What Are The 10 Most Played MMORPGs in 2017?
MMOs traditionally have playerbases reaching into the millions (the good ones anyway). But what makes these games so special that millions of people want to play them all at the same time? With a social aspect that single player games just can't offer and a ridiculous number of hours that someone can spend progressing through an online world, MMOs offer something unique to gaming.
Forming guilds, friendships and rivalries, MMOs can create a highly personal experience and be a major reason people get hooked and keep logging back online. The online gaming market is still growing and you can bet it's only going to get bigger. But what are the actual numbers behind the popular games? Let's dive into some statistics and take a closer look.
10. Neverwinter
Dungeons & Dragons is a huge franchise, so it should be no surprise that a game set in the Forgotten Realms world makes a list of most played games this year.
With a reported 12 million playerbase back in September 2016, Neverwinter has grown substantially over recent years. The game was first released on PC in 2013, and since has been released on both PS4 & Xbox, helping to grow that player base rapidly.
As a free to play game able to run on lower end PCs, the accessibility lends itself to a wider audience. Younger players and gamers with tighter pockets had the chance to join an online trend and play an MMO of their own.
Neverwinter is still supported, with content added frequently. Join the millions and ever-growing player base now.
Heroes fight to fend off a dragon
Weighing up their chances as the dragon roars
9. Conan Exiles
Conan Exiles is the newest release to make our list. Launched as recently as January 2017, Conan Exiles’ player base exploded and rapidly became one of the most played online games of this year. With a reported 50,000 players logged on at one time, Conan Exiles full player base is as large as 21 million. It's a most impressive feat that the player base has grown so rapidly in such a short time.
Smart and interesting marketing had a hand to play in its growth, sure, but the overall design of the game can’t be overlooked either. A survival MMO with a twist, a lot of content and huge titan monsters to keep you entertained, Conan Exiles is likely to keep growing and if we did this list in a year’s time, expect to see this game leading the way.
Spears and swords take the fight to sand worms
Players can build huge fortress'
8. TERA
When TERA first released it was quite the unknown. It was a new IP, in a world not covered in gaming previously.
With unique races, classes TERA distanced itself from the traditional combat styles seen in previous MMOs. TERA tried to do something a bit different, and it worked. In 2011 the game launched and since has gone from strength to strength, growing substantially in that time.
One of the first breakout Korean made MMOs, TERA has made the unknown the known in its almost 6 years active. With as many as 25,000 players online at one time, you can see why the games made our list. It’s free to play and the developers keep adding content to attract new and season players.
A couple of daring adventurers take on a huge boss
The blood soaked sand tells us all we need to know here
7. Eve Online
EVE online is a vast space MMO with the playerbase to compliment its scale.
Originally using a subscription base model, EVE online had a problem with losing its playerbase to other free to play games. But since turning free to play, EVE’s player base has been reaching its previous heights and beyond. In 2017 as many as 6,000 people at one time have been logged on, all fighting or flying their way through the galaxy.
EVE online is not for everybody, that’s for sure. The game is quite demanding on PC hardware and lower end PCs would struggle to run the title. In the age of Star Conflict and other space MMOs on the horizon, the smartest thing EVE did was go free to play and become much more accessible to a wider audience.
This paid off in 2017 and its one of the reasons it has made our list. So why not join the ever-growing playerbase, which managed to peak at over 60,000 players at one point. These days it sits at around 30,000 respectively. Follow your dreams and become the space pirate you always wanted to be.
An armada races through the stars
An enemy is targeted, perpare to fire
6. Marvel Heroes
The Marvel movie franchise is growing every year, with our beloved heroes hurtling towards their eventual conflict with the overlord Thanos. It’s no surprise that a free to play game set in the Marvel universe, with more or less any character you can think of being playable, has a large and ever growing player base.
Marvel Heroes is a simple, fun game with reasonable system requirements. Supported by lots of content additions, players can team up with their friends or 12,000 other users and engage in heroes on villain action.
Ever changing storylines that coincide with the current movies have obviously helped to attract new players, but the accessibility and passionate player base have helped to sustain it.
A look at just some of the heroes availible to players
Cap & co prepare for a fight
5. Lord of the Rings Online
Lord of the Rings Online had something of a revival a few years back when like other games, it changed from a subscription based model to a free to play one.
Since that change, players arrived in their numbers to battle on the fields of Pelennor and wade through the depths of Mirkwood.
2017 is a strong year for Lord of the Rings Online. For a game released in 2007, the player base is still very strong and numbers in the thousands at a time. A total of 14 million players join the ranks in Middle Earth and with a large number of expansions and additional content to enjoy, once players are in, the power of the one ring ensures they keep playing.
The riders of Rohan charge into battle
There's always room for downtime and perhaps a tale or two
4. Final Fantasy XIV
After years of hoping that one day you will be able to play a Final Fantasy game with friends, we finally got that wish in 2013. A subscription-based game, which drew in 12,000 players at any one time, Final Fantasy XIV had something of a relaunch after a couple of years on the shelves. At the risk of puns galore, Final Fantasy XIV was reborn as Final Fantasy XIV: A realm reborn, a revamp that tried to breathe some life back in to the title.
Unlike previous games on our list, Final Fantasy chose to keep its subscription model and instead, rebranded and reinvigorated the game. New content and a lot of promises eventually added up to a player base topping the 6 million mark worldwide. The game everyone was hoping has promise and is still one of the most played MMORPGs this year.
Just a small guy in huge world
Matching outfits, check. Weapons ready, check
3. Guild Wars 2
After the success of Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 had a lot to live up to. After all, how many online games can you name that have multiple titles? Usually, you would expect patches and have additional content added to improve the game, not an entirely new one. Guild Wars 2 took the risk and boy did it pay off.
One of the most highly anticipated MMORPGs ever, Guild Wars 2 had as many at 7 million players back in 2015. The games player base has since grown and the launch of the Heart of Thorns expansion saw that growth increase. Guild Wars 2 has no subscriptions and can be played on lower end PCs, which seems to be a trend in gaining a large playerbase.
In 2017 Guild Wars has continued to support a large number of players and it doesn’t look like it’s dropping off anytime soon.
A group of archers perpare to fire
Even beaches can yeild foes in Guild Wars
2. World of Warcraft
It can’t be a surprise to you that World of Warcraft makes the list of the most played games this year. It’s the game that people who know nothing about online gaming, know about. South Park, Leroy Jenkins and YouTube videos have made this game famous worldwide.
With over 10 million subscribers at one point World of Warcraft is the most played MMO of all time. The number of active members has dropped vastly since then, but for a game released in 2004 it's crazy to think that so many people are still playing it.
When a game as big as WoW is still supported with new content and still has the care of a studio like Blizzard, it’s actually not that hard to see why it’s still played so much. Friends for life and Internet superstar have been made playing this game. It seems like nothing but World of Warcraft 2 can knock this game out of the endless top 10 lists’ it inhabits.
A legion prepares for war
A dual bladed warrior and his pet
1. Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online had a tough start when it first launched in 2014. Let's be honest and say that the game wasn’t great and not at all what we expected. After coming from Skyrim our expectations were already through the roof and anything with Elder Scrolls in the title had some major competition.
Essentially re-launching with the Tamriel unlimited edition, Elder Scrolls ditched the subscription model for a single purchase option. Also available on Xbox & PS4 it now boasts numbers of 29,000 players logged in on Steam alone. It takes some game to knock WoW of the top spot when talking MMORPGs, but Elder Scrolls has legitimately succeeded with a 7 million plus playersbase.
The Elder Scrolls online is accessible, familiar and based on a much-loved franchise. With new content recently added and even more on the way, there is no reason we won’t see the player base grown larger.
Solo-ing across Tamriels vast landscape
Three heroes prapre to take on a giant
The games we’ve listed all have a certain uniqueness and offered something that no one else offered at one point. We could sit here all day and debate about how and why they became successful, but the truth is, there is no formula here. Gaming has always had a certain social aspect to it, and with MMORPGs that just enhances that. It’s your chance to be another person in another world inhabited by real people and that sense of escapism has attracted millions and millions of people. See these numbers for yourself and join the masses if you haven’t already.
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