A new report from market research firm Newzoo highlights a growing trend in the gaming industry: PC players using Steam are more likely to engage with noncompetitive player-versus-environment (PvE) games than console users. Based on telemetry data gathered from over one million players, the report reveals that 58% of the games played by Steam users in 2024 were entirely non-competitive. This compares to 42% on PlayStation and 41% on Xbox.
Steam Users Favor PvE
The data reflects an ongoing shift in player behavior on the PC platform, with PvE preferences showing consistent annual growth. In 2021, the share of noncompetitive games played by Steam users was 47%, indicating a steady increase in interest over the past few years. These findings suggest that Steam's audience is increasingly drawn to games that emphasize cooperation, exploration, or single-player experiences rather than competitive play.
Steam is Increasingly More PvE Friendly
PvE Popularity Linked to Game Variety
Newzoo attributes this shift in part to the increasing popularity of socially-oriented games that prioritize cooperative gameplay. While the term "social-focused" may be broad, it appears accurate given the recent success of titles like Helldivers 2, Lethal Company, and Schedule 1, which all feature prominent PvE mechanics and multiplayer collaboration. These games have resonated with players looking for alternatives to the competitive environments common in shooters or battle arenas.
Another contributing factor is the nature of the Steam platform itself. With a lower barrier to entry for developers, Steam hosts a broader variety of indie games, many of which are smaller-scale projects that favor PvE design due to technical and budget constraints. In contrast, console platforms often prioritize larger, more commercially driven titles, which tend to emphasize competitive gameplay to appeal to wider audiences.
Methodology and Limitations of the Data
While the report offers useful insights into player preferences, it is important to consider the limitations of the data. The methodology is based on the number of games a user has played for at least two hours, not on total playtime. This means a player could have spent more time in competitive games, even if they played a greater number of PvE titles. Additionally, the data does not distinguish between singleplayer and multiplayer PvE games, which may lead to some overlap in interpretation.
Another limitation is the geographic scope of the study. Newzoo's panel does not include data from China or India, two of the largest gaming markets globally. As a result, the report does not fully reflect worldwide gaming trends, and the preferences identified may be more representative of Western markets and PC users with access to Steam.
Frequent Players More Likely to Prefer PvE
The report also identifies a correlation between how many games a player engages with annually and their preference for PvE titles. Across all three platforms, users who play a higher number of different games per year are more likely to prefer noncompetitive content. However, the trend is more pronounced on Steam. Newzoo describes this as a “hockey stick effect,” where the likelihood of favoring PvE games increases sharply once a player engages with more than one game per year.
This behavior may reflect the interests of more dedicated PC gamers, who often explore a wide range of titles and genres. While competitive games tend to dominate among casual users or those who play only a few titles, PvE games appear to attract more frequent players who invest time in learning game mechanics, building communities, and contributing to online resources such as wikis and forums.
Players Prefer PvE
Broader Implications for the Games Industry
Newzoo’s findings align with broader shifts in the industry, where player engagement is no longer centered exclusively around competitive performance. While competitive multiplayer games remain a dominant force, the rising popularity of PvE content suggests a diversification in gaming experiences. This is especially relevant for developers and publishers looking to meet the evolving preferences of the PC gaming audience.
In addition, the increasing appeal of cooperative and narrative-driven games may influence how studios allocate resources, particularly within the indie sector. Steam’s ecosystem continues to support experimental and nontraditional formats, encouraging a wider variety of game designs that prioritize exploration, collaboration, and user creativity over competition.
Although the data is not comprehensive of global markets and may contain some classification ambiguities, it provides a strong indication of the growing role PvE games are playing within the Steam community. As platforms continue to evolve and user preferences shift, noncompetitive gaming is likely to remain a key area of interest for PC players.
