The maximum simultaneous user count of newly released games developed by domestic game companies and launched on the PC game platform 'Steam' last year has dropped by about 90% compared to the initial release.
According to Steam statistics site SteamDB on the 21st, the maximum simultaneous user count for Nexon's 'The First Descendant' was recorded at 17,000, a decrease of about 94% from 265,000 achieved right after its release. 'The First Descendant' attracted attention from the global gaming industry upon its release last July, thanks to its sophisticated graphics utilizing Unreal Engine 5 and bold character design.
However, the lack of content compared to similar loot shooter games has hindered its growth, leading to a rapid departure of players. Although the production team significantly improved many of the user-identified issues with the Season 2 update last month, the number of departing users has not recovered.
The same applies to 'Throne and Liberty' (TL), which NCSOFT launched through publishing by Amazon Games last October. The maximum concurrent user count for TL's global version over the past 24 hours was 38,000, down about 89% from 336,000 at launch. Online communities have noted that while TL's Player vs. Player (PvP) elements are well-designed, its Player vs. Environment (PvE) content is poor, making it difficult to fully enjoy the game unless one prefers PvP as a hardcore gamer.
In addition, 'Star Becomes 2', introduced on Steam in early last year by HYBE's gaming subsidiary HYBE IM, saw its maximum daily concurrent user count fall from around 9,800 to below 1,000 for the PC version.
Of course, it should be noted that most live service games tend to attract users shortly after their release before stabilizing downward, and these games have launched not only on Steam but also on their own platforms and console devices. However, the sharp decline in user numbers is considered unusual when compared to other live service games like 'Path of Exile 2', 'Marvel Rivals', and 'Delta Force', which were also released on Steam last year.