As everyone will know, we are in the middle of the Steam Summer Sale — undoubtedly the best time to buy cheap games and let them rot in your library untouched for over a decade.
However, there is one game that people are buying on sale and actually playing: Watch Dogs 2. Ubisoft’s beloved action-adventure sequel has jumped from 400 concurrent players to 16,000 overnight thanks to a 95 per cent off sale that allows you to purchase the game for just $2.49.
In fact, Watch Dogs 2 has achieved a 24-hour concurrent peak player count of 15,477, which is closing in on the 18,138 peak it reached when it released on Steam nine years ago.
Watch Dogs 2 Was A Massive Success For Ubisoft
The sequel to Ubisoft Montreal’s hacking-centric game was a massive success for the studio when it first released, selling over 10 million copies. The reviews were also generally positive, though some reviewers complained of technical issues and bemoaned the game’s tonal shift towards irreverence and non-seriousness. This represented a wider shift in media, where everyone sought to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; movies known for their sarcastic tone and outlook.
The game’s progression system had also changed, with the protagonist now tasked with gaining followers to level up. In 2026, that’s a pretty tired concept, but a decade ago it was seen as pretty novel, and didn’t detract from the overall feel of the game.
Flying Off The Shelves: Games That Sold The Most Copies In 24 Hours
These video games practically flew off the shelves, and for good reason.
A follow-up, Watch Dogs Legion, was released in 2020 but didn’t reach the same heights as the original and Watch Dogs 2. Legion focused on the recruitment of NPCs to your cause, and created an attachment through a permadeath mechanic à la X-COM. However, there wasn’t enough variation in the personalities of these characters, and only a couple of their potential skills were actually useful.
Since the underperformance of Legion, Ubisoft hasn’t released another game in the series. This isn’t entirely surprising, however, given the ongoing turmoil at Ubisoft as it continues to restructure, close studios and initiate mass layoffs.
If Ubisoft survives its hard times, then there’s every chance we’ll see another Watch Dogs in the future, especially given how pertinent the subject matter is in today’s world of tech-fuelled surveillance.
Watch Dogs 2
- Released
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November 15, 2016
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
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Ubisoft Montreal
