Fallout Season 2 Sparks Surge in Player Activity, But Fallout 3 Lags Behind Expectations
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With the conclusion of Fallout season 2 last week, fans have been diving back into the games. Every mainline title and a few spin-offs have seen a surge in players, reminiscent of the excitement during the first season in 2024.
As expected, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 have experienced the highest influx of concurrent players. Fallout 4, the latest single-player entry, peaked at over 60,000 concurrent players during the week following the finale, according to Steam Charts. Fallout 76 attracted over 32,000 players.
Fallout: New Vegas saw over 27,000 players, while Fallout: Shelter managed just over 5,000. Fallout 3 peaked at just under 2,000, closely followed by the original two Fallouts, each with under 1,500. Fallout Tactics, a lesser-known tactical RPG from 2001, surprisingly reached triple digits.
Despite being an online, multiplayer-focused experience, Fallout 76 is the most recently updated entry in the franchise, making it an ideal starting point for newcomers eager to explore the wasteland. Even Todd Howard suggests it as the first stop, given Bethesda’s ongoing commitment to the game.
It’s no shock that Fallout 4 and New Vegas are drawing significant attention on Steam. As the most recent single-player experiences, they enjoy a solid reputation within the community, and the vast array of mods available turns them into a customization playground.
Seeing Fallout: Shelter outperform Fallout 3 is unexpected, but it makes sense considering Shelter is free and has a Sims-like charm. You really can’t beat the price of zero.
The first two Fallouts are a bit niche by today’s standards, and since this data only reflects Steam, we can’t gauge their performance on GOG or other platforms. I’m sure someone at Bethesda is thrilled to see Fallout Tactics break into triple figures again.
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Since it never made it to PC or received any re-releases, I can only speculate that Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, a console-exclusive action RPG from 2004, would surpass all these titles. Forget about remasters for Fallout 3 and New Vegas; that’s where the real potential lies. Todd, you know what needs to happen.
Bethesda is “looking into” crossplay for Fallout 76, but “huge technical hurdles” mean it won’t be arriving anytime soon: “We know players want it.”
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