It’s been a rough two years in gaming because of COVID-19. There have been delays and setbacks throughout the industry, but as we head into 2022 some semblance of normalcy has returned. There have been new big-name releases and consistent esports tournaments are back. Before the new year and holiday season begin, be sure to check out some of the most popular video games of 2021 that you might not be in the know about.
League of Legends
League of Legends is by no means a new title. It’s a MOBA by Riot Games that was released over 12 years ago. But, if we’re talking about the most popular video games of 2021, then we can’t leave out League.
The 2021 League of Legends World Championship shattered viewership records in the esports scene. Over 4 million people tuned in across multiple streaming platforms to watch the tournament, and the peak live viewership on Twitch alone reached a whopping 2 million.
And that’s not the end of League’s success this year. A League of Legends animated series called Arcane just dropped on Netflix, and it quickly dethroned Squid Game as the number one show on the streaming platform. League might be old but after 2021 it’s proven to be as popular as ever.
New World
New World is an MMORPG that has fallen off a bit since its release in September, but initially it was one of the most popular video games of 2021. It had over 700,000 players the day it was launched on Steam – a record high for Steam releases – and it was widely streamed across Twitch.
It was so popular that the servers could barely keep up with the flood of players that arrived on launch day. Queue times varied from region to region, but many had to wait over two hours just for their chance at playing.
Apex Legends
Similar to League, Apex Legends is definitely not a new release but it was still one of the most popular video games of 2021. It had some major updates this year that came in the form of seasons nine, 10 and 11.
Each season brought new content and balance changes that were widely popular among the game’s player base. And with an average of over 120,000 players each month, Apex Legends remained one of the most popular free FPS games throughout 2021.
Battlefield 2042
We’re cheating a bit with this one because Battlefield 2042 hasn’t been released yet, but early access started November 12 and the full game will be coming out November 19. Battlefield games always cause a stir in the FPS community and Battlefield 2042 has the potential to be one of the most popular video games of 2021.
This latest iteration promises new game modes, character-based classes and a complete dedication to PvP as there will be no single-player campaign. But be careful not to jump on the bandwagon just yet.
You never know what a game is like until it’s fully released, and the last thing you want to do is spend all your money on an unfinished product the way Cyberpunk 2077 was.
