Being a gaming news editor often feels like a rollercoaster. Some days are eerily quiet, with the gaming world holding its breath. Others are a frantic flurry of major launches, like Silksong, Borderlands 4, and Bloodlines 2. And then, there are those truly wild days when a quirky parody of Escape from Tarkov, brilliantly named Escape From Duckov, shockingly overtakes Battlefield 6 on Steam, snatching the fourth spot on the ‘most played’ list. Honestly, those are the days I live for!
If Escape From Duckov has passed you by, allow me to fill you in. Inspired by Battlestate’s colossal extraction shooter, Team Soda’s parody game replaces vicious scavs with cute rubber duckies, and trades out multiplayer action for a single-player experience that has, in recent days, gone viral. Rated as 96% positive and currently sitting in Valve’s coveted ‘overwhelmingly positive’ category, it’s trounced new releases like Bloodlines 2 and Jurassic World Evolution 3 to cement itself as yet another one of 2025’s unexpected success stories.
Despite plenty of interest when it launched last week, Duckov has continued to pick up steam (pun intended), reaching a colossal 255,556 active player count at the time of writing – its highest peak yet. That puts its current player count just behind the usual trio of Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG, but above Battlefield 6, which sits in ‘very positive’ with an 80% rating.
While PK raved about EA’s latest shooter in our Battlefield 6 review, awarding it an impressive 9/10, its player count has steadily declined over the past week. That’s hardly a surprise – that’s typically how videogame lifecycles work – but did I expect it to be overtaken by a game about rubber ducks that’s bucking the trend? Not particularly. Still, I like to be surprised.
Having sold over 500,000 copies since its release on Thursday, October 16, Duckov is going from strength to strength, and that brings a smile to my face. 2025 has been full of surprises – Expedition 33, Blue Prince, and Schedule 1 to name but a few – and Duckov is just another curveball. In a world where triple-A fatigue is setting in hard, I’m glad there’s a little chaos to spice things up.
Escape from Duckov is currently available on Steam for $15.83 / £15.83 until Thursday, October 30.
For those sticking with Battlefield and needing some extra edge against the unexpected waterfowl competition, check out guides on the best Battlefield 6 weapons and loadouts. And if you’re craving more quirky titles like Duckov, explore our recommendations for the best indie games on PC.
Have you plunged into the world of Duckov? Share your thoughts! Or, if Battlefield is still your battlefield, tell us about your favorite loadouts.