'Lost Ark' is the 2nd most played game in Steam history 24 hours after launch

Source: Amazon Games

Amazon Games has another hit title on its hands. Lost Ark has passed the 1 million concurrent player mark just 24 hours since its release, making it the second most played game in Steam history based on concurrent counts. This Diablo-like MMO launched in the West on February 11. Amazon Games worked with Smilegate RPG to localize and translate Lost Ark and make it available in English. It was first released in 2019 in South Korea, and it has millions of active players in the country and in Russia and Japan.

According to SteamDB, at its all-time peak, the game had 1,325,305 concurrent players, beating out popular titles, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. But as The Verge pointed out, it isn't clear how many are actively playing. Lost Ark became so popular that it ran into server issues, and there's a queue just to start playing. Hopefully, that's levelled out now. It still has a long way to go to beat PUBG for the top spot. PUBG: Battlegrounds had 3,257,248 concurrent players at its all-time peak.

'Monster Hunter Rise' is coming to the PC on Jan. 12

After its debut on Nintendo Switch, Monster Hunter Rise is coming to the PC at the start of the following year. The Capcom RPG series will be landing on Steam on January 12, 2022. 

This Windows release will include all previously available content for the title. Capcom will let you play the game at 4K with an unlocked framerate and on widescreen monitors. The PC version is also getting optimized keyboard and mouse controls and sharper texture than the Switch release.

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Square Enix is set to release first three 'Final Fantasy' pixel remasters on July 28

Square Enix

On July 28, PC players can get their hands on the pixel remaster versions of the first three Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, and Final Fantasy III are coming to Steam first and then Android and iOS the day after, on July 29. You can now pre-purchase the games individually, with pricing starting at USD 12 (around CAD 15), or via a bundle of all six games for around USD 96 (around CAD 119).

There will be three soundtracks and two unique wallpapers for each pre-purchased title. But Square Enix hasn't revealed when the fourth to sixth installment will come out. But they are scheduled for sometime this year.

You can expect completely new graphics and "improved ease of play" with a modernized UI and auto-battle options. There will be extra features like a bestiary, a music player, and an illustration gallery. The soundtrack has been rearranged, but its process was overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Source: Engadget

Valve to hold 'Steam Next Fest' in June

Valve has just rebranded the Steam Game Festival into the Steam Next Fest. It will take place from June 16 to June 22. You can expect tons of demos, discounts, and game streams from six-day event. The event will happen almost simultaneously as the all-digital E3 2021, which is happening from June 15 to 17.

Why the name change? Valve's announcement reads: "We've renamed the Steam Game Festival to more directly communicate its focus. Explore and play hundreds of game demos, watch developer livestreams, and chat with the teams about their games in progress, coming soon to Steam."

Source: Games Radar