"Schedule I Tops Steam Charts, Outselling Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals"

If you've been active on Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, chances are you've come across Schedule I, an indie drug dealer simulation game that's taken the gaming world by storm. It's now the top-selling game on Valve's platform, surpassing major titles like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral on social media.

Schedule I was launched just last week and has quickly climbed to the top of Valve's best-selling and most-played charts. Here's the official description:

From small-time dope pusher to kingpin - manufacture and distribute a range of drugs throughout the grungy city of Hyland Point. Expand your empire with properties, businesses, employees, and more.

The game is developed and published by TVGS, known as Tyler, who shared his thoughts on Reddit about the game's explosive launch:

“Honestly it’s amazing but pretty overwhelming,” Tyler said. “I never expected this kind of response! At the moment I’m just trying to stay focused and get patches out ASAP. Also looking forward to getting started on content updates as soon as all major bugs are patched.”

In line with this, Schedule I's Post-launch Patch #4 was released on March 29, addressing several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.

So, just how successful is Schedule I? It has emerged from obscurity to become the top-selling game on Steam, outranking everything from the The Sims competitor inZOI to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, meaning the budget-priced Schedule I is generating more income than its full-price, triple-A competitors.

In terms of player engagement, Schedule I reached a peak of 414,166 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, placing it among the top 30 most-played games ever on the platform. Currently, it has more players than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.

The community's reception to Schedule I has been overwhelmingly positive, with a 98% positive user review rating on Steam. Here are some of the reviews:

"A woman came up to me and asked for weed, didn't like the price I offered, proceeded to stab me with a broken glass bottle. 10/10"

"Love this game"

"I was dealing drugs in an RV and it blew up"

"Got a motel and sold some weed"

"Created a meth empire"

"Then hopped on the game"

"Really great and hilarious game. Fun game loop and hilarious fun when playing with friends. I know it is in early access but I'd like the police to be a bit more active (They could search your place, look for you even after escaping, run speed greater than the players) as well as gang warfare and a larger map. Still in its current state its brilliant. Defo a 10/10"

Schedule I is clearly a meme game, and it remains to be seen if it will have staying power. However, for developer Tyler, the impact on their life is undeniable, and they are committed to delivering substantial content updates.

If you're playing Schedule I, be sure to check out IGN's Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands guide, as well as the Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide.