The concurrent player count for 'Artifact Classic,' a card game Valve has effectively abandoned, surged to the 10k mark starting on the 10th. The game, which usually fluctuates between dozens and hundreds of players, saw a nearly hundredfold increase overnight. However, no clear reason for this rise has been identified. There were no updates, and as it is a free-to-play game, there were no discount promotions, viral videos, or notable community activity to explain the spike.

This has naturally led to suspicions of bots or artificial inflation of player numbers. The influx was concentrated solely on the older 'Artifact Classic' rather than the improved 'Artifact Foundry.' A common theory is that fraudulent accounts are farming playtime to disguise themselves as legitimate users, but these remain mere speculations from the community and foreign media; Valve has not issued an official statement.

This mysterious surge for Artifact is not the first of its kind. Artifact Classic has previously seen its player count jump from dozens to thousands on several occasions, including a spike to 14k in late 2024 before it quickly faded. This is an unusual record for a game that announced the cancellation of its rework and the cessation of updates in 2021. Given that previous spikes have always returned to baseline levels within a few days, it is highly likely that this incident will follow a similar pattern.

ISSUE | Today's News

■ Discount Event | Who Is the Culprit? Steam Social Deduction Games Fest

Valve has launched a major discount event, the 'Steam Social Deduction Games Fest.' As the name suggests, the event highlights social deduction games—a genre centered on identifying hidden traitors—by gathering them together for discounts. Since the popularity of 'Among Us,' social deduction has become a staple genre with a steady stream of new releases. The event, which features discounts on titles such as 'Among Us,' 'Mimesis,' 'Goose Goose Duck,' and 'Quarantine Zone,' runs until 2:00 AM KST on the 17th.

NEW | Upcoming Releases & Updates

■ Release | Stackflow

The strategy roguelike 'Stackflow' officially launched on the 13rd after eight months in early access. It combines Tetris-style gameplay—fitting falling blocks together to trigger chain reactions—with roguelike build-up mechanics. The full release adds new blocks and perks, along with quality-of-life features that allow players to remove or hold blocks while they fall. The game currently maintains a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam, with 93% positive reviews.