Today I want to share something a bit different: a personal and reflective journey through the statistics of racing games on Steam. Not to decide which is better or worse (that’s up to you!), but to observe, understand, and ask ourselves… what’s really going on in this scene?
Let’s get something clear: popularity does not equal quality. Just because a game has more players doesn’t mean it’s automatically better. If that were true, the Wii might be the second-best console in history and we all know that’s not quite right.
Also, keep in mind: this data only reflects Steam. It excludes consoles and other PC launchers. While Steam dominates the PC space, there are notable exceptions, like iRacing, which lives almost entirely outside of Steam.
Assetto Corsa: The Immortal
One of the greats. Assetto Corsa , the original, continues to be an absolute beast. In 2025, it still sees around 6,500 concurrent players, with recent peaks near 23,000. A game over a decade old!
Since COVID, the trend has been upward. Why? Because even without official support, mods, community content, and pure driving feel have kept it alive like few others.
Stability vs. Competizione
Assetto Corsa Competizione never had the same boom. It’s more refined, more modernbut it didn’t click the same way. It’s held steady at 3,000–5,000 peak players for years now, which is not bad at all. Its biggest weakness? A lackluster built-in competition system.
️RaceRoom: Does Free Help?
RaceRoom recently made everything 100% free for a month. The result? A 50% increase in players—up to around 1,300.
Is that a success? It’s something, sure. But when you make everything free, one might expect more. Imagine if iRacing did that for a month… I’m guessing we’d see more than a 50% bump.
RFactor 2: End of the Line
rFactor 2 was steady for years. But now, with Le Mans Ultimate gaining traction, RFactor 2 has less than 200 players.
Its time is simply over. Updates have stopped. It’s been left behind. And that’s okay. It served its purpose well.
Forza Horizon: Still Riding High
Forza Horizon 5 is a great example of a title that’s thriving even on Steam, despite also being on Game Pass and Xbox. Over 15,000 daily players just on Steam is massive.
Even Horizon 4, no longer available for digital purchase, still has around 6,000 daily players. That’s wild.
Forza Motorsport: A Lost Opportunity
This one hurts. Forza Motorsport had all the ingredients, but launched in a deeply unfinished state. Less than 1,000 players now. Deserved… but still a shame.
Even after improvements, the damage is done.
Automobilista 2: Wasted Potential
This one hurts even more. Automobilista 2 had so much potential. And when they launched a decent online ranking system, player count quadrupled overnight… but then it dropped just as fast.
Why? Because there’s no native competitive mode. And without it, the game just can’t keep players engaged.
iRacing: In a League of Its Own
Steam shows only a few hundred players, but iRacing actually has over 10,000 players in real-time via its own launcher.
- Remember, you can join iRacing clicking here.
It’s expensive, yes. But they give people what they want: stable online racing, consistent updates, and serious competition. It works.
Assetto Corsa EVO: Early Access Misfire
Two months post-launch, and Assetto Corsa EVO has dropped from 25,000 to under 400 players.
Why? Because there’s nothing to do. Good driving physics and graphics, sure. But without content or progression, it’s just hotlapping.
This is what happens when you launch too early.
You can buy it from 23 euros in our Instant Gaming link:
Le Mans Ultimate: Doing Things Right
The opposite of EVO. Le Mans Ultimate had a poor start, but they’ve steadily improved.
With version 1.0, it recently hit a peak of 8,400 players—incredible for a game that was nearly dead months ago. The key? Delivering organized, functional racing. It’s not rocket science.
Euro Truck Simulator 2: The Champion
You won’t believe it, but Euro Truck Simulator 2 destroys most sim racers in numbers: 43,000 daily players!
Add American Truck Simulator’s 10,000 and we’re talking over 50,000 players driving trucks every day. A testament to the brilliant work of SCS Software.
Other Notable Mentions
- BeamNG.drive: Incredible physics sandbox with 20,000+ daily players. Not a traditional sim, but clearly doing something right.
- F1 25: Solid numbers at 7,000 daily players, but older F1 titles are fading fast—as they should.
- MotoGP 25: Great game, but much smaller audience. Around 1,000 daily players.
- Wreckfest 2: Still in early access, and struggling. Like so many others, it released too early.
- Rennsport: At this point, it’s baffling that it still exists. Under 100 players. Enough said.
This wasn’t about winners or losers—but the numbers tell a story. Some survive on scraps, others waste their potential, and a few surprise us all.
What’s clear is that sim racing is alive and well. Some stories are success tales, others disappointments, but all offer something to learn.
What surprised you the most? Which games stood out for better or worse?
Happy Racing!
This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
