Phantom Blade Zero has sold more than 4 million copies within its first 72 hours on sale, making it Steam’s biggest launch of 2026 so far. Developer S-Game announced the milestone on the game’s official X account, thanking players for their support.
The third-person action game is available on Steam and PlayStation 5, with additional PC sales through China-exclusive platform WeGame. S-Game has not provided a breakdown of sales by platform, meaning the exact number of copies sold on Steam remains unclear.
“Thank you everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all the love and support!” the developer wrote in its announcement.
Phantom Blade Zero Sets a New Steam Launch Record for 2026
Phantom Blade Zero had already generated considerable interest before its release. Alinea Analytics analyst Rhys Elliott previously estimated that the game had sold more than 1 million copies before launch, setting expectations for a strong commercial debut.
The game’s Steam player numbers reflected that interest. Phantom Blade Zero attracted more than 431,000 concurrent players at launch, with its player count continuing to rise throughout the opening weekend. According to SteamDB, the game eventually reached a peak of 833,921 concurrent players.
These figures make Phantom Blade Zero the biggest new Steam release of 2026 so far, surpassing Forza Horizon 6 and outperforming other major releases, including Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Ace Combat 8.
However, the reported sales milestone covers all supported platforms, rather than Steam alone. Without a platform-specific breakdown, it is not yet possible to determine how much of the game’s commercial success can be attributed to Valve’s storefront.
Phantom Blade Zero Trails Black Myth: Wukong’s Record
Despite its strong opening, Phantom Blade Zero has yet to match the launch performance of Black Myth: Wukong, another major action game developed by a Chinese studio.
Released in 2024, Black Myth: Wukong became one of Steam’s biggest launches, reaching a peak of 2,415,714 concurrent players. The game has also been estimated to have sold around 30 million copies since its release, establishing a significant commercial benchmark for Chinese-developed AAA games.
Phantom Blade Zero’s peak of 833,921 concurrent players is considerably lower, although its opening performance still places it among the platform’s most successful launches. Its longer-term sales performance will determine whether it can approach the commercial reach achieved by Black Myth: Wukong.
Reviews Highlight Combat and Presentation, but Criticise the Narrative
Critical reception to Phantom Blade Zero has highlighted its visual presentation, animation quality, and combat system, although some reviewers have raised concerns about consistency and the narrative. People have praised the game’s environments and animations, noting that its combat can deliver a satisfying sense of momentum. However, others criticised encounters that interrupt that flow, particularly boss battles that can make combat feel less dynamic.
These reviews also identified an underwhelming narrative and inconsistencies across the experience as weaknesses. These criticisms suggest that, despite its commercial success, Phantom Blade Zero has areas that could divide players. Its strong launch nevertheless demonstrates substantial interest in S-Game’s take on third-person character-action gameplay.
With more than 4 million copies sold in three days and a peak of over 833,000 concurrent Steam players, Phantom Blade Zero has established itself as one of 2026’s biggest gaming releases. Its performance over the coming weeks will show whether it can maintain that momentum and move closer to the sales achievements of Black Myth: Wukong.
