VNG Game Breaks World Record with 8.9 Million Concurrent Players
On June 2, 2025, the simulation game “Grow a Garden” on the Roblox platform officially broke the record for the highest number of concurrent players, reaching an unprecedented 8.9 million active users at the same time. This achievement helped Roblox surpass the previous record set by PUBG: Battlegrounds, which was established in 2018 with 3.2 million players on the Steam platform.
The surge in popularity of “Grow a Garden” began in May when player counts reached 5 million on May 17. Just one week later, this number increased to 7.3 million and continued to rise, hitting 8.9 million by the end of the month. On average, the number of concurrent players increased by 77% within just one week.
According to GameDiscoverCo, this remarkable growth is attributed not only to the game’s design but also to the rise of what they call the “natural interest wave.” This achievement further solidifies the success of “Grow a Garden,” even surpassing the total player count of all 100 top games on Steam as of May 24, which stood at 7.8 million compared to 7.3 million.
From Independent Development to Global Phenomenon
“Grow a Garden” is an independent game developed by a startup, which was launched in March 2025. Shortly after its release, it was acquired by Splitting Point Studios – a development studio based in New Zealand specializing in Roblox experiences. The CEO of this studio, Janzen “Jandel” Madsen, quickly shared the impressive achievement: “Grow a Garden is the first Roblox game to reach the number one spot within just 33 days of its release.“
The major update version 1.07.0 released at the end of May also contributed significantly to its success. New features included the expansion of the game world by four times, the introduction of over 100 decorative items (including fences, harvesting tools, and more), and a series of limited-time events that attracted millions of players back to the game.
It is noteworthy that “Grow a Garden” not only surpassed games known for their player counts on Steam but also stood out against newer competitors such as Black Myth: Wukong (2.4 million) and Palworld (2.1 million). This indicates a strong appeal and rapid growth in the Roblox ecosystem.
