Before even leaving early access, Space Marine 2 is already the biggest Steam debut for its developer and publisher

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is debuting to some monstrous (monstrously big, that is) player numbers on Steam, and it's still in early access.

Space Marine 2 reunites us with our hulking main man Captain Titus for another round of Gears of Warsy alien blasting mixed in with God of Wary bloody melee action, and it seems the super soldier hasn't lost his edge in the last decade since players are flocking to the game in numbers rivaling the Tyranid swarms.

According to SteamDB estimates, Space Marine 2 has reached a whopping 134,000 concurrent player peak on the storefront, making it easily the biggest launch for both developer Saber Interactive (World War Z) and publisher Focus Entertainment (A Plague Tale, various 40Ks). 

What's doubly impressive is that Space Marine 2 is still only in early access for those who pre-ordered the Gold and Ultra Editions until it unlocks for everyone on September 9, meaning its numbers should balloon even further as it goes through both this weekend and next week. 

The grimdark fantasy sequel was still able to hold onto a 'Mostly Positive' rating based on over 7,000 Steam user reviews too, as Space Marine 2's multiplayer seems to have specifically improved its suite of PvP and PvE modes in between games. Our Space Marine 2 review highlighted its co-op chops as well, calling it "the best third-person shooter I've played in years."

Maybe some Helldivers 2 love trickled down to the similarly bug-squashing co-op shooter. Maybe this was the perfect time for motorized swords to hit the zeitgeist. Either way, the game's blockbuster launch on PC should also bodes well for its console numbers - check out our how does crossplay work in Space Marine 2 guide for more on that. 

 For now, see the ten tips we wish we knew before starting Space Marine 2.