Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which earned widespread praise from players following its early campaign access on the 17th, officially launched on the 23rd. While its peak concurrent player count on Steam has since surpassed 220,000, user reviews have been on a steady downward slope ever since the full release.

Beginning with the campaign early access on the 17th, Modern Warfare 4 got off to a smooth start by pulling in a peak of 100,000 concurrent players. Bolstered by historical accuracy and direction focused on the Korean peninsula battlefield, it even managed to secure a 'Very Positive' user rating on Steam for the first time in the franchise's history. Right after the official launch, as players waiting for the multiplayer mode flooded in, the peak concurrent player count climbed all the way to 227,434 as of October 26.

The multiplayer mode unlocked upon official release introduced 'Ballistics Control', a technology that eliminates random bullet spread and integrates operator posture with physical handling, alongside a brand-new gun customization system called Gunny. On top of that, 12 types of 6-versus-6 battlegrounds and the DMZ mode—where resources are extracted to build a hideout in the fictional border region of 'Hajin'—were officially added.

Contrary to the soaring player numbers, user reviews registered after the official launch are lingering at 'Mixed' (3,612 participants, 58% positive), dragging the overall rating down to 'Mostly Positive'. The main culprits are the unreasonable combat environment and high barriers to entry. Server instability resulting in unregistered hits, combined with extended time-to-kill values, has birthed a camping meta dominated by snipers and shotguns. Furthermore, PC players cannot disable crossplay, forcing them to deal with powerful console controller aim assist, while the exhausting matchmaking system prevents any kind of casual enjoyment.

The DMZ mode is also facing loud demands for a standalone PvE mode due to excessive operator recovery costs and extraction point camping issues. Additionally, the anti-cheat system forcing motherboard BIOS updates and TPM 2.0 settings has blocked access entirely for PC bangs or older PCs, pouring fuel onto the fire of negative feedback.

Meanwhile, near the top of the global Steam bestseller list, Phantom Blade Zero climbed to second place, which analysts attribute to the excitement generated by its 88 Metacritic score on the 26th. In addition, the new moon-cleaning title 'Moon Sweepers' has maintained its spot in the rankings for three days straight since its launch on the 23th, drawing considerable attention.