What are the Top 10 Online Games?

Video gaming has become a global pastime that smashes all socio-economic and geographical boundaries. And isn’t it ironic that it is one of the only industries to have flourished and grown in popularity during the worldwide pandemic while virtually all of the others were crippled? Recreational activities came to a screeching halt, professional sports leagues were temporarily shuttered, concerts were verboten, and dining in was restricted to one’s own kitchen.

But video games were booming because it was one of the few activities that could be enjoyed remotely. The only deleterious effect of the pandemic vis a vis the gaming industry was the cessation of esports tournaments that normally welcomed live audiences, as large as 20,000 people, cheering on professional gamers inside a state-of-the-art arena.

The smaller tournaments were held remotely and there was such a dearth of professional sports that best offshore sportsbooks sites were suddenly dealing odds on League of Legends and Fortnite tournaments to name but a few. However, the general public playing from their living rooms or mobile devices spent even more time gaming than ever before because, what was the alternative?

Moreover, entirely new demographics gravitated to the gaming community because their recreational options were now sorely limited. This boosted the popularity of video games even more. In fact, according to Mordor Intelligence, gamers in the United States spent 45% more time playing video games during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic than usual. The Hollywood Reporter reported similar findings in France (+38%), UK (+29%), and Germany (+20%).

According to J. Clement, researcher and writer for Statista, “During a 2020 survey, 38 percent of video game players still come from the 18 to 34 age demographic, and six percent are 65 years and older.

“In 2018, Americans aged between 15 to 19 years spent 49 minutes on gaming or leisurely computer use during an average weekday, and more than 90 minutes doing so during weekends or holidays. The age demographic which devoted the least amount of time to gaming was the 45 to 54 years category. Members of this age demographic spent an average of just 10 minutes playing on the computer during the week and only 22 minutes during weekends and holidays.

“In a further survey, some 11.6 percent of respondents in the U.S. admitted to playing video games for more than 20 hours a week, while another 11.4 percent claimed to spend between 12 and 20 hours a week gaming.

“Gaming has traditionally been seen as a more male hobby, and this is reflected in the fact that, on average, men spent more time both during the week and on weekends playing games on the computer. However, the rise of female gamers has been rapid in recent years, with a 2019 figure estimating that 46 percent of all computer and video gamers in the United States are female.

This is a significant increase from the 38 percent female gaming population in 2006. Playing games at a professional level can also be a lucrative career for those at the very top of their game. The leading eSports players worldwide have earnings going well into the millions.”

Top 10 Most Popular Online Games (Year Released)

As you will see below, the battle royale concept has caught fire and the big debate rages as to which is the best of the bunch, Fortnite or Player’s Unknown Battle Ground. Although Fortnite has celebrity swag with everyone from MLB pitcher, David Price, to Canadian rapper, Drake, admitting to being an avid player, the popularity of PUBG speaks for itself with over 100 million active users.

The key difference between the two behemoths is the cross-platform accessibility of Fortnite versus stand-alone pc and mobile versions for PUBG. That is a big plus for Fortnite fans but the realistic characters in PUBG versus the cartoonish heroes in Fortnite is the deciding factor for many PUBG fans.

One game not mentioned on this list, but lands high on many other popularity lists depending on the metrics used, is Dota 2. Rather than another battle royale-style game that is hitting the mark with BR fans who can’t get enough of the genre, Dota 2 is more of an RPG game. However, there is a battle royale version called The Underhollow but it is only available to owners of The International 2018 Battle Pass.

10. Call of Duty Warzone (2020) Developer – Activision, Active Player Users – 5 million

9. Among Us (2018) Developer – InnerSloth LLC, Active Player Users – 8 million

8. Call of Duty Mobile (2019) Developer – TiMi Studios, Active Player Users – 15 million

7. League of Legends (2009) Developer – Riot Games, Active Player Users – 27 million

6. Hearthstone (2012) Developer – Blizzard Entertainment, Active Player Users – 30 million

5. CS: Global Offensive (2012) Developer – Valve Corporation, Active Player Users – 35 million

4. Fortnite Battle Royale (2017) Developer – Epic Games, Active Player Users – 45 million

3. Apex Legends (2019) Developer – Respawn Entertainment, Active Player Users – 50 million

2. Minecraft (2011) Developer – Mojang Studios, Active Player Users – 95+ million

1. Player’s Unknown Battle Ground (2018) Developer – PUBG Corporation, Active Player Users – 100+ million