How RAWG.io Decides Which Games Appear as "New and Trending"

RAWG.io's "New and trending" section is driven by two stated inputs: player counts and release date. The site labels the list "Based on player counts and release date," so a game's position reflects a combination of how many people are engaging with it and how recently it launched — not a single fixed ranking. The visible numbers next to each title (for example, Valheim at 4,792 or Grand Theft Auto VI at 410) are the clearest signal of that activity metric, and they change as player behavior shifts.

The two ranking inputs

RAWG describes the list as based on:

• Player counts — how much active engagement a game is drawing. Higher counts push a title up.
• Release date — recency matters, so newly released or upcoming games can surface even before they have large player bases.

Because both factors feed the same list, a brand-new game with modest activity can appear alongside an older title with a large, sustained player base. The ordering is a blend, not a strict sort by either value alone.

What the numbers mean

Each entry shows a number beside the title. In the page evidence these range widely — from Valheim's 4,792 down to single- or double-digit figures like Duskfade at 8 or 1666: Amsterdam at 10. The pattern is consistent with a player-count or popularity indicator: bigger numbers sit near the top of the visible set, smaller ones lower down. RAWG does not label the exact unit in the excerpt, so treat the figure as a relative activity signal rather than a precise live player total.

Why the list changes over time

The section is explicitly framed as "New and trending," and the page offers controls that reinforce this:

• Order by: Relevance — the default sort, which applies the player-count/release-date logic.
• Platforms and Display options — filters that let you narrow what you see.
• Pagination (pages 1–4 shown) — the list is longer than one screen, so lower-ranked games remain reachable.

As releases happen and player activity rises or falls, entries move in, out, and up or down. A game trending today may drop off as its player count declines or as newer titles arrive.

Practical takeaways

• If you want the current pulse of the platform, check this section first — it surfaces what people are actually playing right now.
• Don't read the number as a review score or quality rating; it reflects activity, not critical merit.
• Use the platform filter and sort options to reshape the list around your own interests rather than accepting the default relevance order.
• Revisit periodically, since the ranking is designed to shift with release timing and engagement.