Choosing an online game to sink your teeth into can be quite the challenge nowadays. It’s taken barely a decade for online gaming to become the biggest entertainment industry in the world, and the explosive growth of the industry has led to an extensive collection of games that covers a massive variety of genres.
There are so many wildly different games to choose from that it’s practically impossible to try them all. The best online casino may have all the gambling games you want to try, but there are plenty of other online genres to choose from and a whole host of platforms to play them on.
To save you from the trouble of going through a near-endless selection of games, we’ve put together the eight hottest online games right now. Each game featured below has millions of players, an active support team, and most importantly, enough content to keep you invested for an extended period of time.
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is a futuristic sci-fi FPS with light RPG elements. The player takes on the role of a Guardian; a gun-toting, element-wielding super-soldier with the power of immortality, who travels across the solar system to defend humanity against existential threats. If that’s not the definition of power fantasy then we don’t know what is.
Since its release back in 2017, Destiny 2 has continuously evolved as both a product and an experience. The current version is completely different from the original, with tons of new content, a wealth of seasonal changes, and just enough nostalgia to keep veteran players coming back for more.
Fortnite Battle Royale
Battle Royale (BR) games owe much of their popularity to the success of Fortnite Battle Royale. It’s the game everyone seems to have tried at least once. Even if you haven’t played it, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard of the hit BR game famous for blurring the line between interactive entertainment and live service.
On the off chance that you’re unfamiliar with the game (or the BR genre for that matter), Fortnite puts 100 players on a map in a ‘last man standing’ scenario. Weapons and resources must be collected as the match progresses, and the only way to win is to survive longer than anyone else.
Apex Legends
If Fortnite is a little too jovial for your tastes, Apex Legends could be the alternative BR experience you’re looking for. With millions of daily players, Apex is an incredibly popular game that has managed to distinguish itself from the horde of BR games available today, which is quite an achievement by itself.
Compared to Fortnite, the graphics style of Apex is more realistic, movement is more fluid, and players use a first-person perspective instead of a third-person perspective. Thanks to its high skill ceiling and a more mature art style, it’s become the preferred online shooter for many BR fans and esports enthusiasts.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is an open-world, co-operative (co-op) adventure game where players take on the role of pirates, forming crews to operate their very own pirate ship. Players have to work together if they want to survive, defeat other crews, and find the hidden treasures of the high seas.
Instead of fighting with every crew they meet, players can even forge alliances and partnerships. On their way to becoming pirate legends, crews will encounter multiple challenges that pose a threat to their survival. From mythical beasts to the sea itself, the world of Sea of Thieves is filled with exciting enemies and dynamic interactions.
Back 4 Blood
Zombie shooters may have declined in popularity in recent years, but Back 4 Blood aims to reverse that trend by taking the classic formula of a co-op, zombie-slaying FPS and updating it for a modern audience that has become desensitized to all things undead-related.
The biggest difference between Back 4 Blood and other zombie shooters is the addition of reactive artificial intelligence (AI). The AI will change enemy behavior, map layouts, and environmental challenges based on how proficient the players are at slaying zombies and clearing levels.
Counter-strike: Global Offensive
Counter-strike: Global Offensive, or CS: GO as it’s more commonly known, is the world’s most popular player versus player (PvP) FPS. Despite being released almost a decade ago, Valve’s free-to-play (F2P) masterpiece has stayed at the top of Steam concurrent user charts up until today.
The game has a thriving economy, thanks to in-game collectibles that hold real-world value in several online marketplaces. It’s one of the biggest and most celebrated esports games, with multiple professional leagues and tournaments worldwide. Few online games provide as much accessibility in terms of both gameplay and rewarding mechanics.
Final Fantasy XIV
There’s a high chance that Final Fantasy XIV is the most popular massively multiplayer online (MMO) RPG at the moment. As proof of that observation, the game was unavailable for purchase a few months ago, due to the sheer amount of players trying to log in on a daily basis.
Although it’s had an unprecedented level of popularity in recent years, Final Fantasy XIV has had a long and tumultuous journey of development. It was released in 2010, remastered in 2012, and still receives regular updates in 2022. The latest expansion, Endwalker, was released in 2021 and grew the subscriber base to over 25 million players.
League of Legends
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that was originally launched back in 2009. It’s one of the world’s largest esports games, with 12 official leagues and an annual international tournament known as the League of Legends World Championship.
In 2021, the World Championship was viewed by over 50 million concurrent spectators, with the winners being awarded a minimum guaranteed prize pool of $2.25 million. The game has been so successful that it birthed an entire franchise of music videos, comic books, and an award-winning television series.
