Farming Simulator 25 ahead of ETS2: Is farming currently the bigger simulation giant on Steam?

When you talk about big simulations on Steam, you almost automatically end up at Euro Truck Simulator 2. The game has been a long-running hit for years, has a huge community, is regularly expanded, and for many has long been more of an after-work ritual than just a game. But that is exactly why the current comparison is so exciting: In our SteamDB query, Farming Simulator 25 was at 42,982 active players, while Euro Truck Simulator 2 stood at 36,337 active players.

That is a clear number at first. In that moment, there was more going on in the field than on Europe’s motorways.

But the punchline is not: “Farming Simulator is better than ETS2.” That would be far too flat. The real punchline is: Two completely different simulations manage to keep tens of thousands of players engaged at the same time. One game puts you on the farm, lets you buy machines, work fields, bring in harvests, and build productions. The other puts you in the truck, gives you freight, a route, and that very special rhythm of engine sound, navigation voice, and sunset on the motorway.

What is especially noticeable with Farming Simulator 25 is how strongly the game still pulls right now. According to SteamDB, the all-time peak is 135,970 concurrent players, plus around 86.6 percent positive reviews. That is a strong foundation for a major simulation game. Farming Simulator has long been more than just “tractor drives over field.” It is a game about processes. You sow, fertilize, harvest, sell, store, buy new machines, rebuild your farm, and eventually notice: “just quickly this one field” once again turned into an entire evening.

And that is exactly the trick. Farming Simulator 25 does not keep you hooked with big drama. It keeps you hooked with work. But with work that you organize yourself. One more field. One more machine. One more trailer. Quickly sell while the price is good. Just send the helper off. Just quickly check whether the animals are supplied. That sounds boring until you are in it. Then it suddenly becomes dangerous.

ETS2 works differently. Euro Truck Simulator 2 had fewer active players than Farming Simulator 25 in our query, but it is in a league of its own when it comes to Steam reviews. Around 97.3 percent positive reviews are not just “pretty decent.” That is almost a monument made of ratings. ETS2 has been on the road since 2012 and is still played, discussed, expanded, and loved. According to SteamDB, the all-time peak is 73,887 concurrent players.

That shows quite well why ETS2 is so special. The game is not new. It is not loud. It does not throw 20 systems in your face at the same time. You pick a freight job, start the truck, and drive off. And still, it has lasted for more than a decade. Because it hits something that many games do not manage: repetition that does not automatically become boring.

Farming Simulator 25 and ETS2 are therefore not direct opponents. They are more like two completely different answers to the same question: Why do people actually play simulations?

In Farming Simulator, it is about the farm. About machines. About planning. About small work steps that interlock. You see what you have achieved. A field was empty, now it is cultivated. A harvest was standing, now it is in the silo. A small operation slowly grows into something bigger. That is tangible. You see your progress directly on the map.

In ETS2, it is less about visible work on an area. It is about distance. About calm. About “I am just going to finish this delivery now.” Many start ETS2 not because they want maximum action. They start it because they want to unwind. Truck on, lights on, route in, go. No end of the world. No boss fight. No shouting. Just road, freight, and the next exit.

That is exactly why the current number comparison is so interesting. Farming Simulator 25 currently has more active players. ETS2, however, has the stronger historical love letter in the reviews. Farming wins this snapshot in player count. ETS2 wins in long-term trust. Both games are huge, but they are huge for completely different reasons.

And that is also important for the simulation scene overall. People often look only at buses, trains, trucks, or new vehicle DLCs. Farming Simulator 25 is currently reminding everyone pretty clearly that farming on Steam is a massive block. This is not a small side genre that happens to have a few fans. It is one of the strongest simulation series of all.

The reason is simple: Everyone immediately understands what needs to be done. You do not need a real agricultural education to understand the first appeal. Work the field. Bring in the harvest. Earn money. Buy better machines. Expand the farm. That is simple enough for beginners and deep enough for people who want to lose themselves for hours in machines, productions, field sizes, and workflows.

ETS2 does the same thing in its own way. There too, everyone immediately understands the entry point. Accept freight, drive to the destination, deliver. But the depth comes through the map, the regions, the DLCs, the mods, your own fleet, new trucks, and that feeling of eventually having your favorite routes. You know certain motorways. You know where it gets tight. You look forward to new countries. Sometimes you drive not because you have to, but because you want to drive exactly that route right now.

That is perhaps the most important thing both games have in common: They are easy to understand, but hard to put down again.

And that is exactly what other simulations can learn a lot from. A good simulation game does not have to be artificially dramatic. It has to have an activity that repeats well. In Farming, it is the cycle of sowing, maintaining, harvesting, and expanding. In ETS2, it is the cycle of job, route, delivery, and next tour. Both sound almost too simple. But apparently that is exactly enough if it is implemented cleanly.

It is also exciting how differently the two games deal with “work.” Farming Simulator 25 constantly gives you tasks. There is always something open. Somewhere a field is waiting. Somewhere a machine is standing. Somewhere fertilizer is missing. ETS2 is calmer. There are not ten open construction sites at the same time. You have one drive. One job. One destination. And that is exactly what makes it so relaxing for many.

Maybe that also explains why both games work so well side by side. If you want structure, planning, and many small work steps today, you are more likely to end up on the farm. If you just want to drive, switch off, and complete a route cleanly today, you get into the truck. Both are simulation. Both are work. But they feel completely different.

The current SteamDB comparison therefore does not only show who has more players right now. It shows how broad simulations have become by now. Farming and trucking do not serve the same fantasy, but both hit a nerve. One gives you the operation that is never finished. The other gives you the road that never ends.

In summary: Farming Simulator 25 is currently ahead of Euro Truck Simulator 2 in active players. That is a strong snapshot. But ETS2 remains an absolute monster with its extremely positive Steam reviews and years of stability. Farming is currently more heavily occupied in the field. ETS2 remains one of the most impressive long-term stories in the entire simulation world on Steam.

And that is exactly why this comparison should not be read as a fight, but as proof of how big simulations have become. We are not talking about small niche games running somewhere on the side. We are talking about tens of thousands of players at the same time who voluntarily work: in the field or on the motorway.

Maybe that is ultimately the nicest contradiction of this genre. Many play simulations to relax. And what do they do while relaxing? They deliver freight. They harvest fields. They buy machines. They plan routes. They work. Just in a way where nobody is standing next to them asking why it is not finished yet.

What keeps you hooked longer: freight on the road or work in the field?