BeamNG.drive is gaining momentum on Steam as its player count moves closer to Forza Horizon 6, one of this year’s biggest racing game releases. While Forza Horizon 6 remains the genre leader, Steam data from July shows BeamNG.drive continuing a steady rise following its largest update to date.
Forza Horizon 6 Remains the Biggest Racing Game of the Year
Released in May, Forza Horizon 6 reached more than 300,000 concurrent players on Steam within days of launch. That figure reflects only Steam users and does not include players on Xbox consoles or through Microsoft’s PC platform, where player counts are not publicly disclosed.
Like many major releases, player activity has declined since launch. During July, Forza Horizon 6 averaged just under 29,000 concurrent players on Steam, roughly one-tenth of its peak.
BeamNG.drive Continues to Grow
According to Steam data first highlighted by Overtake, BeamNG.drive averaged 20,660 concurrent Steam players in July, representing an 8.45% increase from the previous period.
The long-running vehicle physics sandbox has been playable in various forms for more than a decade and remains in early access. It also benefits from an active modding community and recently received its largest update so far.
The update incorporates an aspect of Gran Turismo’s open-source tone-mapping system to deliver more lifelike colors and lighting.
Two Racing Games With Very Different Approaches
Although both games rank at the top of Steam’s racing genre, they offer distinctly different experiences.
BeamNG.drive focuses on detailed vehicle physics and a sandbox environment that players customize to create their own experiences. The game has also gained attention through online videos showing vehicles subjected to extreme scenarios, including unusual gravity settings and large jumps.
By contrast, Forza Horizon 6 is designed as an accessible open-world racing game with a more structured format. It also uses limited-time rewards that encourage players to remain active over extended periods.
Steam Rankings Show a Wide Gap to Other Racing Titles
During July, Forza Horizon 6 and BeamNG.drive occupied the top two positions among racing games on Steam. The data also showed a significant gap separating both titles from Assetto Corsa.
BeamNG.drive Reaches a New Milestone
SteamDB data indicates BeamNG.drive’s recent success is part of a long-term trend rather than a short-lived spike in popularity.
Over the past decade, the game’s player base has steadily expanded, with growth accelerating between 2020 and 2021. Following its latest update, BeamNG.drive reached a new concurrent player peak of 47,424 users in July.
The game is developed by an independent team of approximately 70 people located around the world.
July’s Steam figures highlight the continued strength of Forza Horizon 6 while showing BeamNG.drive attracting an increasingly comparable audience on PC. Despite their fundamentally different gameplay styles, the two titles finished the month as Steam’s leading racing games.
