Nioh 3 has only been out a few hours, but it’s already the biggest Nioh game on Steam ever.
While its two predecessors — called Nioh and Nioh 2, predictably enough — did eventually make it to Steam, the PC releases came several months after the PlayStation debuts.
Now, however, arriving on Steam on release day in parity with its PlayStation version, Nioh 3 is already the biggest Nioh game in the franchise’s history, with over 54,400 concurrent players at the time of writing (and rising the entire time I’m writing this). By comparison, according to SteamDB, the first game only reached a peak of around 10,649 concurrents, and the sequel reached 41,325.
“Nioh 3 delivers best-in-class combat that revitalizes the established formula with a fantastic split between Samurai and Ninja styles, as well as a triumphant move to an open-world structure,” we wrote in IGN’s Nioh 3 review, which returned an ‘Amazing’ 9/10.
“Even in a genre that’s become as saturated as the soulslike, there’s still nothing that hits quite like the Nioh series, and Nioh 3 stands out as the best of the trilogy. The move to an open world structure isn’t perfect, but the rewarding exploration, gorgeous landscapes, and thrilling optional boss battles mostly cover any minor issues.
“Strap on top of that best-in-class combat, hugely customizable build crafting, a lengthy campaign with a deep New Game+ mode where the loot system actually shines, and a godsend of an auto-equip feature before you get there, and you’ve got yet another Team Ninja banger that sits at the top of the soulslike genre,” we said.
Nioh 3 is out today (February 6) on PC via Steam and PS5, but the game’s latest trailer suggests Xbox and possibly Nintendo Switch 2 owners may not have to wait long for a version of their own. Don’t forget that you can try before you buy with a demo and yes, your progress carries over to the full game.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
