HIGHEST RECORDED STEAM COUNT
247,628 simultaneous players
Recorded in June 2017. Steam Charts’ historical record; earlier or between-sample peaks may be missing.
Multiplayer · STEAM APP 218620
Is PAYDAY 2 dead?
PAYDAY 2 player count, trends & update status · Steam app 218620
ThrivingCompare game
ALIVE AND KICKINGThriving
No, PAYDAY 2 is not dead. 32,226 people were playing on Steam at Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC, which puts it among the busiest games we track.
Check the pulse below for the daily rhythm before you queue.
32,226 on Steam now32,831 24h high+0.6 Sep vs Aug
Checked Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC · Steam API · Steam-only count
Why Steam only?
These numbers count Steam clients running PAYDAY 2 right now, including solo, idle and AFK sessions. They don’t include PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile, Battle.net, Epic, the EA app or other launchers, and they don’t show queue times or server status.
Direct from SteamOct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC
POPULATION HEALTH & MOMENTUM
How this is calculated Thriving
25,000+ Steam clients
29224 average players versus 29043. Source: Steam Charts monthly averages.
Steam players online32,226At the recorded observation time
24h observed high32,831From 45 recorded samples
24h change-1.4%Requires a comparable sample 24h ago
PAYDAY 2 is a multiplayer game from The publisher. Right now 32,226 people are running it on Steam (Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC). In September 2026 it averaged 29,224 concurrent players, up 0.6 from August 2026, with a monthly peak of 36,658. That’s a steady, healthy crowd.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Is PAYDAY 2 dead? FAQ
Is PAYDAY 2 dead in 2026?
No, PAYDAY 2 is not dead. 32,226 people were playing on Steam at Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC, which puts it among the busiest games we track. Our current health signal is Thriving.
How many people play PAYDAY 2?
32,226 people were playing PAYDAY 2 on Steam at Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC. The high over the last 24 hours was 32,831, and the September 2026 average was 29,224. Steam only: console players and other launchers aren’t counted.
Is PAYDAY 2 dying?
Not by our numbers. Its September 2026 average (29,224) was within range of August 2026 (29,043).
Is PAYDAY 2 still being updated?
Yes, regularly. 3 patch posts in the last 90 days; latest: PAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog (Sep 3, 2026).
Is PAYDAY 2 worth playing in 2026?
If you want a crowd, you’ll find one. It also has a single-player mode, so the player count matters less if you play solo.
Steam only: console players and other launchers aren’t counted.
UPDATE CADENCE
Is PAYDAY 2 still being updated?
Yes, regularly. 3 patch posts in the last 90 days; latest: PAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog (Sep 3, 2026).
Dates are publication dates, not verified deployment times. We use publisher patch tags and conservative headline matches; previews and test updates are excluded.
Evidence & freshness Check each source separately
- Player countWithin refresh window
- Monthly historyWithin refresh window
- Publisher feedWithin refresh window
- Store listingWithin refresh window
- Player reviewsWithin refresh window
Freshness describes when we collected a source, not when the game was updated. Missing data is never zero. Review samples and partial daily coverage are labeled separately; a fresh source can still be incomplete.
The latest movement
- +766 Steam players since Oct 6, 2026, 05:55 PM UTC (+2.4%). A snapshot comparison, not a daily growth rate.
- +0.00 percentage points in overall positive reviews since Oct 5, 2026, 09:40 AM UTC. 8 net change in review total; edited or removed reviews can affect this.
Population compares consecutive observations; publisher posts use a separate seven-day window. Neither establishes why the audience changed.
THE SINGLE-PLAYER PERSPECTIVE
Worth playing on your own?
Steam lists both single-player and multiplayer modes. The population signal concerns activity; this section adds the solo perspective.
Steam review totals89% positive674,999 reviews · all languages and purchase types
New reviews · last 30 days89% positive500 sampled reviews · limited coverage · Comparable monthly trend unavailable
Store availabilityListing verifiedSteam US · Store page available · Check store & system requirements
Review percentages describe recommendations, not technical reliability. Recent sentiment uses up to 500 newest reviews; a month-to-month comparison requires complete coverage and at least 20 reviews in each period. An available store listing does not prove offline access, server uptime or purchase availability in every country.
Store checked Oct 6, 2026, 09:55 AM UTC. Reviews checked Oct 6, 2026, 09:55 AM UTC. Read player reviews. See developer involvement below for patch evidence; a finished game does not need ongoing updates.
DEVELOPER INVOLVEMENT
Is anyone still updating it?
Patch evidence and publisher communication, separate from population.
Latest patch evidenceSep 3, 2026PAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog · Publisher patchnotes tag
Version in that announcement247.3Only explicit version numbers in the latest patch headline. Not an installed build check.
Patch announcements · past 90 days3Within the retrieved Steam feed. Posts, not distinct releases.
Latest publisher post: PAYDAY 2: Update 248.2 Changelog · Sep 25, 2026
Recent patch evidence & methodology
- Sep 3, 2026 · PAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog Publisher patchnotes tag
- Aug 19, 2026 · PAYDAY 2: Update 247.2 Changelog Publisher patchnotes tag
- Aug 14, 2026 · PAYDAY 2: Update 247.1 Changelog Publisher patchnotes tag
- May 22, 2026 · PAYDAY 2: Update 246.1 Changelog Publisher patchnotes tag
- Apr 5, 2026 · PAYDAY 2: Update 244.1 Changelog Publisher patchnotes tag
Dates are publication dates, not verified deployment times. We use publisher patch tags and conservative headline matches; previews and test updates are excluded. Untagged updates, other storefronts and changes without announcements may be missing. An older version is not carried forward when the latest patch does not name one.
Single-player perspective: A completed game can remain excellent without frequent patches or a large concurrent audience. Quiet development does not establish abandonment, broken gameplay or loss of offline access. These signals do not lower the population rating.
Source checked Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC · 100 retrieved Steam publisher posts. Tracked games refresh daily while the collector is running; opening a report can refresh the 30-minute cache.
THE HEALTH BRIEF
Activity, momentum, and updates.
Monthly momentum+0.6%September 2026 vs August 2026
Highest recorded concurrency247,628June 2017 · Steam Charts
Latest tagged patch announcementSep 3, 2026PAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog
Momentum compares completed monthly averages. Patch dates are announcement dates, not independently verified deployment times.
The longer view
Average concurrent Steam players · completed calendar months
30K average players
Source retrieved Oct 6, 2026, 05:49 PM UTC. Steam Charts samples hourly; these are averages, not monthly unique players.
View the monthly numbers
| Month | Average players | Change | Recorded peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 29,224.35 | +0.62% | 36,658 |
| August 2026 | 29,043.28 | -3.23% | 35,446 |
| July 2026 | 30,013.9 | +4.17% | 36,062 |
| June 2026 | 28,812.22 | +5.24% | 35,076 |
| May 2026 | 27,378.58 | +41.26% | 36,506 |
| April 2026 | 19,382.37 | -9.08% | 31,053 |
| March 2026 | 21,317.4 | -9.13% | 30,378 |
| February 2026 | 23,459.06 | -0.21% | 31,706 |
| January 2026 | 23,509.45 | -7.46% | 33,781 |
| December 2025 | 25,405.25 | +24.00% | 33,967 |
| November 2025 | 20,487.65 | -11.55% | 32,694 |
| October 2025 | 23,163.79 | -5.75% | 35,373 |
Milestones that matter
Recorded evidence, with its measurement window.
STRONGEST MONTH IN THIS WINDOW
July 2026 · 30,014 average players
The highest monthly average among the 12 completed months displayed above.
LATEST COMPLETED MONTH
September 2026 averaged +0.6% versus August 2026
A comparison of sampled concurrency. It does not measure individual players gained or lost, or establish a cause.
Latest updates & announcements
From this game’s Steam announcement feed.
Sep 252026ANNOUNCEMENT
PAYDAY 2: Update 248.2 Changelog
Sep 172026ANNOUNCEMENTPAYDAY 2: Update 248.1 Changelog
Sep 152026ANNOUNCEMENTPAYDAY 2: Under The Hammer Heist
Sep 152026ANNOUNCEMENTPAYDAY 2: Update 248 Changelog
Sep 32026PATCH NOTESPAYDAY 2: Update 247.3 Changelog
Feed checked Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC. Only Steam’s publisher/community announcement feed is used; broader gaming news is excluded.
OUR OWN RECORDS. EVERY DAY.
Daily population archive
Stored internally · averages, highs, lows and sampling coverage
2026-09-1132,465 max daily average2026-10-06
16 observed days. Muted bars have fewer than 18 sampled UTC hours. Empty slots mark missing days. These are averages of collected samples, not time-weighted estimates.
Daily records & coverage
| Date (UTC) | Average | Low | High | Samples | Hours covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 | 27,232 | 25,008 | 32,226 | 35 | 19/24 |
| 2026-10-05 | 30,737 | 25,646 | 34,105 | 43 | 24/24 |
| 2026-10-04 | 32,465 | 26,678 | 34,788 | 43 | 24/24 |
| 2026-10-03 | 30,685 | 24,496 | 33,623 | 44 | 24/24 |
| 2026-10-02 | 27,266 | 24,080 | 32,051 | 43 | 24/24 |
| 2026-10-01 | 27,480 | 14,310 | 34,334 | 44 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-30 | 30,479 | 19,370 | 36,521 | 43 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-29 | 28,950 | 3,978 | 35,481 | 44 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-28 | 30,842 | 26,165 | 35,626 | 43 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-27 | 28,792 | 26,136 | 31,152 | 31 | 18/24 |
| 2026-09-26 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-25 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-24 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-23 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-22 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-21 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-20 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-19 | 31,908 | 31,773 | 32,133 | 4 | 2/24 · partial |
| 2026-09-18 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-17 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-16 | 26,569 | 24,779 | 29,174 | 4 | 2/24 · partial |
| 2026-09-15 | No observations — gap | ||||
| 2026-09-14 | 31,942 | 26,742 | 35,391 | 43 | 23/24 |
| 2026-09-13 | 31,186 | 25,656 | 36,589 | 45 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-12 | 31,789 | 20,636 | 35,829 | 45 | 24/24 |
| 2026-09-11 | 26,936 | 18,802 | 32,393 | 14 | 8/24 · partial |
Daily aggregates are retained long term. Detailed raw samples are kept for 30 days. Download daily archive CSV.
The latest pulse
Observed Steam concurrency · past 24 hours
32,831Steam players · observed samples
Oct 5, 2026, 06:50 PM UTCOct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC
Last 24 hours: 45 Steam samples, high 32,831, now 32,226. Times in UTC. Tracking since Sep 11, 2026, 04:52 PM UTC. Sampling target: every 30 minutes while the collector is running. Gaps over 45 minutes are not connected.
Is PAYDAY 2 still active?
The latest available observation reports 32,226 players running PAYDAY 2 on Steam, recorded Oct 6, 2026, 06:22 PM UTC. Our health signal is thriving.
Steam lists this title as a multiplayer game. The app-wide count can include solo, local, idle, and online sessions; it does not establish which modes or regions are populated.
Steam only: console players and other launchers aren’t counted.
We do not infer server uptime, human-only player counts, matchmaking speed, or console population from Steam concurrency. Read the full methodology.
