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Once Human is a big hit at Steam Next Fest, but wishlists are a drop in the bucket

By LucasFeb 10,2025

Once Human, NetEase's upcoming third-person shooter, boasts over 15 million global pre-registrations, a success highlighted by its strong showing at Steam Next Fest. However, a closer look reveals a significant difference between overall pre-registrations and Steam wishlists; while the total surpasses 15 million, only 300,000 are Steam wishlists.

This disparity underscores the challenges of PC game discoverability compared to mobile, especially considering NetEase's traditionally mobile-focused approach. Despite prioritizing a PC-first release for Once Human, the game's immense popularity on Steam, attracting the most demo players during Next Fest, remains undeniable. The contrast, however, highlights the vastly different reach and visibility inherent in the mobile versus PC gaming markets.

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NetEase's PC-focused strategy isn't inherently flawed, but the figures reveal a stark difference in audience engagement and discoverability between platforms. Even a major developer like NetEase faces hurdles in achieving comparable levels of popularity and visibility on PC as they do on mobile.

While awaiting Once Human's release, explore our curated lists of the best and most anticipated mobile games of 2024. These lists offer handpicked selections of top-tier mobile gaming experiences.

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