It’s fair to say that YouTube has become one of the main platforms for gaming content online. Alongside Twitch, it dominates the online world. Millions of viewers tune in daily to watch their favourite creators play the games that they want to see. It may be less about the game, and more about the creator in some cases.
There are many different categories of games that are popular to watch. Often, new releases do well, but there are decade-old games, such as Minecraft, that will still pull in the big figures.
If you’re an aspiring YouTuber looking for the next game to play, or you’re just interested, then this article will be for you.
Battle Royale Games
Let’s start this list of popular games on YouTube with one of the rising genres of recent years. Battle Royale games have been popular to watch on YouTube since the rise of PUBG back in the ARMA days. The genre has evolved since, with many flops, such as Battlefields interpretation. But these flops have helped pave the way for the success we see now.
Games such as Fortnite and Warzone are easily some of the most popular games out there to play and watch, not just battle royale games. They are so popular to watch that millions watch even if they are not interested in playing. It’s the high-risk, high-reward quick gameplay that people love to watch.
The quick way these games wrap up also appeals to the modern YouTube viewer. Back in 2010, people would be happy to sit down and watch a 3-hour daily let’s play. Nowadays, a short 10-20min video of an edited game will be more than enough. There are plenty of examples online for you to watch, to understand how this trend has changed and how you could get involved if you wished to.
First-Person Shooters
Easily one of the pioneers of gaming on YouTube, first-person shooters are always popular. They first took off following the rise of the Halo and Call of Duty franchises. With Halo, it was all about the creative machinima videos that told a captivating story using assets from within the game.
For games like Call of Duty, it was all about the gameplay and the high-scoring multiplayer games. Gamers loved watching those highly-skilled at the game take on challenges and perform to the best of their abilities. In time, this led to gaming organisations such as OpTic and FAZE recruiting members and dominating the YouTube scene.
This hasn’t slowed down. Any new first-person shooter will get lots of views on YouTube, especially if they are well received by fans. Many gamers will watch their favourite players and streamers play the shooters online first, to see if it’s something that they would enjoy.
Developers are fully aware of this and will partner with top gamers and influencers to show off their game, and promote it accordingly.
Gambling Games
Gambling games have been popular on YouTube for quite a while now. There are many different types of games that fall into this category. One of the biggest games that led to this came in the form of FIFA, back when their Ultimate Team game mode was launched. In this game type, players could purchase packs, also known as loot boxes, which allowed them to earn some players for their team.
People loved the gambling element of the game and loved watching their favourite influencers and streamers have a chance of winning a big prize. This has evolved further, and now there are many games that offer micro transactions, that allow gamers to purchase loot boxes to receive cosmetics or other in-game rewards.
YouTube is also a place for many people to watch casino games, both online and in actual physical tournaments. When viewers watch these types of games, it can inspire them to want to play themselves. You can take a look at the offerings on OnlineCasinos.co.uk to see what sort of games can be played. These types of games will continue to be played and watched on YouTube, so it’s a trend you should keep a close eye on.
Survival Games
In a similar timeframe, survival games have also been popular on YouTube for a while. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, survival games offered a great way for people to watch games they had no access to. This may have been due to console/equipment limitations, or just because they couldn’t afford it.
In some cases, some gamers may be too afraid to play some survival games, or even horror games, on their own. When they are watching others play these games, they find it is a good way to discover the story organically the way it was intended.
There are also some group survival games that are just good fun to watch. Some YouTube communities are formed around games such as Minecraft and Rust, and people will tune into episodes daily to see what people are up to.
MOBA Games
Some of the most popular types of games that exist in the world can be found in the form of MOBA games. These types of games are multiplayer games, with MOBA standing for multiplayer online battle arena. There are many popular games that fall into this category. You may have heard about games such as League of Legends and Dota 2. Not only are these games popular to play, but they are also popular to watch.
There are regular international tournaments that League of Legends and Dota players go through. The prize pools are also quite massive. For example, The International 2021 Dota 2 tournament had a prize pool of $40,018,400.00 up for grabs. This is quite exciting to watch for this reason, and fans will watch in stadiums as well as through streaming platforms such as YouTube
There is also plenty of space for casual players in these games. Many people watch their favourite MOBA players play these games casually, as they are more interested in this approach, as the personalities can shine through more.
There are plenty of reasons why people watch these games, whether it be for the competition itself, or just for the personalities of those who play. Consider tuning into some games to see why they are so popular.
