What to know

  • Escape from Duckov is a PVE extraction shooter, launched on October 16, 2025, and reached 500,000 copies sold by October 19 before hitting 1 million by October 22.
  • Developed by Team Soda and published by Bilibili, it features top-down action with resource gathering, weapon modding, and over 50 hours of quests.
  • Available on Steam and Epic Games Store, the title earns overwhelmingly positive reviews for its fresh take on survival RPG elements.

Escape From Duckov debuted on October 16, 2025, quickly gaining traction with minimal marketing. By October 19, sales hit 500,000 copies, accompanied by a peak of 180,000 concurrent players on Steam.

On October 22, the official X account announced surpassing 1 million copies sold, thanking the community and launching a giveaway for 20 free keys via follows and reposts.

This rapid growth highlights the title's viral appeal, outpacing expectations for an indie release and rivaling established shooters in player engagement.

The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive. Escape from Duckov achieved a 95% positive review rating within days, with over 6,000 Steam reviews. Notably, reviews from English-speaking players showed slightly higher positivity (96%) compared to Chinese reviewers (94%), indicating broad appeal across regions. The game toppled previous indie benchmarks—it surpassed Hollow Knight: Silksong's 24-hour peak of 82,023 concurrent players, with its own peak reaching 146,602 players within the same timeframe.

Players have particularly praised the game's accessibility for those intimidated by hardcore extraction shooters. The cartoonish art style and humorous tone reduce entry barriers compared to games like Escape from Tarkov, which is known for its intense difficulty and punishing mechanics. The absurdist humor permeates the experience, from the whimsical waddle of duck characters to comedic voice effects that ease the tension typical of loot-and-extract games.

If the developer capitalises on the launch momentum and maintains active content updates and community engagement, “Escape from Duckov” could evolve from a launch hit into a longer term franchise.