings: you either decide to execute Kunimatsu or spare him and work alongside him in the future. So, it's quite evident that the ending depends on your choice. This is something new for the franchise.

Another big reason has been the availability of the Nioh 3 public demo. Before the major release, Koei Tecmo always releases a demo, which lured a huge chunk to ultimately purchase the base game. And that's what happened in Nioh 3's case. Additionally, with the growing popularity of souls-like games like Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring, Nioh 3 has popped up at the right moment.

The Community Can't Stop Praising Takechiyo's Journey in Nioh 3

As of this writing, there are over 1926 reviews of Nioh 3 on Steam, and mostly positive. Meanwhile, it has also recieved 86 meta score on Metacritic. It's quite evident that the title has certainly gained immense popularity over time, and the Nioh 3 Player Count is clearly solid proof of that. While some praised its gameplay mechanics, some appreciated the open world. Interestingly, some even called this Team Ninja's Elden Ring.

One of the Steam users, Half Aluminium Chemist, has mentioned that they have been a huge fan of the Nioh series, and Nioh 3 didn't fail to meet those quality standards. Another user named LatoreRisus has mentioned how the open world and its combat mechanics kept them busy.

Nioh 3's sudden rise is a sign that gamers do care about underrated titles. However, it's just a start. Now that Koei Tecmo has reached this standard, the community will expect the authority to make its successor even more exciting and engaging. That's all we have to discuss on Nioh 3 Steam Player Count. If you are initially starting with the RPG, check out our updated Nioh 3 Beginner's Guide for the latest tips and tricks