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)
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