{"rewrite":{"id":"r_c7a869df16418896b55af247","clusterId":"c_41ac49cfa7287d04f29f01f2","slug":"steam-japan-sales-free-to-play-titles-take-top-three-spots","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Steam Japan Sales: Free-to-Play Titles Take Top Three Spots","summary":"ASCII.jp's weekly Steam sales ranking for Japan, as of July 27, 2026, shows free-to-play games dominating the top three positions for the first time in a while. Valve's Counter-Strike 2 leads, followed by KONAMI's eFootball and EA's Apex Legends. New hololive rhythm RPG HOLOLIVE DREAMS debuts at fourth.","whyItMatters":"The top three slots being entirely free-to-play marks a notable shift in the Japanese Steam market, with the new hololive title HOLOLIVE DREAMS also entering as a free-to-play game.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eASCII.jp\u0026#39;s weekly Steam sales ranking for Japan, updated July 27, 2026, places free-to-play games in the top three positions for the first time in a while. Valve\u0026#39;s Counter-Strike 2 holds first place, KONAMI\u0026#39;s eFootball is second, and EA\u0026#39;s Apex Legends is third. The hololive official rhythm and RPG HOLOLIVE DREAMS debuts at fourth, also free-to-play.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCounter-Strike 2\u003c/strong\u003e: Valve, first place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eeFootball\u003c/strong\u003e: KONAMI, second place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApex Legends\u003c/strong\u003e: Electronic Arts, third place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOLOLIVE DREAMS\u003c/strong\u003e: QualiArts, fourth place, free-to-play, new release\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalworld\u003c/strong\u003e: Pocketpair, fifth place, 3,400 yen\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeart Pierce Slow Life\u003c/strong\u003e: XD, sixth place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeccha Chameleon\u003c/strong\u003e: lemorion_1224, seventh place, 671 yen (15% off until August 3, 2026)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStreet Fighter 6\u003c/strong\u003e: Capcom, eighth place, 2,495 yen (50% off until August 4, 2026)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWuthering Waves\u003c/strong\u003e: KURO GAMES, ninth place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShadowverse: Worlds Beyond\u003c/strong\u003e: Cygames, tenth place, free-to-play\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","blueskyPost":"Counter-Strike 2, eFootball, and Apex Legends top the Steam Japan chart, all free-to-play. The absence of paid titles in the top three suggests a shift in Japanese PC buying habits.","twitterPost":"Counter-Strike 2, eFootball, and Apex Legends hold the top three Steam spots in Japan, all free-to-play. Paying for games is losing ground.","threadsPost":"Counter-Strike 2, eFootball, and Apex Legends take the top three Steam Japan spots, all free-to-play. That's the first time in a while. The takeaway for publishers: in Japan, the barrier to entry is now zero, and that's changing what sells.","newsletterBlurb":"Steam Japan's weekly sales ranking sees free-to-play games dominate the top three for the first time in a while, led by Counter-Strike 2. New hololive rhythm RPG HOLOLIVE DREAMS debuts at fourth place.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"ASCII.jp\",\"url\":\"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/422/4422409/?rss\",\"title\":\"Soccer Fever Won't Stop?! 'eFootball' Climbs Rapidly! Free-to-Play Titles Also Popular [Steam Rankings]\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5276,"outputTokens":801,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786086595,"createdAt":"2026-08-07T07:03:52.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-07T07:06:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-07T07:03:52.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_41ac49cfa7287d04f29f01f2","canonicalTitle":"サッカー熱は止まらない?!『eFootball』が急上昇！ほかにも無料プレイタイトルが人気【Steamランキング】","representativeArticleId":"a_9363272664cd22d155f6ac2a","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"eFootball\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-27T09:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-27T09:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-07T07:06:44.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"ASCII.jp","url":"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/422/4422409/?rss","title":"サッカー熱は止まらない?!『eFootball』が急上昇！ほかにも無料プレイタイトルが人気【Steamランキング】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["eFootball"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":null}