By Sagar V. Mankar 
Cygames’ highly anticipated action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink finally launched on Steam on February 1, 2024 after years of delays.
Despite stiff competition from other major JRPG releases, Relink has managed to make an incredible splash on the platform.
What Data Say?
According to data from SteamDB, Granblue Fantasy: Relink hit a peak concurrent player count of over 114K during its launch weekend.
This tops the peak concurrent users of Atlus’ Persona 3 Reload (45K) and Sega’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (46K), which launched around the same time.
While Relink’s concurrent players don’t reach the heights of gaming juggernauts like Elden Ring or Monster Hunter: World, surpassing 100K concurrent users is still a major milestone – especially for a new IP spinoff of a mobile game franchise.
What Led to Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s Successful Launch?
There are a few key factors that explain Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s successful launch:
- Existing Fanbase – As a spinoff of the popular Granblue Fantasy mobile RPG (first released in 2014), Relink was able to leverage an established fanbase from the start. Cygames has done well transitioning the look and feel of the mobile game into a console-action RPG.
- Co-Op Support – Relink supports online co-op multiplayer, giving players a reason to group up. Its quest structure emulates Capcom’s Monster Hunter series with an emphasis on tackling monsters together. Post-game content is designed for co-op.
- Glowing Reviews – Despite its development troubles, reviews for Relink are incredibly positive. It expertly adapts Granblue Fantasy mechanics into an engaging action RPG combat system. Fans consider Relink worth the long wait.
- Launch Window – Releasing in early 2024 before the next wave of major titles hit gave Relink room to draw in JRPG fans. Competition was limited to Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth released around the same time.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink proves that with smart leveraging of an existing IP, co-op support, stellar reviews, and ideal timing, a mobile spinoff can make a huge splash even in a crowded gaming landscape.
The future looks bright for the Granblue Fantasy franchise on consoles and PC.