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Crusader Kings III vs Hearts of Iron IV
Live Steam player count comparison, updated every 10 minutes. Both are Simulation / Strategy games.
Hearts of Iron IV is currently the more played game: 37,272 concurrent players on Steam right now vs 20,340 for Crusader Kings III, about 1.8× more players. Hearts of Iron IV has been ahead for 112 days straight. Across all tracked metrics, Hearts of Iron IV leads 8 of 10.
These are Steam players only. A game that also runs on its own launcher, a storefront of its own or on console has players this number cannot see, so read it as a comparison of Steam audiences rather than of total ones.
Which one have you played more?
Coilr members average 214h in Crusader Kings III and 377h in Hearts of Iron IV. Connect your Steam account and this row fills in with your own hours instead — then keeps tracking both, so you can see which one you are actually still playing.
Crusader Kings III
214h
average of 34 members
Hearts of Iron IV
377h
average of 58 members
See my hours in both
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Player count history
Crusader Kings IIIHearts of Iron IV
Tracked by Coilr since April 2026 · Steam polled every 10 minutes · methodology
Head-to-head record
Hearts of Iron IV has had the higher daily player count for the last 112 days, every day since Coilr began tracking both games.
Crusader Kings III led 0 daysHearts of Iron IV led 112 days
Days tracked
112
Current streak
112 days
Hearts of Iron IV
Lead changes
0
Closest gap
38%
Aug 23, 2026
How this works: each game's daily average concurrent players (from Coilr's 10-minute Steam polls), compared on the 112 days where both games have data. Whichever averages higher leads that day. methodology
| Metric | Crusader Kings III | Hearts of Iron IV |
|---|---|---|
| Players right now | 20,340 | 37,272 |
| 24-hour peak | 20,781 | 46,328 |
| 7-day average | 17,516 | 35,305 |
| 30-day average | 19,750 | 35,656 |
| 30-day trend | −2% | −8% |
| Peak (tracked) | 33,017 | 71,856 |
| Steam reviews | 90% positive | 90% positive |
| Recent reviews (3 mo) | 88% positive | 89% positive |
| Total reviews | 143,609 | 376,417 |
| Owners (SteamSpy est.) | ~2,000,000 | ~5,000,000 |
| Release date | Sep 1, 2020 | Jun 6, 2016 |
| Price | $49.99 | $49.99 |
Full stats: Crusader Kings III · Hearts of Iron IV · add more games to this comparison →
Players by month
| Month | Crusader Kings III | Hearts of Iron IV | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | Peak | Avg | Peak | |
| Apr 2026 | — | — | 23,165 | 31,767 |
| May 2026 | 18,238 | 25,816 | 33,728 | 60,597 |
| Jun 2026 | 16,745 | 27,303 | 38,494 | 71,856 |
| Jul 2026 | 19,498 | 29,912 | 39,195 | 62,871 |
| Aug 2026 | 20,871 | 33,017 | 37,960 | 58,911 |
| Sep 2026 (so far) | 18,124 | 28,521 | 33,746 | 62,783 |
Monthly average and peak concurrent players on Steam, from Coilr's own tracking (10-minute polls, hourly beyond 30 days).
Frequently asked
Which has more players, Crusader Kings III or Hearts of Iron IV?
Hearts of Iron IV currently has more players: 37,272 concurrent players on Steam vs 20,340 for Crusader Kings III, about 1.8× more players.
Is Crusader Kings III bigger than Hearts of Iron IV on Steam?
Over the last 30 days Crusader Kings III averaged 19,750 concurrent players and Hearts of Iron IV averaged 35,656. By that measure Hearts of Iron IV is currently the bigger game.
Has Crusader Kings III ever had more players than Hearts of Iron IV?
Not in Coilr's head-to-head tracking: Hearts of Iron IV has had the higher daily average concurrent player count on Steam on every one of the 112 days both games have been tracked.
Is Crusader Kings III better than Hearts of Iron IV?
By Steam review score, Crusader Kings III rates higher: 90% positive across 143,609 reviews vs 90% across 376,417 for Hearts of Iron IV. Hearts of Iron IV has the larger player base right now (37,272 vs 20,340 concurrent). Player counts, ratings, price and trend are compared side by side above.
Is Crusader Kings III growing or declining on Steam?
Crusader Kings III averaged 19,750 concurrent players over the last 30 days, roughly flat vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 33,017.
Is Hearts of Iron IV growing or declining on Steam?
Hearts of Iron IV averaged 35,656 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 8% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 71,856.
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