Days before launch, Starfield claims Steam's #1 top seller spot from Baldur's Gate 3

Starfield
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Starfield is sitting proudly at the top of Steam's top-seller charts days before its official release.

It's among the most anticipated titles of the year, and the wait is almost over, as Starfield officially launches next week on September 6. As we near that all-important date, scores of fans are getting their pre-orders in on Steam, so many in fact that it's currently outselling the mighty Baldur's Gate 3 on Valve's platform.

The Steam top sellers chart for the US shows Starfield currently holds the number one spot, while free-to-play FPS Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is at number two, just above Larian's acclaimed CRPG. FromSoftware's latest offering, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, is currently fourth, its popularity no doubt fuelled by the success of Elden Ring. At number five, we have Sea of Stars, the stunning JRPG from the team behind the quirky time-travelling Metroidvania The Messenger.

Over on the Starfield subreddit, fans are delighted to see Bethesda's ambitious space RPG performing so well ahead of launch. "Just bought it, can't wait," one writes in the comments. Another notes how impressive it is "considering PC and Xbox game pass are going to take away a lot of Steam sales."

Others users, such as Malatar_The_Black, think it's a great year to be an RPG fan, but joke that finding the hours to play all these expansive titles could be an issue. "Honestly, it's just so wonderful that we've got games like Starfield and BG3 coming out. My only real problem is not enough time to spend playing both..." User Rawrz720 says, "BG3, Starfield and the Cyberpunk expansion all in the span of like a month is ridiculous for RPG fans."

The hype for Starfield has been steadily growing thanks to events like the Starfield Direct showcase, an hour-long presentation where Bethesda discussed the shape and scope of its upcoming RPG and provided a deep dive into its various gameplay mechanics. Then, earlier this month, as part of Gamescom 2023, we saw a new live-action trailer, and Todd Howard took to the stage to explain the game's opening mission.

We'll have to wait and see whether Starfield will continue to dominate the charts when it finally arrives in just a few days on September 6. So far, though, things are looking very promising.

Elsewhere, Bethesda teased Starfield's opening at Gamescom, and its scope is up there with Fallout and Skyrim.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.