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Core Keeper dev celebrates going 'from being called a 'fat nerd' as a child, to making maps for Heroes 3 and WarCraft 3, to now having a game that has more than 3 million players'

Core Keeper, a pixel art mining and survival game with elements of Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Valheim, has reached 3 million players just weeks after its official launch, proving its popularity and showcasing the unexpected journey of its creator, Fredrik Präntare.

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The delightfully hectic pixel art mining and survival game Core Keeper continues to blow up in popularity, reaching yet another major player milestone just a few weeks following its official launch on August 27. 

CEO Fredrik Präntare celebrated Core Keeper reaching three million players with a heartfelt message on Twitter. "This is completely crazy to me, from being called a 'fat nerd' as a child, to making maps for Heroes 3 and WarCraft 3, to now having a game that has more than 3 million players," he said. "Thank you, everyone – my wonderful team and I are beyond grateful." 

Of course, Prantare had to poke fun at his younger self, but this seriously does illustrate a larger picture: you never really know where you'll end up years down the road. It also proves that, occasionally, CEOs can be funny.

Core Keeper had been in early access for roughly two years, and since its 1.0 launch last month, even more players – in parties of one to eight thanks to co-op support – have been flocking to its novel mix of vibes echoing Minecraft, Valheim, Stardew Valley, and others. As the game continues to pick up traction, boasting a "Very Positive" rating on Steam with almost 30,000 total reviews, it doesn't seem like Core Keeper's momentum is going to slow anytime soon.

Although Core Keeper continues to be a breakout hit, the game still hasn't been released on Nintendo Switch, PS4, or Xbox One due to a last-minute delay. While it was originally set to launch on September 17, there is no new date for these last-gen versions, though stores like the Nintendo eShop seem to erroneously say October 29. The game came to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on August 27. 

*If you're looking for something a little more life sim-like to check out, take a look at *10 games like Stardew Valley.