Chances are, you’re in the know about the latest and greatest titles in the gaming world right now. Whether avidly checking Steam or browsing Twitch, information about the hottest individual games is readily available to gamers. But what are the most played gaming genres?
Here are the top five most popular and most played gaming genres, listed according to their estimated monthly active players. Our list combines aggregate factors, including peak monthly user counts, publisher statements, and publicly available statistical information to build an estimate monthly player count for each of gaming’s most popular and most played genres.
Popular online card games such as Hearthstone and The Elder Scrolls Legends have also been omitted, due to a lack of hard data made available by their publishers.
Most Played Gaming Genres
5) Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)
The latest expansion for World of Warcraft gave many players an excuse to return to gaming’s most enduring franchise. The nearly 15-year-old MMORPG faced an unfortunate drop-off of players since 2010. But WoW still retains a fairly active player base, and even appears to have recovered many fans that had long since left the game after an enticing new update, called Battle for Azeroth.
Estimates for monthly player counts put World of Warcraft’s current base at around 10.1 million. Additionally, with titles like Final Fantasy XIV, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Guild Wars 2, also posting very respectable numbers, there’s still a substantial community of gamers that love this genre.
Indeed, there’s little doubt that players have a lot to look forward to from their favorite MMOs. Quality expansions like Battle For Azeroth, Stormblood, and Summerset maintain a consistent content pipeline for the rabid MMORPG fan.
Estimated Monthly Players: 21 Million
Top 5 Most Played MMORPG’s, Ranked By Active Players:
- World of Warcraft – Est. 10 Million
- Final Fantasy XIV – Est. 3 Million
- Guild Wars 2 – Est. 3 Million
- The Elder Scrolls Online – Est. 3 Million
- Runescape (OS + 3.0) – Est. 2 Million
Most Played Gaming Genres
4) Shooters
Similarly to MMORPG’s, shooters have always been a staple among gaming royalty. Whether we’re talking about the tried-and-true Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Bungie’s shooter franchise Destiny, the genre’s place among gamers hasn’t wavered in popularity. Furthermore, one of the most-played shooters comes from the colorful Overwatch with an estimated 40 million total registered players.
There’s a vast esports scene for each of these shooter titles – even as the Battle Royale genre matures and branches away from its parent genre. With the Battlefield and Call of Duty franchises retaining enduring popularity, there’s no doubt that shooters remain relevant and among the most played gaming genres.
Estimated Monthly Players: 40 Million
Top 5 Most Played Shooters, Ranked By Active Players:
- Call of Duty: WW2 – Est. 13 Million
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Est. 12 Million
- Destiny 2 – Est. 9 Million
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege – Est. 3 Million
- Overwatch – Est. 3 Million
Most Played Gaming Genres
3) Survival
What initially started as a niche genre in gaming has developed into one of the most active player bases in the gaming landscape today. The survival genre’s popularity is due mostly to the innovative creativity of Minecraft. But the large player base hasn’t deterred a slew of new takes from other developers.
Similarly, with popular titles like ARK: Survival Evolved and the recently released SCUM taking the world by storm, survival games have gained a lot of traction in recent years.
With their focus on crafting, exploring, and eventually conquering a hostile world, the draw is there for the hardcore, masochistic gamer. The final release of Conan Exiles proved the enduring popularity of the survival genre.
Though these hardcore experiences maintain more presence among players, sub-genre horde-survival titles like Warhammer: Vermintide 2 also contribute heavily to the overall popularity of the survival genre.
And with high-profile releases like Fallout 76 coming later this year, survival games look like they’ll be making an even bigger splash in the future.
Estimated Monthly Players: 76 Million
Top 5 Most Played Survival Games, Ranked By Active Players:
- Minecraft – Est. 74 Million
- SCUM – Est. 1 Million (based upon first-month sales figures)
- Rust – Est. 400,000
- ARK: Survival Evolved – Est. 300,000
- Conan Exiles – Est. 100,000
Most Played Gaming Genres
2) Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs)
Gaming trends come like waves, crashing upon the shore until the next disruption arrives. MOBA titans like League of Legends and DOTA 2 have stood the test of time. In recent years, the popularity of MOBAs has receded. But the availability and high-skill caps kept a core base of gaming faithful around the genre, and it remains among the most played gaming genres.
As a result of high audience counts on Twitch and YouTube will likely see the lifespan maintain its current standing. But without further developer backing and popular competition, MOBAs may be on the wane until an innovative competitor arrives.
Estimated Monthly Players: 201 Million
Top 5 Most Played MOBAs, Ranked By Active Players:
- League of Legends – Est. 100 Million
- Arena of Valor – Est. 80 Million
- DOTA 2 – Est. 11 Million
- Heroes of the Storm – Est. 7 Million
- SMITE – Est. 3 Million
Most Played Gaming Genres
1) Battle Royale
Finally, 2018 saw an explosion of interest with the arrival of the Battle Royale genre. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds may have popularized the newest phenomenon, but the unprecedented popularity of Epic’s Fortnite made it a household name. According to an Epic press release, Fortnite surpassed over 78.3 million players during August alone.
As more players flock to the latest and greatest trend, publishers are certainly capitalizing on the battle royale boom in earnest this year. With the upcoming releases of Call of Duty: Blackout, Battlefield V’s Firestorm, and Dying Light: Bad Blood, companies are betting big to finally take Fortnite’s throne as the most popular game in the shooter world. Battle Royale now reigns supreme as gaming’s most played genre. But for how long, is the question.
Estimated Monthly Players: 308 Million
Top 5 Most Played Battle Royale Games, Ranked By Active Players:
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Est. 227 Million
- Fortnite Battle Royale – Est. 78 Million
- H1Z1 – Est. 2 Million
- Ring of Elysium – Est. 1 Million (Based on first-month registered user figures)
- Battlerite Royale – Est. 100,000
If you enjoyed our list of the most played gaming genres, you can check out other genres ranked by stats like peak concurrent players and total active users.
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