Japanese hardcore is back, and so loudly that Valve’s servers seem to be sweating. The release of the long-awaited Nioh 3, which took place on the morning of February 6 on PC and PlayStation 5, has already been called phenomenal.
In fact, this soulslike from Koei Tecmo beat all its predecessors in a couple of hours after the launch. Peak online traffic, by the way, exceeded 55,000 people in the very first moments, which is an absolute space for the series.
Table of Contents
The numbers don’t lie: multiple audience growth
If you dig deeper into the SteamDB data, the situation looks even cooler than it seems at first glance. To date, the Nioh 3 simultaneous user count has almost reached 85,000 — and this is, frankly, the best result in the history of the franchise.
It’s interesting to compare:
-
The original Nioh (2018) — a measly 10,649 players at its peak.
-
The sequel to Nioh 2 (2021) has already attracted a solid 41,325 users.
-
Nioh 3 (2026) — 85 000+.
Obviously, this is the most successful launch in the history of Koei Tecmo on the Steam platform.
The secret of success: giving up exclusivity
The main driver of this rise, apparently, was the publisher’s decision to roll out the game on all platforms at once. Earlier, by the way, PC fans were in “waiting mode” while PlayStation 4 owners were hacking at demons with might and main.
Critics also added fuel to the fire — Nioh 3 received an impressive 86 points on Metacritic. This is higher than the second part (85), although the first game with its 88 points still holds the bar. However, who cares when the project has already become the most highly rated release of 2026?
What’s next?
The project has already consolidated its status as the main AAA hit of the beginning of the year. Apparently, Team Ninja has found the perfect formula. Chaotic, intense, and extremely difficult—just the way we love it. It seems that Koei Tecmo has now finally gained a foothold in the Steam top league.
