Everyone loves playing video games, and the year 2021 was perfect for that. Not only did we get some great new titles and a few great consoles, but we had a bit more time to spend at home and play games alone or with our friends. And with more and more people joining the video game craze this year, the industry really grew. In this article we will list some great games that have been played the most.
The Industry Boom
But before we start, it’s really worth mentioning that back in 2020 the video game industry already gained some momentum which has transferred further into 2021 and it will continue to grow in the years to come. In 2020, six of the largest game publishers reported a combined $24 billion in revenue, which is almost 20% more than in 2019.
This uptick largely accumulated prior to the launches of new Xbox and Playstation consoles, and they only contributed to the growth and popularity of games. With those new consoles came new games, or old titles were adapted to the new consoles, which attracted a lot of players.
Not Only Video Games
What is more, the standard video game industry is not the only one that grew this year. The online casino market also gained momentum in 2020/2021. The key factors for this increase are the number of internet users and increased access to data and gambling platforms.
Plus, online casino gaming also grew due to the growth in the number of casino websites, which further attracted more players. Not to forget how software, technology, and the use of cryptocurrencies helped people enjoy these games more.
Another trend that emerged from the growth of the online gambling industry is the appearance of various guides for such games, such as OddsNinja.com. Those guides help people adopt better strategies, play better, learn about the odds, and which sites to use.
With all this in mind, no wonder why the gaming market is expected to keep on expanding continuously.
Grand Theft Auto V
Even though GTA V was released seven years ago, this Rockstar Games’ mega-hit continues to attract players. This game is still among the world’s most played games and it seems to be the one in 2021, too. It is seemingly an unstoppable force and within the past six months, GTA V peaked in a number of players which exceeded 184,941 – this is really impressive.
Apex Legends
Respawn’s Apex Legends snuck up on all of us and this year, the game proceeded to take the battle royale genre by storm. They have proved that the perfect recipe exists with AAA production quality and a free-to-play business model. The opening month for the game saw a record 2 million concurrent players, but the numbers seem to have dropped a bit. And despite the occasional bump on the road, Apex Legends still has a great community with a great number of players and fans that keep it alive. So far, they have peaked at 228,439 players on Steam alone in 2021.
PUBG
With its launch, PUBG definitely kicked off a frenzy and reshaped the multiplayer gaming landscape. It still has a huge audience despite the battle royale genre becoming filled with copycats. And even though PUBG is no longer at the throttle of the battle royale genre, it still has plenty of tactical military-sim experiences that most players prefer. Their mobile version, too, is extremely popular and the community keeps soldiering through in 2021. The number of players so far has peaked at 458,778.
Counter-Strike: GO
This game just won’t quit. In April 2020, CS:GO reached its highest number of concurrent players at 1.3 million, which is a hugely impressive number. And so far in 2021, they have peaked at 1,198,581 players. This is all due to the strong eSports presence and power of the franchise that has been with us since the late 1990s.
Live Casino Games
Even though there are some great titles that are played often this year, live casino games are on the rise. With a lot of people now spending time at home with limited means of going to the casinos, the online industry has boomed. This is a great replacement for land-based casinos because online versions offer a great variety of games, including real cards, real wheels, slots, and everything else you can imagine. Another thing that contributed to their popularity is the live casino crypto option and the improvement of payment methods.
Dota 2
Multiplayer ONline Battle Arena games keep staying impressive with their number of players. The same goes for Dota 2, and over the past 12 months this game regularly had almost a million players in total, even though it has been around for nearly a decade.
This year has been tough on all of us, but the video game industry has helped us stay entertained. Thanks to new consoles, new titles, and the popularity of some old games gaming helped us all find a way to stay connected with the world, while we simply had fun.
