Sons of the Forest’s player count peaks at 260,000, making it the second-biggest launch of the year

Sons of the Forest has had an incredible launch weekend, with its concurrent player numbers hitting 260,000 people, just under four times the launch concurrent player count for the previous title from developer Endnight Games.

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Those numbers make Sons of the Forest 2023’s second-biggest launch in terms of concurrent players. This has been firmly cemented as players flocked to the sequel to 2015’s The Forest, which hit a high of 75,000 players at launch. The survival game doubles down on every element that made the previous title so successful, with a compelling story, deep crafting and building mechanics, and many more grotesque cannibals to defend yourself from.

Steam player tracking site Giyhyp shared the news this morning. The game with the highest number of concurrent players for the year to date is Hogwarts Legacy, with a whopping 877,000 people hopping in over the game’s launch weekend. Of course, that title had an entire brand behind it, driving it forward that fans wanted to engage with on a new level. It wasn’t clear just how popular Sons of the Forest would be until close to its launch when more and more people began talking about it.

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Sons of the Forest is a survival game with deep building and crafting mechanics. Players need to work to survive, gain the aid of other survivors, and uncover the mystery of the island they’ve found themselves on. The story follows on from the original title, adding to the bizarre events that unraveled over the course of that game and bringing a new light to the events of the island. This time, players are in the role of an operative on a rescue mission rather than a father looking for his son, adding a new dynamic while bringing a solid background to the characters you meet and explore.

While the core gameplay is enough to keep fans entertained, the game isn’t without a few extra things to keep players occupied, such as a Big Head Mode. VR is even on the cards in a future update, which will please the growing masses eager to immerse themselves in the horrific survival adventure.