Most Played Games in 2021, Ranked by Peak Concurrent ...

Here we're recapping the 10 most played games of 2021, which we've based on data provided by publishers, as well as various analytics sites. Connectwithus527983 Whilethere’sbeennoshortageofgamesreleasedoverthepastfewyears,youmightbesurprisedtolearnthatmajorityofthemostplayedgamesin2021areactuallymucholder.Herewe’rerecappingthetop10,whichwe’vebasedondataprovidedbypublishers/developers,aswellasvariousanalyticssites.Editor’snote:ValheimhasbeendroppedfromthislistdespiteitsrecordconcurrentbeinghigherthanApexLegends,simplybecausetheApexnumbersdonotincludeconsoleandValheimhassinceslippedtolessthan100,000concurrentplayers.Update12/22/2021:Addedtwonewgames,switchedorderaccordingly.10.ApexLegends–228,439(Steam)MostPlayedGamesin2021 Respawn’sApexLegendsstealthdroppedoutofnowhereandthenproceededtotakethebattleroyalegenrebystorm.Itprovedtheperfectrecipeofcompellinggameplay,AAAproductionquality,andafree-to-playbusinessmodelthatsawitsucceedintemporarilydethroningFortniteandPUBGasmost-playedandmost-watchedmultiplayergames.Thenumbershavedefinitelydippedsinceitsopeningmonthsawarecord2millionconcurrentplayers,butdespitetheoccasionalbumpalongtheway,itscommunityhasremainedprettysizeable.It’ssafetosaythatApexhasmuscleditswayintothegenreandsecureditsplacefortheforeseeablefuture.Sofar,ApexLegendshaspeakedat228,439onSteamalonein2021.Withconsolenumbersaddedinthere,wewouldn’tbesurprisedifthetotalwasedgingamilliononagoodday.9.PUBG–458,778MostPlayedGamesin2021 Thegamethatkickedoffafrenzythatsawtheentiremultiplayergaminglandscapereshapedoverthepastfewyears,PUBGstillcommandsahugeaudiencedespitethebattleroyalegenrebecomingfloodedwithcopycattitles.Mostnotably,ofcourse,itwascopiedbyandthensupersededbyEpicGames’Fortnite.PUBG’spremiummodelanditstardinessinarrivingonconsolessawitfallbehindratherquicklyonceFortnitebegangatheringsteam.ButwhilePUBGmaynolongerrulethebattleroyaleroost,itstilloffersatacticalmilitary-simexperiencethatisn’tmatchedbyothergamesinthegenre.This,andthefactthatitsmobileversionisalsoextremelypopular(numbersnotincludedinabovestat),shouldseePUBG’scommunitysoldieronthroughout2021.PeakconcurrentplayernumbersforPUBGin2021havesofarhit458,778.8.Dota2–648,875MostPlayedGamesin2021 Asentimentthat’slongbeentakenforgrantedisthattheMultiplayerOnlineBattleArenagenreisdying.Butwhileit’struethatMOBAgamesaren’tseeinggrowthliketheyoncewere,don’tforasecondthinkthattheyaren’tstillincrediblypopular.DOTA2,thesequeltothegenre’sfoundingfather,stilleclipsesmostofthecompetition.Overthepast12months,it’sregularlynearingamillionconcurrentplayers,andsometimesexceedingthattotal,despitehavingbeenaroundfornearlyadecade.The801,121numberquotedaboveforthisrankingwastakenfromApril2020.LikeCS:GO,it’sesportspresencehasnurturedapassionatecommunityofplayersthataren’tinanyhurrytomoveontoanewIP.DOTA2isalsoabignoiseintheeast,particularlyinChina,whichaccountsforasubstantialpercentageofitsplayerbase.7.NewWorld–913,634MostPlayedGamesin2021 Amazon’sfirstforayintoAAAMMORPGshasbeenaresoundingsuccesswiththelaunchofNewWorldbackinSeptember.WithtremendousproductionvaluesandasolidcombatsystemthatfeelsverySouls-inspired,NewWorldverymuchlooksandplayslikea‘next-gen’MMORPG,evenifitsdesigndoesn’tboastanyespeciallyinnovativefeatures.Itcertainlyprovedpopular,withaplayerbasethatswelledtoenormousproportionsinthedaysimmediatelyfollowingitslaunch—well,asmuchastheserverscouldhandle,anyway!Atitspeak,NewWorldwasbeingplayedbynearly1millionconcurrently,seeingitflyuptonumber4onourlist.6.Counter-Strike:GO–1.2MillionMostPlayedGamesin2021 Counter-Strike:GOistheFPSthatjustwon’tquit.April2020sawitshighest-everconcurrentplayernumbers,topping1.3million.Notonlyisthatahugelyimpressivefigureonitsown,butthegamebeencrankingoutthissortofperformanceforeightyears.Asforthisyearsofar,CS:GOhaspeakedat1,198,581.Astrongesportspresenceandthebrandpowerofafranchisethat’sbeenaroundsincethelate1990shaskeptCS:GOaheadofnewerreleases.ThegameremainsespeciallyinEurope,withcountrieslikeRussiacontributingmassivelytotheoverallsizeoftheactivecommunity.5.Minecraft–1.4Million+MostPlayedGamesin2021 Minecraftisajuggernautthatjustkeepsonsteamrolling,butwe’llacknowledgethatwe’reslightlycheatingwithourlistedstathere.Technically,ourdatashouldplaceMinecraftbelowApexLegends.Thethingis,whileweonlyhavedatafrom2015,weknowforcertainthatMinecrafthasonlyincreaseditsplayerbaseexponentiallyoverthepastfouryears.Youonlyhavetolookatitsmonthlyactiveusers(MAU)forproof.Forcomparisonandtoprovidesomecontextastowe’vebumpedMinecraftupwithoutamorerecentconcurrentstat,DOTA2hadanestimatedMAUof11.9millionatthestartof2019.Minecrafthastentimesthatnumber.Our1.4millionconcurrentstatistakenfromaPolygonarticlebackin2015whenMinecraft’sMAUwasestimatedatbelow40million.Itwouldn’tbeoutoftherealmsofpossibilitythatMinecraftnowseesoverthreetimesthatconcurrentnumberonoccasion.4.Roblox–‘Nearly4Million Robloxhasskyrocketedinpopularitysinceitslaunchbackin2006,especiallyoverthepastfiveorsoyears.Backin2016CEODavidBaszuskiwasproudlytouting700,000concurrentplayersanddeclaringthe1millionmilestonewasn’tfararoundthecorner.Fastforwardto2020andRoblox’s7thAnnualBloxyAwardssawincredibly4millionplayerswatchingin-gameconcurrently.Whilethenoveltyoftheeventslightlywarpstheconcurrenttallyforthepurposesofthislist,we’restillconfidentRobloxearnsitsspotatnumber4onthislist.Indeed,ourunderstandingisthatRobloxfrequentlyseesover1millionplayersconcurrentlythroughouttheyearevenoutsideofspecialevents.3.Crossfire–8MillionMostPlayedGamesin2021 It’slikelythatupuntilonlyfairlyrecentlythemajorityofourreaderswouldn’thaveheardofoneoftheworld’smost-playedvideogames.Crossfire,aCounter-Strikeclone,isanabsolutebeastoverinKorea,andit’ssettomakeitsmarkoverinthewestsoon.KoreandeveloperSmilegateEntertainmenthasrecentlystruckadealwithMicrosoftthat’llseeanewversionofthegamecalledCrossfireXcometoMicrosoftplatformsexclusivelyin2021.Quitewhetherthatsequelwillseethesameconcurrentfigures,though,we’renotsure.Itreallywoulddependonwhetherthenextiterationofthegameseesaworldwidelaunchorwhetherit’ssomethingbeingpreparedspecificallyforthewesternmarket.It’scertainlygotalottoliveuptoifit’sgoingtomatchSmilegate’sclaimsof8millionconcurrentplayers.That’sastatthatweshouldnotehasbeentoutedforanumberofyears,though,soit’sactuallyslightlyunclearastothegame’scurrentcommunitysize.2.LeagueofLegends–8MillionMostPlayedGamesin2021 Earlierinthislist,wecitedDOTA2’scontinuedpopularityasproofthattheMOBAgenreisfarfromdead,butLeagueofLegends’numberscompletelyblowthoseoutofthewater.AccordingtoRiotGames,almosteachandeverysingleday,LeagueofLegendsisplayedbyaround8millionpeople.Thatistotallybonkers,andprobablyshouldseeittopthislistbasedpurelyonconsistency,butwe’vesetthemetricaspeakconcurrentsowe’llresistthetemptation…Onceagain,astrongesportsscenehashelpedLeagueofLegendstoholdontoitscommunity,whichroutinelyturnupinthemillionstowatchcompetitivetournamentsonline.TheLeagueofLegendsWorldChampionships2019brokeTwitch’sconcurrentviewershiprecordswith1.7millionwatchingFunPlusPhoenixcrushG2Esports.1.Fortnite–12.3MillionMostPlayedGamesin2021 LoveorhateFortnite,itsurelyhastogodownasamongthemostimportantvideogamesevermade.EpicGames’battleroyalegamehastotallyrecalibratedwhatitmeanstobuildandsupportasuccessful“live”service-stylevideogame.Fortniteisaconstantlyshiftingentity,remoldingitselfwithdifferentfeaturesandgimmicksasnewtrendsemerge.It’sessentiallyanewgameeverymonththankstoitsbattlepasscontent,andit’salsomanagedtoembeditselfintopopculturebycollaboratingwithmusiciansandcelebrityfigureheadstostayrelevant.Infact,itwasduringtheAstronomicalConcertbackin2020thatFortniteseta12.3millionconcurrentplayerpeak,asplayersflockedtowatchTravisScottdebutanewsingle.Comments ContinueReadingRelatedTopics:mostplayedgamesin2020,MultiPost,rankedbypeakconcurrentplayers Fortnitev19.01AddsTornadoes&LightningStrikestoShakeThingsUpByZhiqingWanJanuary11,2022 NewPokemonShortProvesthatBidoofIs,Indeed,theBestPokemonByZhiqingWanJanuary11,2022 BestAdventure&VisualNovelGamesof2021ByEdMcGloneJanuary11,2022 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