Baldur’s Gate 3 finally dethroned as most-played Steam Deck game by this breakout hit

The Top 20 Steam Deck games of February have been revealed, and Baldur’s Gate 3 has finally been pushed off its number one spot.

Each month the official Steam Deck social media team posts the Top 20 Most Played Games on the handheld by hours played. The news may not be as alluring as details about the alleged Steam Deck 2, yet they still provide great insight as to what Deck owners have been busy playing.

Since August 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 has been dominating the most-played Steam Deck games list. Month in and month out, the D&D-based RPG has taken the top spot, beating out hugely popular titles like Elden Ring and Stardew Valley. There seemed to be no end in sight for Baldur’s Gate 3 and its popularity as the top game to play on the go.

Finally, the brand-new list for February has been revealed, and not only has Palworld knocked the RPG off its Steam Deck throne, but Persona 3 Reload and Helldivers 2 have found themselves among the ranks of the top Steam Deck games.

It’s RPG central

Cygames

With the overwhelming popularity of the “Pokemon with guns” game, its number one spot should come as no surprise. Last month, Palworld made its debut on the list, sitting just behind Baldur’s Gate 3 as the second-most-played game. Now, its popularity has made it a more popular choice for the handheld.

What is surprising is the introduction of several brand-new RPGs. Persona 3 Reload is one of the newest additions to the list, with the RPG beating out mainstays like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. While it’s taken the number three spot, the remake originally didn’t perform well on the Steam Deck until a hotfix was implemented to help with performance issues.

However, Persona 3 Reload isn’t the only new RPG to make the list. Granblue Fantasy: Relink and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth also find themselves among the Top 20 Steam Deck games for the first time. With the squad-based live-service shooter, Helldivers 2 also joined their ranks.

Baldur’s Gate 3 finally being pushed from its Top 20 Steam Deck games throne is surprising, but it’ll likely remain as one of the Top 20 Steam Deck games for months more to come. Over time the game has received performance updates making it more optimized for the handheld. With titles like Persona 3 Reload also becoming better optimized for the Deck, it’ll be intriguing to see if performance updates will help cement the game’s Top 20 status.