On August 25, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Assault stormed onto the global gaming scene. The game enjoyed a remarkable opening weekend on PC, outperforming all titles from the Souls series and even Sekiro in terms of peak concurrent players.

Diverging from the dark-fantasy RPGs that FromSoftware has been known for in the past decade, Armored Core 6 introduces a high-octane mech action experience. Nonetheless, the game retains the signature elements that fans of the developer cherish, including gratifying combat, a challenging yet equitable difficulty, and the triumphant feeling of conquering numerous obstacles.

Regarded as one of FromSoftware’s most formidable titles to date, Armored Core 6 has posed a significant challenge for players, with many struggling against its tutorial boss. The steep learning curve has even led some players to express their frustration by breaking controllers.

Remarkably, Armored Core 6 attracted an audience of 156,171 concurrent players during its opening weekend, as per data from the Steam database. While it may not have surpassed the monumental success of Elden Ring, it has managed to secure second place in the developer’s illustrious portfolio, outperforming every other FromSoftware release on the PC platform.

Unpacking Armored Core 6’s Achievement Armored Core 6 has exceeded the peak concurrent player counts of recent FromSoftware titles on PC, such as Sekiro (125,315) and Dark Souls 3 (129,975). This achievement is likely influenced by the impact of Elden Ring.

Elden Ring presently ranks as the sixth most popular title on Steam based on its concurrent player count metrics. With a staggering peak of 953,426 players, the iconic game introduced the broader gaming community to FromSoftware’s distinctive design approach.

Given that Armored Core 6 is the first release from the developer since Elden Ring, the game has garnered considerable attention. Judging by review scores, FromSoftware has convincingly demonstrated its versatility beyond a single genre.

The unwavering fan base of earlier Armored Core titles has also played a significant role in the success of the latest installment. While Fires of Rubicon marks the sixth numbered entry in the series, loyal fans have waited over a decade for a fresh Armored Core experience and have turned up in full force for this release.

Nonetheless, not every fan of the franchise finds contentment in the newest Armored Core iteration. Some longstanding enthusiasts have accused the developer of misleading them about the game’s resemblance to the ‘Soulsborne’ titles in the lead-up to its launch, even coining the term “Armored Souls.”

Despite such criticisms, a considerable number of players have embraced Armored Core 6, particularly its unparalleled customization suite. Players have been creatively designing and sharing their eccentric mechs, drawing inspiration from gaming icons like the Minecraft Creeper and Pepsi Man, among others.