'When you game! KookminTree's big data game ranking for the first week of September 2026. KookminTree provides game rankings every week based on search big data from portal sites. Let's check out which games gamers have been searching for information about the most this week.

Mobile – Fierce Competition for the TOP 3 with Rookie Entry

Hello. It is time for the first big data game ranking of September 2026. Last week's mobile game chart can be summed up as a fierce battle for third place. Two July releases, 'Yulhyukgangho: Next' and 'Cookie Run: Crumble', traded blows to claim that spot, and Cookie Run: Crumble had the last laugh most recently.

And a week later, following this latest tally, a new horizon has opened. The battleground has expanded from third place to the entire TOP 3. The competing parties have changed as well, creating a scenario where a newcomer debuting in the first week of September stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the first-place 'Roblox' and second-place 'Aion'. Pushed aside by this, Cookie Run: Crumble and Yulhyukgangho: Next both slipped down two spots side by side.

The rookie mentioned here is 'Zeus: Gods of Arrogance', Com2uS' new MMORPG that showed promise right from the pre-registration phase. It officially launched on August 26, opening its doors with 10 server groups totaling 30 servers. It quickly achieved success across both major app markets after opening, and announced the addition of a new server group on September 1. Quite a notable start, to say the least.

Perhaps due to the arrival of such a formidable newcomer, the search volumes for the top two titles dropped slightly. Consequently, the detailed metrics for the top three titles have become quite close. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see any of these titles claim the highest spot next week. Given the circumstances, the possibility of Zeus: Gods of Arrogance taking first place amid its launch hype looks slightly higher, making the results of next week's tally already quite intriguing.

Outside the top 10, two games made notable strides: 'Teamfight Tactics' and 'Random Dice 2'. Among them, Teamfight Tactics pulled off an astonishing leap of 10 spots. The reason is crystal clear: the release of a new set. On August 26, 'Mystic Forest' officially launched on the PC live server, a version incorporating feedback gathered from the test server for about a month.

This set introduced a brand-new mechanic called Guardian Spirits, along with unprecedented traits and units. In particular, jungle monsters like Elder Dragon appeared and caught everyone's eye. Moreover, the game attempted a change by introducing Unreal Engine for the first time in certain contents. During this process, some issues such as lag occurred early in the launch, but anticipation for the new set and negative issues intertwined to generate a massive surge in search volume.

Meanwhile, Random Dice 2 seems to be continuously fueled by its launch momentum. It has been soaring every week and has comfortably settled in the teens. However, as the growth rate of its metrics is naturally tapering off, a new catalyst will likely be needed for it to break into the TOP 10.

Online – Freestyle: Reboot Continues Its Upward Trajectory

The battle for third place that flared up last week continues. Although there were no positional changes this week, the metric gap between 'MapleStory' and 'Lineage Classic' remains within a razor-thin 3%. In fact, the margin has narrowed slightly compared to a week ago. The key takeaway is that the gap failed to widen even after MapleStory rolled out its third summer update.

Amidst all this, the rookie 'Freestyle: Reboot' keeps pushing upward, overtaking 'Minecraft' to claim 9th place. With a rise of just a single spot, one might argue its acceleration has slowed down, but simply bypassing such heavyweight veterans is a massive headline in its own right.

Furthermore, the gap between it and 8th-place 'Valorant' is not that wide. In addition, the intervals between rankings all the way up to 'Overwatch' in 6th place are remarkably tight. Depending on how long Freestyle: Reboot's launch momentum lasts, it has every chance to climb even higher. Let's keep an eye out for the relentless run of this newcomer, a rare sight in the online game category.

Meanwhile, attention is also drawn to 'Diablo II: Resurrected', which jumped 3 spots from outside the top 10. The effect of a new season launch seems to be at play here. Not only search volume, but metrics like PC bang playtime have also gained momentum. Given the current vibe, breaking into the top 10 looks entirely feasible.

Steam – TOP 3 Shifts Take a Brief Pause

The whirlwind activity at the very top of the Steam charts has finally paused. 'Palworld', 'PUBG', and 'Mecha Chameleon' maintained the top three positions. 'Eternal Return', which was aiming to reclaim 3rd place, seemed to run out of steam, ceding its ground to 'Crimson Desert' and 'Sefiria' to slip down to 6th. With quite a steep drop, focusing on fending off the pursuit from 7th-place 'Stardew Valley' should probably be the immediate priority.

And 'Black Myth: Wukong' (15th, +6) made a notable leap. The mid-August discount event combined with the release of a 15-minute gameplay video for its sequel, 'Black Myth: Zhong Kui', appears to be the driving force. The video highlighted hyper-realistic graphics, combat scenes centered on swordplay rather than a staff, and various facets of the protagonist enjoying fishing and music. For fans who enjoyed the original, it was packed with irresistible hooks.

For the record, additional details about Black Myth: Zhong Kui have emerged. The development team announced that it will be a single-player action RPG adopting the same business model as its predecessor, featuring gameplay tailored to a new protagonist, cutting-edge technology, and a differentiated storytelling approach. Platforms will include PC and consoles, and since the release date has not been announced yet, anticipation for the next batch of news is steadily building up.

Pre-registration – Release Dates Rolling Out

'Special Force Remastered' and 'Infinity Nikki' have newly entered the chart. Among them, the former is scheduled for an official launch on September 17. It is a new project inheriting the core gameplay of 'Special Force', which once led the golden age of South Korean FPS games, carrying over the original movement feel, hit feedback, and gun-specific recoil patterns while polishing them with modern tech to meet current players' expectations. Having opened early access on Steam and Epic Games last March to gather various opinions, the developers reportedly plan to actively reflect that feedback in the official release version.

Aside from that, the steady stream of release date announcements is a hot topic. 'Animo' has announced its release for September 16, and 'Infinity Nikki' for January next year. This brings the total number of top 10 games with disclosed service details to seven. With four titles kicking off their journeys in September alone, we can surely expect some lively ranking shifts in that sector.