Owlcat Games has just released its third RPG, this time based on another renowned IP — Warhammer 40,000. Here is how the game’s launch went in terms of reviews and player count.
Launched on December 7, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a story-focused CRPG with turn-based combat. Players control a six-person party, exploring the systems within the Koronus Expanse and serving the interests of the Imperium.
The game received generally favorable reviews from critics. Its average score ranges from 75 (PC) to 80 (PS5) on Metacritic, with most calling it a great adaptation of the Warhammer 40k universe and praising it for its core RPG mechanics and tactical combat. However, some journalists criticized the game for many (including quest-breaking) bugs and the overcomplication of certain elements.
On Steam, Rogue Trader currently has an 88% rating based on 489 reviews. It is worth noting that the score could change for better or worse in the future, given that it is a vast, complex game and many players are now only beginning their walkthroughs. But early reviews indicate that people are happy to finally get a proper Warhammer CRPG.
According to SteamDB, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader peaked at 28,630 concurrent players, and the current dynamic shows that the game may cross the 30k mark over the weekend when more users will be able to try the game.
Right now, Rogue Trader ranks 2nd among other Owlcat titles by peak CCU — above Pathfinder: Kingmaker (22.6k), but below Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (46.7k).
UPDATE (December 11): Over the weekend, Rogue Trader reached 45,405 concurrent players, just 1,320 short of Pathfinder 2’s lifetime high.
The 28k peak may not seem impressive compared to other major launches of 2023. However, this is a solid result for the genre. In terms of concurrent players, Rogue Trader currently ranks 9th among 1,455 games with the CRPG tag. It is behind Star Wars: The Old Republic (34k), Pillars of Eterntiy (41.9k), and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (46.7k).
Two games from Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2, are the top two CRPGs on Steam by peak CCU — 875k and 93.7k, respectively.
Top 15 CRPGs on Steam by peak concurrent players (via SteamDB)
Originally founded in 2016 as a subsidiary of MY.GAMES, Owlcat is now an independent studio based in Nicosia, Cyprus. It is best known for games in the Pathfinder series, which were funded mainly via Kickstarter. Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous have sold over 1 million copies each. However, Owlcat lost ownership of Kingmaker when it went independent in 2019, so it is no longer able to receive revenue from its sales.