Halo Infinite has made a resurgence during this year’s competitive shooter season, joining the ranks of games like Battlefield 2042. The Xbox multiplayer game has achieved its highest concurrent player count on Steam in quite a while, likely due to the influx of content accompanying the latest Season 5: Reckoning.
With the launch of each new Halo Infinite season, the player count tends to rise, but it’s the current season that has witnessed a substantial spike. Halo Infinite Season 5 Reckoning has already reached a peak of 18,007 players, which is nearly triple the game’s typical player count.
The last time player numbers came close to this level was during the Season 2 launch in May 2022 when 21,403 players were recorded on Wednesday, May 4. These player spikes are common with new seasonal content drops, but this marks the most significant player boost for Halo Infinite in about a year and a half.
This surge in players coincides with a fascinating moment, as Battlefield 2042 experienced its highest player count since its launch during the Modern Warfare 3 beta weekend, thanks to its free play period. In contrast, Payday 3 has seen a 90% decrease in its Steam player base, while its predecessor, Payday 2, continues to maintain a steady player population.
While these games are in different situations, it’s an unpredictable period in gaming. Whether Halo Infinite can retain these additional players remains to be seen, and only time will tell.
Halo Infinite Season 5 offers a lot of exciting content, making it a great time to return to the game. It includes Flood-inspired cosmetics, both free and premium battle passes, classic armor skins, new game modes, and more. Although there have been concerns about the Mark V armor from the original game in Halo Infinite Season 5, on the whole, the latest update has been enjoyable so far. The hope is that it will keep players engaged this time.
In the meantime, there are plenty of free games available on Steam for your collection, along with Halo Infinite system requirements if you’re diving into the shooter for the first time.