
Is Remnant: From the Ashes Worth Playing in 2025?
There’s something about a game that keeps drawing players back years after launch—even when a sequel has already stolen the spotlight. Remnant: From the Ashes, Gunfire Games’ 2019 blend of third-person shooting and Soulslike difficulty, still holds a steady (if small) community on Steam in 2025.
Metacritic score: 80/100 (PC) ·
Average playtime: 22 hours (main story) ·
Peak concurrent players (Steam, 2024): 3,456 ·
Developer: Gunfire Games
Quick snapshot
- Released August 20, 2019 (Steam Store)
- Sold over 3 million units by December 2021 (Wikipedia)
- Steam all-time peak of 48,289 concurrent players (SteamDB)
- Whether any future major updates will be released
- Exact number of active daily players outside Steam
- Sequel Remnant 2 launched July 2023 (Wikipedia)
- 2024 Steam average concurrent around 1,500 (SteamCharts)
The snapshot reveals a game with strong historical sales and an active but diminished player base.
Below are the core facts that define Remnant: From the Ashes in its current state.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Release date | August 20, 2019 (Wikipedia) |
| Developer | Gunfire Games (Steam Store) |
| Genre | Action RPG, Third-person shooter |
| Metacritic score (PC) | 80/100 (Metacritic) |
| All-time peak players (Steam) | 48,289 (SteamDB) |
| Units sold (by Dec 2021) | Over 3 million (Wikipedia) |
| Sequel released | July 2023 (Wikipedia) |
Is Remnant: From the Ashes a good game?
Overall reception and Metacritic score
Critics and players agree on one thing: Remnant: From the Ashes earned its place among solid action RPGs. The PC version holds a Metacritic score of 80/100, a strong indicator of broad approval. Reviewers praised the tight gunplay, atmospheric world design, and the clever way it fused ranged combat with Soulslike tension.
- Praised for innovative shooting mechanics (Metacritic aggregate)
- Criticized for randomized level layouts that could feel disjointed (IGN review)
- Described as “a third-person survival action shooter” by Wikipedia
Strengths and weaknesses of the original
The trade-off is clear: the game excels in its core loop but stumbles on procedural generation. The hand-crafted bosses and weapon mods carry the experience, while some areas feel recycled. For many, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses—Remnant 2’s launch didn’t kill the original’s community.
The implication: if you value combat fluidity over environmental polish, Remnant holds up remarkably well against newer releases.
Is Remnant: From the Ashes still active?
Current player count on Steam
As of early 2025, the game maintains a small but engaged player base. Third-party trackers show a consistent trickle of activity:
- SteamCharts: 559 current players, 24-hour peak 753 (SteamCharts)
- SteamDB: 254 current players, all-time peak 48,289 (SteamDB)
- Tracker.gg: 271 current players, 24-hour peak 506 (tracker.gg)
These numbers are not official—Steam does not publish per-game counts on its public stats page—but the consistency across sources suggests a daily average in the hundreds.
Comparison to Remnant 2 activity
The sequel dwarfs the original in active players, but that’s typical for a newer release. For context:
- Remnant 2 all-time peak: 110,856 concurrent (July 2023) (SteamDB)
- Remnant 2 current: roughly 1,225 live players (SteamDB)
- Game Developer reported that Remnant 2 hit a series-best concurrent player record shortly after release (Game Developer)
The pattern: Remnant 1’s community is a fraction of the sequel’s, but co-op sessions are still findable—especially during peak hours on weekends.
Players who prefer the original’s tighter progression may actually find a more committed co-op partner pool, since those still playing are typically veterans rather than tourists.
Is Remnant a Soulslike?
Soulslike genre definition
Wikipedia defines Soulslike as a subgenre of action RPGs characterized by high difficulty, bonfire-style checkpoints, stamina-based combat, and cryptic storytelling (Wikipedia). Remnant checks nearly every box—except stamina management is lighter and ranged combat dominates.
- Bosses with attack patterns, dodge-rolling, and punish windows
- Bonfire-like “World Stones” for resting and fast travel
- Non-linear world connected by hubs
How Remnant fits the Soulslike mold
The game’s unique third-person gunplay sets it apart. Where Dark Souls demands you learn a sword’s reach, Remnant asks you to master aiming under pressure. That’s a meaningful difference—one that has sparked debates about whether the game truly belongs in the genre or created a hybrid of its own.
The catch: if you judge purely by challenge and checkpoint mechanics, Remnant is undeniably Soulslike. If you insist on melee focus, it’s not. Either way, it’s a satisfying bridge for FPS players curious about the genre.
Pros and Cons
Upsides
- Satisfying third-person shooting with meaningful weapon mods
- Excellent co-op integration for up to three players
- Replayable due to randomized level layouts
- Strong boss design and enemy variety
Downsides
- Procedural generation can make levels feel disjointed
- Story is thin and easily ignored
- Small player base in 2025 may mean longer matchmaking
- No major updates expected
What this means: Remnant excels in combat and co-op but falters in environmental polish and story depth, making it a niche pick for 2025.
Timeline: Remnant: From the Ashes
- August 2019: Game released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (IGN)
- 2020: Major DLCs — Swamps of Corsus and Subject 2923 (Wikipedia)
- November 2020: Surpasses 2.5 million units sold (Digital Chumps)
- December 2021: Sales reach 3 million units (Wikipedia)
- March 2023: Nintendo Switch port released (Gematsu)
- July 2023: Sequel Remnant 2 launches (Wikipedia)
- 2024: Steam concurrent players stabilize around 1,500 average (SteamCharts)
The pattern: steady sales, clear content updates, and a sequel that hasn’t killed the original’s community.
Clarity: What is confirmed vs. uncertain
Confirmed facts
- Remnant: From the Ashes is still playable on all platforms (Steam Store)
- Servers remain online as of 2025 (Steam)
- Game received positive critical reviews (Metacritic 80/100) (Metacritic)
- Active community on Reddit (r/remnantgame) and Discord
What remains unclear
- Whether any future major updates or patches will be released
- Exact number of active daily players outside Steam (console populations are not publicly tracked)
What this means: the core experience is secure, but the game’s long-term support and full active player count remain unknown.
Perspectives from the community
“Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person survival action shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monstrous creatures.”
— Wikipedia entry (citing Gunfire Games description)
“I still play Remnant 1 with friends because the progression is more focused. Remnant 2 felt like too much randomness.”
— Reddit user on r/remnantgame (paraphrased)
Player count data from third-party sources is not official, but consistency across platforms gives a reliable estimate of activity.
Why it still matters
Remnant: From the Ashes may be the underdog in a series now defined by its sequel, but its design choices—tight gunplay, meaningful co-op, and a risk‑reward loop that rewards persistence—remain worth experiencing. For a new player hunting a cheap co-op experience, the choice is clear: dive into the original while the community is still around, or risk missing a tight, well‑aged shooter.
For those who want a deeper look at the game’s cooperative mode and current activity, a detailed German-language test offers a thorough perspective.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play Remnant: From the Ashes solo?
Yes. The game is fully playable in single player. Enemies scale to your level, and all bosses are beatable alone—though some encounters become significantly harder without a teammate to draw aggro.
Does Remnant: From the Ashes have crossplay?
Yes, but only between Xbox and Windows Store versions. Steam players are isolated from the Microsoft ecosystem. PlayStation players cannot crossplay with other platforms.
Is Remnant: From the Ashes on Game Pass?
It has been part of Xbox Game Pass in the past, but as of 2025 it is no longer included. Check the current catalog for availability.
What is the level cap in Remnant: From the Ashes?
Your character level cap is tied to gear score, which maxes out at +20 for weapons and +20 for armor. Player level itself caps at 1,000 for trait points.
How many DLCs does Remnant: From the Ashes have?
Two premium DLCs: Swamps of Corsus (April 2020) and Subject 2923 (August 2020). Both add new worlds, bosses, and weapons. There is also a free Survival Mode expansion.
Is Remnant: From the Ashes worth it in 2025?
If you enjoy co-op shooter RPGs with a Dark Souls twist, yes. At its typical sale price of $10–$15, it offers 20–40 hours of content. The main caveat is the smaller player base if you rely on matchmaking.
Does Remnant: From the Ashes have mod support?
No official mod tools or Steam Workshop support. Community mods exist but are limited to file swaps and config edits.
The answers above cover the most common questions about the game’s current state and features.