The 2016 title Grim Dawn is enjoying a second golden age. After hitting the second spot on Steam’s global top sellers list last weekend, the game has been breaking its all-time concurrent player records on a daily basis.

The catalyst is the new expansion, 'Fangs of Asterkarn', released on the 23rd. Arriving alongside the v1.3.0 quality-of-life update, 'Fangs of Asterkarn' acts as a grand finale for the series, further enhancing the elements of the base game. It has been well-received for its significantly increased graphical assets and animations, as well as the addition of an orchestral score that elevates the overall quality.

The adventure expands into the Asterkarn region of western Cairn, increasing the total map size by 32% and introducing diverse terrains such as snowy peaks, icy caverns, ancient forest valleys, and thermal springs. Players can cooperate or conflict with the nomadic Kurn tribe, forging new alliances and unearthing secrets. Additionally, a new class, the 'Berserker' with beast-shifting abilities, has been introduced, bringing the total number of class combinations to 45.

The expansion also introduces 'Ascendant' mode, which increases boss and dungeon difficulty to allow for enhanced gear stats. A new system for customizing potion effects and rerolling gear affixes has been added, along with hundreds of new items including Epic and Legendary tiers, five new bosses, 30 additional waves for the Crucible mode, and new zones within the Shattered Realm. Two new roguelike dungeons are scheduled to be added sequentially through future free updates.

Currently, Grim Dawn's recent 30-day reviews are 'Very Positive' (88% positive), with the expansion receiving similar ratings. As of the 27th, the daily peak of concurrent players reached 27,820, the highest in the last 10 years, excluding the initial launch period. However, the rating is slightly lower than the game's overall score, as some users have reported launch errors on certain setups, so caution is advised.

In terms of daily peak concurrent players, Palworld surpassed the 800,000 mark again over the weekend. It has shown a steady upward trend since its official release, a trend observed not only globally but also domestically. As open-world taming games aiming to be the 'next Palworld' continue to emerge, the key will be how long it can maintain its lead.