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Aliens vs. Predator Multiplayer in 2026: The Servers Survived. Did the Players?

Writer: Niels Gys
Niels Gys
3 hours ago
4 min read

Aliens vs. Predator (2010) still has community multiplayer servers running in November 2026, but finding a match against actual human beings is considerably less certain. Servers are online, some report occupied slots, and dedicated communities continue organising matches. Unfortunately, some of those occupants may be AI bots, meaning a populated server doesn't necessarily guarantee another human being waiting to have their spine removed.


Sixteen years after release, multiplayer survives thanks to people who apparently looked at a dying online shooter and decided death was merely a technical inconvenience.


Armored soldiers battle xenomorph-like aliens in a misty green jungle, with muzzle flashes and tense, deadly action.

Wondering whether Aliens vs. Predator is worth buying when the multiplayer population is this thin? Our Aliens vs. Predator (2010) review examines all three campaigns and why being the monster still beats being the poor bastard it hunts.



The Servers Are Still Running

Community projects including AVPUNKNOWN, Fury 161 and IDS maintain dedicated servers for the PC version, supporting modes such as Species Team Deathmatch, Infestation, Predator Hunt and Domination. On November 2, 2026, the independent GameMonitoring server directory reported 37 online servers with 31 occupied player slots. Its listings included servers in Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom, with one Species Team Deathmatch server reporting 14 occupants out of 18 available slots.


For a sixteen-year-old shooter, that's encouraging. Some multiplayer games from that era have populations consisting entirely of abandoned forum posts and one bloke asking whether anyone remembers his password. Aliens vs. Predator still has an organised community keeping its infrastructure alive.


Unfortunately, there's a catch.



Some of Those Players Aren't Players

In August 2026, the IDS server community announced an improved bot distribution system. Its AI-controlled participants automatically select their species, and groups of bots can leave when servers fill up, making room for humans.


That's genuinely impressive. Rather than accepting that their favourite multiplayer game is dying, the community has effectively started manufacturing replacement opponents.


Imagine returning because you miss hunting other players, only to discover that some of the terrifying extraterrestrial killing machines are operated by software. Congratulations. You've found intelligent life. Unfortunately, it's artificial.


There's nothing inherently wrong with bots. They make deserted matches playable, and an AI Marine shooting at you is considerably more entertaining than wandering around an empty corridor waiting for somebody in Germany to finish dinner. But fighting bots isn't the same as hunting humans. Part of the Predator fantasy is knowing that the terrified Marine you're stalking is an actual person making increasingly unfortunate decisions.


Server statistics don't reliably establish how many occupants are human. Without joining and checking, we simply can't tell.



How Many People Still Play?

According to SteamCharts, Aliens vs. Predator averaged approximately 90 concurrent Steam users in October 2026, peaking at 176. That's modest, although impressively persistent for something released when people still believed 3D televisions were the future.


There's also a statistical trap. SteamCharts separately tracks the dedicated-server application, which averaged over 4,200 concurrent instances in October. Those aren't thousands of human players. Treating them as such would be rather like counting every parked car in London and announcing that Britain has solved traffic congestion.


Even the main game's concurrency includes single-player activity. Recent Steam discussions suggest that organised matches remain possible, but finding public servers populated by real people can be difficult, particularly depending on your region and playing hours.


Multiplayer game server browser with highlighted [FURY16] DM || Vanilla Maps [US], map Refinery, and Join/Refresh buttons.

Prefer being the creature everyone else is desperately trying to survive? Our CARRION review explores a magnificent reverse-horror nightmare where you devour armed humans, grow into a biological catastrophe and somehow still get defeated by basic navigation.



How to Find a Multiplayer Match in 2026

On PC, AVPUNKNOWN documents several connection methods. The simplest is to launch the game, open Multiplayer, select Player Match, choose Internet (Dedicated), and browse the available servers. Alternatively, try Steam's server browser or AVPUNKNOWN's Secure Server Connector.


Check server location, population and game mode before joining. Some servers use DLC maps or modified configurations. If you specifically want human opponents, arranging a session through the community may be more productive than repeatedly refreshing an empty browser.


CRIMENET has verified server listings and community information but hasn't independently completed a live connection test. We therefore cannot guarantee a particular server is joinable or establish exactly how many human opponents are currently playing.



Is Aliens vs. Predator Multiplayer Worth Playing?

Yes, if you're willing to deal with a small, community-dependent population. No, if you expect reliable public matchmaking whenever you fancy disembowelling a stranger.


There's something magnificent about people still maintaining servers and developing bots sixteen years after release. Plenty of modern multiplayer games struggle to maintain meaningful activity after sixteen months. But enthusiasm cannot entirely replace human opponents, and bots cannot recreate another player's unpredictable ingenuity or spectacular incompetence.


If you're considering buying Aliens vs. Predator today, buy it primarily for the campaigns. Our Aliens vs. Predator (2010) review explains why playing as the Alien or Predator remains its strongest attraction. Treat multiplayer as a bonus, especially with friends or an organised community.


The servers have survived sixteen years. The challenge now is finding somebody with a pulse to hunt.


Still hungry for games that let you become the problem rather than solve it? Explore CRIMENET's 10 Best Villain Games, where Aliens vs. Predator joins murderous sharks, criminal masterminds and a goose whose moral compass was apparently eaten at birth.



Aliens vs. Predator (2010) Multiplayer FAQ

Is Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer still active in 2026?

Yes. Community-maintained PC servers are still running in November 2026, although the player population is small and some servers use AI bots to fill matches.


Can you still find matches with real players?

Yes, but finding human opponents consistently can be difficult. Your chances depend on the server, region and time of day. Organised community sessions are generally a better option than relying on public matchmaking.


Does Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer still work on Steam?

Community-hosted multiplayer remains available for the Steam PC version. You can browse dedicated servers through the game's multiplayer menu or use community connection tools such as AVPUNKNOWN. Individual server availability and connection success can vary.


Can you play Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer with friends?

Yes. Players can arrange matches together on compatible community servers. This is one of the more practical ways to enjoy multiplayer in 2026 without depending on finding populated public matches.

 
 
 

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About the Editor
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I'm Niels Gys, founder and editor of CRIMENET GAZETTE. I write about crime games, heists, playable villains, and crime films and television because somebody has to separate criminal masterpieces from productions that couldn't organise a successful mugging.

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​Outside the website, I'm the frontman of JETBLACK SMILE, a Belgian rock 'n' roll band that sounds like bad decisions played through loud guitars. Turns out writing about chaos, criminals, and morally questionable life choices isn't all that different from writing songs.

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