In the 21st century, these video games have been more popular than any others. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the most widely played and lucrative games of the century so far.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down the most widely played and lucrative
00:12 games of the 21st century.
00:21 Number 10 - Overwatch
00:33 Though the tables have arguably turned for Overwatch since the release of Overwatch 2,
00:37 which completely replaced the original game with an inferior version, for a few years
00:41 Overwatch was everywhere.
00:43 It hadn't had the staying power of some of the century's other most popular games,
00:46 but you have to give it props for being completely inescapable for a year or two.
00:59 With a wide variety of heroes and lightning fast, objective-based FPS gameplay, Overwatch
01:03 was a blast in its golden age.
01:05 It looked and played great on consoles and PC, and was celebrated for its inclusivity
01:09 and deep lore just as much as for how fun it was.
01:12 But even Blizzard has admitted that the Overwatch 2 release was a failure.
01:20 Number 9 - Minecraft
01:27 It started life as a groundbreaking indie title, a deep crafting game that pretty much
01:31 every computer could run.
01:32 Minecraft has only gone from strength to strength since then, especially since being bought
01:36 by Microsoft in 2014 and having the benefit of all that Windows money.
01:41 What's great about Minecraft is that it's as complex or as simple as you like, and the
01:45 difficulty is highly customizable too.
01:52 You can turn off enemies, build without worrying about resources, or you can play it more like
01:56 a survival simulator.
01:58 It provides so much freedom and infinite possibilities to its players, helped by expansive mods and
02:03 constant updates that finesse the gameplay and improve the visuals.
02:13 Number 8 - Dota 2
02:22 Starting life as a Warcraft 3 mod, the original Dota eventually got so popular that a standalone
02:26 sequel was made in 2013.
02:28 But as the original mod was time-consuming to install, Dota 2 also isn't very friendly
02:33 to new players.
02:34 Despite that, it's become one of the biggest esports games out there with a huge scene
02:38 of exceptionally skilled players.
02:47 This can definitely make it intimidating for a new player since you've got to contend
02:51 with a very deep learning curve to get into Dota at all on a mechanical level, and you've
02:55 also got to go up against people who have been playing for years.
02:58 But few things are as rewarding as being one of those top players.
03:08 Number 7 - Grand Theft Auto V
03:17 GTA V is still one of the most profitable entertainment products in history, a money
03:21 printing machine Rockstar happened upon when they developed GTA Online.
03:25 But there are huge caveats attached to this, namely that plenty of fans don't like Rockstar's
03:29 single player experiences taking a backseat to GTA's aging online mode.
03:34 Still, GTA Online is constantly updated and remains hugely popular as does the base game
03:39 and its numerous re-releases.
03:46 It's another game with an enormous modding scene too, further adding to its popularity
03:50 while a roleplaying scene has also built up around it.
03:54 Rockstar has even bought various roleplay servers, suggesting that this element will
03:57 have official support in GTA 6.
04:04 Number 6 - Genshin Impact
04:06 It's pretty astonishing that Genshin Impact is free to play, given how much content the
04:16 game has when you get into it.
04:18 And unlike many other popular games, Genshin is an ARPG that you can get plenty of enjoyment
04:22 out of, even if you're playing alone.
04:25 Its monetization also isn't too intrusive.
04:27 Yes, you can spend far too much money unlocking in-game characters and items if you want,
04:32 but you can also have just as much fun not doing any of that and saving your hard-earned
04:36 cash.
04:41 It's been hugely profitable for its creators, enabling them to keep rolling out high-quality
04:45 updates that expand the story and world, and even putting out a sci-fi sibling to Genshin,
04:49 Honkai Star Rail.
04:57 Number 5 - Call of Duty Franchise
05:06 Over the years, Call of Duty quickly turned into a tentpole release and a highlight of
05:10 the gaming calendar each year.
05:12 Though some would argue that the quality of COD games has been declining, with more misses
05:16 than hits, there's still immensely popular games that make hundreds of millions of dollars
05:19 for Activision each year.
05:25 Activision may keep bumping up the price and adding more and more microtransactions, but
05:30 to its credit, we also have Warzone now, which is massive and free to play.
05:34 Warzone is maybe even more enjoyable than the mainline games that go out of date every
05:38 12 months.
05:44 Number 4 - Counter-Strike Series
05:52 This intense FPS strategy game has stood the test of time and has been resoundingly popular
05:57 for over 20 years.
05:59 The beauty of Counter-Strike has always been its simplicity.
06:02 You have teams and clear objectives, but limitless ways to achieve those objectives, while unlocking
06:07 plenty of unique skins along the way, of course.
06:09 Valve has to keep the lights on somehow.
06:17 You don't have to be the best player to enjoy it, but its years of high-level play mean
06:21 that mastering the series is extremely rewarding.
06:23 The only way to get good at CS is to get good, and it takes time and patience to become one
06:28 of the greats.
06:35 Number 3 - PUBG Battlegrounds
06:43 One of the games that ushered in the era of Battle Royales and their consistent popularity,
06:47 PUBG remains fun even years later.
06:49 It also eventually adopted a free-to-play model, making it even more popular, though
06:53 it's still racking in plenty of cash.
06:55 It's really the classic Battle Royale experience, and you know exactly what you're getting into
06:59 when you launch a game.
07:07 But like other multiplayer games, this is what makes it so addictive and replayable.
07:11 Unlike its competitors in the Battle Royale space, PUBG also aims for a higher level of
07:15 realism, meaning it captures the large groups of players who love military games and military
07:20 sims.
07:21 This has ensured its enduring popularity.
07:31 Number 2 - Fortnite
07:40 Though its player base has dwindled, and it's not even got as many active players as PUBG,
07:44 you can't overstate the impact Fortnite had on the world throughout the 2010s.
07:49 It's absolutely still popular and has a healthy fanbase, but nothing really compares to its
07:53 heyday in the latter half of the last decade.
08:02 Every single popular IP, and even a lot of not-so-popular ones, had a skin in Fortnite.
08:07 Epic Games was making unprecedented amounts of money selling loot boxes and those coveted
08:11 skins to kids who stole their parents' credit cards, and stores everywhere were full to
08:15 bursting with Fortnite-themed Funko Pops.
08:18 Love it or hate it, Fortnite was unavoidable for years.
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08:45 Number 1 - League of Legends
08:54 Like Overwatch, a core part of League's appeal is the huge roster of interesting characters
08:58 with unique playstyles.
08:59 But it's had a lot more success and, in 2021, got a hit Netflix show based on it.
09:04 It's remained an esports titan for over a decade at this point, with new players joining
09:09 all the time and boasting the biggest competitive scene of any multiplayer game in the world,
09:13 going by tournament viewership.
09:22 Like many huge games, League is also free to play and funded by in-game microtransactions.
09:27 To Riot's credit, continuous support and updates have led to League being hugely improved
09:31 in the years since its initial release and it's now almost unrecognizable.
09:42 Let us know which of these hit games you still can't put down.
10:04 Cheers!
10:11 (upbeat music)