Netflix's The Witcher Prompts Surge in Witcher 3 Players

In you're somehow not already aware, Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher series of books by author Andrzej Sapkowski is now available to watch on the streaming platform. While it's just the first season, and only eight episodes at that, Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia and the rest of the cast and crew have apparently put something together that's resonated with fans. How much, you might ask? Well, enough so that the number of folks playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has drastically shot up.

According to both Steam Charts and SteamDB, there's been a dramatic increase in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt players this month. As of writing, there's about 50,000 folks playing on Steam alone -- nearly double the number that played the game at its highest point recorded on the services in November. And that's on Steam alone; according to PlayTracker, there's been a rise in the number of players on Xbox and PlayStation as well.

Now, the exact numbers are a little fuzzy, and it's worth noting that there's no direct correlation between the two, but the numbers themselves are undeniable: a ton of folks are playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The fact that Netflix's adaptation of the books ramped up promotion in the past several weeks, and released on Friday, absolutely had to play into this, right? And there's the fact that the games are on sale all over the place at the moment. It's a perfect storm, and folks in general seem to be getting there witcher-ing wherever they can.

What do you think of Netflix's The Witcher so far? Have you had a chance to watch it all yet? If so, has it made you want to play the game again? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here's how Netflix describes the series:

"Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together."

The first eight-episode season of Netflix's The Witcher is available to stream on the platform now. It has already been renewed for a second season. Lauren S. Hissrich serves as showrunner. It stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the latest and greatest adaptation right here.

[H/T PC Gamer]