CSGO is Steam's most-played game in October, beating Dota 2 and PUBG
For the first time ever, Counter Strike:Global Offensive enjoyed the highest monthly average player count of any game on Steam, bringing in more players than PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Dota 2.
Those numbers come from Steam Charts, which has CSGO and Dota 2 trading the daily lead back and forth. CSGO first started peaking above Dota 2 in September, but has started to regularly stand above its rival esports title of late. CSGO averaged 747,937 in October, while Dota 2 came in at 739,924. PUBG trailed by a sizable margin at 637,870.
This follows a
massive dip
in the Dota 2 player count following The International 2019, the ongoing decline of PUBG, and a
growth in the average player count
of CSGO.
While CSGO has been fairly consistent in its numbers, odds are this is not here to stay for an extended period of time. Dota 2 has hit a plateau in its meta of late, with the last major patch arriving in May. The game is set to receive a major shakeup with the Outlanders Update, which will likely draw back a significant number of lapsed fans.
Neither game has hit anything close to PUBG at its peak in late 2017, when the game was luring in multi-million player concurrent player counts. The rise of rival battle royales Fortnite and Apex Legends has seen PUBG’s player count tank in the years since. Though it still enjoys a solid playerbase, it is nothing close to where it was two years ago.
These numbers are strictly related to Steam and do not count the number of players in other titles such as Fortnite and League of Legends.
Regardless, this is great news for CSGO.
Despite being deep into the game’s lifespan, the game has attracted new fans en masse over recent months. Though it wasn’t initially impactful, the move to the free to play format in 2018 has likely paid off. The professional scene has also been booming of late, with a number of popular organizations returning to the game over recent months.
CSGO may or may not maintain its spot as the most-played game on Steam, but the game is in a very healthy place right now.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Counter-Strike
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...
Esports Betting
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool?
Wasif Ahmed
Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions
Owen Harsono
Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...
Counter-Strike
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026
Owen Harsono
We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...
Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions
Owen Harsono
The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...
