No. Combat is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Combat on?

Combat is available on Atari 2600.

When did Combat release?

Combat was first released on September 11, 1977.

Combat

Sep 11, 1977ShooterArcadeAtari 2600

Combat — frequently asked questions

Is Combat on Steam?: No. Combat is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Combat on?: Combat is available on Atari 2600.
When did Combat release?: Combat was first released on September 11, 1977.

About Combat

Combat is an early video game by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 2600. It was based on two earlier black-and-white coin-operated arcade games produced by Atari. Combat had color graphics and numerous gameplay variations. The 27 game modes featured a variety of different combat scenarios, including tanks, biplanes, and jet fighters. The tank games had interesting options such as bouncing munitions ("Tank-Pong") and invisibility. The biplane and jet games also allowed for variation, such as multiple planes per player and an inventive game with a squadron of planes versus one giant bomber.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari
Game modes: Multiplayer
Themes: Action, Warfare

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

70/100

from 32 ratings

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

$14

Sealed

$48

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Text Label	$3	$14	$20
Text # Side Label	$12	$38	—
Tank Plus	$8	$14	$37

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Picture	CX2601	Common
North America Atari	Text	CX2601	Common
North America Atari	Text # - "01 combat"	CX2601	Common+
North America Sears	Text	99801	Common+

Also released in South America by Polyvox, Dynacom.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1977
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 2 required
Authenticity: Low

On Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration since Nov 11, 2022 — the cartridge is now a collectibleLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The game that came in the box: dated, hugely common, and still a good two-player cartridge.

Combat was the 2600's launch pack-in. Two players control tanks, biplanes or jets and fire missiles at each other for two minutes and sixteen seconds, and whoever has more hits when time runs out wins. Variations add invisible vehicles, missiles that ricochet off walls and different playing fields. It is based on Atari's 1974 arcade game Tank.

Steve Mayer and Ron Milner started it, Joe Decuir tested it on the VCS hardware while the console was still being developed, and Larry Wagner finished it and added the plane variations. By the early 1980s it looked dated, and a planned sequel, Combat Two, was never completed, though a prototype was later released. Retrospective coverage has been kind, and PCMag and Flux have listed it among the best 2600 games. It is on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.

How it was made

Started by Steve Mayer and Ron Milner, tested on the in-development VCS by Joe Decuir, and completed by Larry Wagner, who added the plane games. Atari released it in August 1977, and it was packed with the console.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 2 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

01 Combat. The first 1977 Heavy Sixer consoles shipped with Combat as '01 Combat', and it stayed the pack-in until Pac-Man replaced it around 1982.
The shelved sequel. Asked about the new Combat pictured in an Atari catalog, Atari Age explained: "with Battlezone on its way and Pac-Man included with Atari 2600 units now being sold, there didn't seem to be much need for an updated version of Combat, so the project has been shelved."
1981 dealer price. Atari's confidential retailer price list for January 1 to June 1, 1981 lists Combat (CX2601) in its basic tier: dealers paid $14.00 against a suggested retail price of $22.95.

Before you buy

Low risk. Combat shipped with the console from 1977 until around 1982, so it is very common. Check which label you are looking at. The plain text-label cart is the cheapest. Price guides also list a 'Text # Side Label' variant that sells for a little more; ask for a photo of the end label to confirm which one you are buying. Tank Plus is the Sears Tele-Games name for the same game.