The 10 Most Popular Games Right Now (2022)
The gaming industry moves at a pace of its own - and a very fast one at that! Check out our list below to see what games are the most popular (as of 2022).
Before doing just that, though, why not play our very own, free and popular game in the link below?
Now, after shamelessly plugging our own popular games, let's see which made it to our list and why.
Picking the Most Popular Current Games of 2022
Since the gaming industry is split into various factions, it means that activity and user data can vary. Because of this, the following list of games comes from a variety of sources.
There are games that have sold millions of copies in 2022. There are perennial favorites that remain a draw, and there are games that get a constant stream of monthly users.
Basically, we didn’t just want to use monthly active users as a metric. It’s an important metric, but it’s not the only one that’s important when it comes to ranking the most popular games right now. That’s why you’ll find a nice mix of options below.
The 10 Most Popular Games Right Now - 2022 Version
Minecraft
The long-time hit from Mojang Studios continues to pull big numbers. The open-world sandbox game was released in 2011 and, due to the fact it’s a constantly evolving entity, it remains popular today. As of 2021, Minecraft had sold over 235M copies and over 700M registered users.
In 2022, this game is still attracting over 140M monthly active users.
Fortnite
Fortnite has been one of the most popular games online since its release in 2017. Regardless of whether players are locked in battle royales, trying to survive, or fighting in tower-defense mode, the point is they’re playing.
With over 62K positive votes on Ranker in 2022 and 80M monthly active users, Fortnite remains one of the most popular games right now.
Fall Guys
This battle royale game from Mediatonic and Epic Games continues to impress. One of the main reasons Fall Guys is one of the most popular games right now is the fact it’s free to play.
The publishing rights were transferred to Epic Games in 2021 and, since June 2022, it’s been free to play. What’s more, Epic Games has made it available on more platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One, a move that has increased its popularity.
League of Legends
Who said the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre was dead? Although MOBA may have lost some of its popularity to the battle royale genre (due to Fortnite), it still remains a hit.
Why? Because players still love League of Legends. Aside from being the definitive name in strategy-based battle games, League of Legends is still pulling in over 100M active users every month.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is one of the most popular games right now and it probably will be for a long time.
It has over 1.2B users (that's right, over 1 billion), and even though the number of peak concurrent users is significantly less than 1.2 billion (it’s just under 700M in 2022), it’s still a hit thanks to its ongoing updates and drops.
CrossFire
CrossFire might not be as well known in the west, but it’s a big deal in the East. Specifically, this Counter-Strike clone from Smilegate Entertainment is a huge hit in Korea.
With 8 million concurrent players at peak times, it’s already one of the most popular games right now. However, its popularity is only going to increase thanks to a deal in 2021 that made it exclusively available on all Microsoft platforms.
Roblox
Though not technically a game, Roblox has been around since 2006, and it’s still one of the most played game platforms right now. What’s interesting about Roblox is the culture that surrounds it.
Because users can program games and, in turn, make them available to other players, there’s a hardcore community out there. This has helped Roblox remain popular not as one game, but as a source of viewing entertainment on Twitch and YouTube.
Even today, the game platform gets 1 million concurrent players at peak times with ease.
Lost Ark
Lost Ark is one of the most popular games right now due to the fact it can still attract over 800K concurrent users at peak times. That’s impressive for a few reasons.
Firstly, this MMORPG was only released in 2022. Secondly, it hasn’t lost its initial appeal like rival MMORPGs. Like New World, Lost Ark attracted over 1M active users at peak times in its first month.
New World has lost momentum, but Lost Ark continues to attract strong numbers.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS:GO is one of the most consistent performers out there. We could choose almost any year since its release in 2012 and this first-person shooter would be among the most popular games.
This is still true today. CS:GO is one of the most popular games right now because it attracts 1 million concurrent users at peak times. Add to this more than 24M monthly active users and it really is one of the most popular games right now and, in all likelihood, will continue to be for a long time.
Valorant
This 5v5 character-based tactical FPS from Riot Games has gradually increased in popularity over the last few years. Initially released for PC and consoles in 2020, Riot Games announced in 2021 that a mobile version would be coming soon as a result of continued demand.
That demand is clear for all to see. It currently has over 14M active monthly users and anything involving Valorant draws big numbers on Twitch.
For example, when Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek played his first official match for Sentinels on the Valorant Champions Tour, peak viewership topped 600K. This alone makes Valorant one of the most popular games right now.
