It’s almost impossible to think about entertainment without an internet connection. Today we use the internet to stream our favorite shows, for gambling, place a bet, and for playing casino and regular games. If you look at modern or AAA titles, almost all of them have some feature that requires an internet connection. Single-player games even have modes with high scores where you compete against other players, despite the fact that you never see their characters. Here we will be focusing specifically on those games that cannot be played without an internet connection. We are going to look into the most popular titles in 2022, and see what makes them so appealing.
Online Slots or Pokies
There are many who play casino games for real money, and a high concentration of those players lives in Australia. Their favorite content is pokies, or as other nations call them slots, and in spite of the high casino win rate Aussies still love them. They typically play on www.onlinecasinosnl.com that have casino features known as the progressive jackpot. The main appeal of pokies for the gamer community is the possibility to win incredible sums of cash if the symbols align in just the right way. Additionally, there are lots of casino tips or casino life hacks that you can use to maximize your odds or extend your play session.
A lot of users claim different bonuses, or just take a lot of time before they decide which pokies to play. Slots are known for many variables, like volatility and hit frequency, as well as their overall RTP. So, even if they don’t require any skill and are easy to understand, a lot of time goes into making a decision about which pokie to play. Additionally, these are aimed at casual gamblers who use their smartphones to play. Meaning they are accessible and noticeable to a large audience.
League of Legends
League has been around since 2009, and even if it’s not as popular as before it still has a high player count. Moreover, it is the game that made eSports popular and made Riot into the massive studio it is today. Even if League is over 10 years old, it’s definitely not the same game as the one in 2009. The graphics are way more polished, the hero mechanics are more complex, and it is a lot more competitive. Of course, there are other MOBA titles out there that are extremely popular and that also deserve to be on this list:
- DOTA 2
- MARVEL Super War
- Pokémon UNITE
- VALORANT
- Heroes of the Storm
In fact, many argue that DOTA 2 is the superior MOBA. After all, DOTA tournament rewards are actually higher compared to the League.
Fans often criticize Riot for their decisions, but at the end of the day, they really achieved something incredible. Innovating while preserving the same core gameplay is difficult. Additionally, they manage to show love for older champions and constantly add new ones to the roster. So, it’s difficult to balance everything. Also, this is a free-to-play title, so re-working an old character isn’t nearly as profitable as creating new a one, but they still do it.
It’s also worth pointing out that there might be a new king of MMO in the works. Riot has announced they are working on their own MMORPG game. They have also acquired Wargaming Sydney Studio in order to expedite their development efforts. So, everyone is really eager to see what that new MMO will look like. Arcane which is a Netflix series based on League of Legends was a massive success, so fans do care about the lore. The same lore will be explored further in the upcoming RPG from Riot.
Fortnite
League of Legends made the MOBA genre extremely popular. But, when gamer communities got bored of MOBA they shifted to a new trend and that is Battle Royale. Although Fortnite did not invent the Battle Royale genre, it did make it more popular and dynamic. The ability to construct your own cover or vantage point is exclusively tied to this title. They also did a great job at marketing the game, by following trends and adding new features. We had Star Wars crossover, Avengers Infinity War, and recently we got Goku and Vegeta from the Dragon Ball franchise thrown into the mix.
Another reason this game is so popular is the streamers. There are many influential gamers on Twitch and YouTube, and they exclusively play Fortnite. This helps the player base grow even further, and maintains the game’s longevity. The important thing to remember about online multiplayer titles is that community is essential. Without it the whole experience becomes sluggish and you end up playing with bots.
PUBG
This is another Battle Royale title, and it was released before Fortnite. It is still massive and it targets the audience that prefers a more authentic experience. Here you won’t find that many goofy weapons, costumes, or game mechanics. The artist took a different approach and they stay true to their audience. Other than that the core concept is identical. You jump to one side of the map, scavenge for resources and try to be the last man standing. The maps are significantly bigger compared to Fortnite so a single battle can last longer.
World of Warcraft
If Blizzard was paying attention to what the gamer community was doing with their Warcraft 3 map editor, they could have been the king of the MOBA genre. Unfortunately, they were too preoccupied with creating an MMORPG called World of Warcraft. They tried to penetrate the MOBA market with Heroes of the Storm, but it was already too late. On the bright side, if they pivoted at that time we might not have one of the most iconic RPGs of today.
World of Warcraft is way past its prime, but the expansions are still rolling out, and millions of loyal fans continue to enjoy this game. WOW was a massive hit back in 2006, and with each new expansion, its community kept growing. During the Warth of the Lich King, it solidified its position as the best MMORPG, and we are unlikely to see any other company recreate such a phenomenon.
The real hazard occurred during Warlords of Draenor in 2014. That’s when subscription numbers really went downhill, and things were already looking bad during the previous expansion. This time, however, Blizzard was no longer transparent with subscription numbers. Therefore it’s difficult to estimate how many players are currently active. Still, they re-released Classic, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of The Lich King. This helped bring the subscribers back, and new players weren’t required to purchase the game this time around.
Minecraft
Compared to other online games Minecraft doesn’t look that impressive at a first glance. However, there is a lot of charm in this graphic design, and to this day this is the most popular online game. The amount of creative freedom players have in Minecraft is astounding. There is no end goal or final boss, it’s just a sandbox experience that goes on forever.
Over the years people have created some incredible structures that reference pop culture. Moreover, this is one of the few titles that are extremely enjoyable for both kids and grown-ups. Minecraft is also available for mobile, and the game really doesn’t need a sequel. All it needs is continuous support from devs to add new tools into the mix.
CS: GO
Counter-Strike is a poster child for games that withstood the test of time. It’s incredible that this title remains relevant to this day and that it is still strong on the eSports scene. Before there were big gaming tournaments, game shops all over the world held local competitions, and CS was usually the name of those competitions. Even before competitive online games, CS was played using LAN cables so that 10 or more computers can connect.
Today we even have gambling sites that allow players to wager their skins. In other words, there a whole new activity that spawned out of a single feature. This only tells you that the community for CS: GO is huge. The core design is basically the same, but the skill level of players has significantly evolved. Any newbie gets obliterated immediately, simply because they aren’t fast enough.
Pokemon
This is another long-running franchise that didn’t start as an online experience. However, the most recent installments of Pokemon leverage online play to a greater extent. It’s no longer limited to trading and battles. Now there are tournaments, and even raid bosses that players need to take down.
Additionally, the idea behind Pokemon is to catch them all, and since there are over 700 different creatures now, it would be impossible to fit them all in a single game. So, users can use their data from the previous installment and expand their team with Pokemon that were available in previous regions. So, the use of the internet really improved the overall experience and it rewards loyal fans.
Hearthstone/MTG Arena/Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Trading card games had their audience ever since the late 90s, but it’s a lot easier to find players now when you are enjoying them online. The only problem is that you can’t really trade virtual cards. Once again, this is because the TCG genre would then step into the gambling territory. Getting new cards requires purchasing and opening booster packs, and if you can sell these randomly generated cards, then you are also gambling in a way.
Hearthstone, MTG Arena, and Yu-Gi-Oh share a big portion of their player base. Hearthstone is probably the most popular of the bunch, but each of these titles offers a unique or different experience. This is why big TCG fans play all 3 just to change things up a bit. Holding online tournaments also has its advantages. It’s more difficult to cheat this way, and it’s easier to get players from all over the world to compete. Moreover, there is no need for a judge to be present, as that function is already integrated into the system.
Online Poker
Finally, there is a huge player base that enjoys online poker. Even some of the gamers who play TCG pivot to poker. It takes a lot of skill, and wits in order to come to the top, and people spend years practicing. There are apps and social media games where you can play with other people for free. However, the idea is to eventually participate in big tournaments and become a professional gambler. The stakes can be pretty high, and many professional gamblers say that online poker growth is slow and steady. You’ll have to get over a ton of losses, but the tournament rewards are all worth it.
Of course, this is only for big thrill seekers who have nerves of steel. So, it’s a good thing that people can try it for free, and decide if they can really participate in the big league. Also, there are many online casinos that host poker rooms, so it’s quite easy to find opponents nowadays.
These were some of the most popular or relevant online games in 2022. As you can see the list is quite diverse in terms of game genre. This means there is an audience for pretty much anything nowadays. But if we look at numbers First Person Shooters and Battle Royale titles are probably going to dominate the charts. Sports titles like FIFA, NBA, and NFL are also extremely popular, but they rarely focus on a single IP. The idea is to get a new FIFA and NBA every year, rather than patch the old one. This is why they are not as relevant as some of the other entries here.
