NPD has revealed the most played games of early 2022 with old games dominating new releases.
The oldest game in the top 10 most played games of 2022 as calculated by the NPD is Minecraft.
In many ways, the video game industry is still moving. There are major monthly AAA releases with many titles including live service elements that will roll out new content years after launch. However, despite the constant flood of new content, a new report from the NPD shows that gamers’ attention won’t necessarily change much according to trends. In fact, half of the most played games in early 2022 are even older.
The oldest game in the top 10 most played games of 2022 as calculated by the NPD is Minecraft. Minecraft was released in 2009, making it the only game on the list that is more than a decade old. Although Minecraft has received regular updates every year, it is still amazing to see that it is still one of the most played games by the gaming community of the 2020s, whether that’s thanks to that. The nature of the game that made it famous or the size of its community, Minecraft will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon.
Other games released before 2020 include Among Us, Fortnite, The Sims 4 and Grand Theft Auto 5. The Sims 4 and Grand Theft Auto 5 games belong to well-known game franchises, while The Sims 4 and Grand Theft Auto 5. Among Us and Fortnite are the new IPs of the multiplayer genre. Among Us is particularly interesting because its popularity has only peaked in recent years. However, what all four games have in common is that they are all famous for being spread through streaming services like Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube.
The remaining games that made the list of the 10 most played games in early 2022 are all from major game brands.
The remaining games that made the list of the 10 most played games in early 2022 are all from major game brands. NBA 2K22, Call of Duty: Vanguard, and Madden NFL 22 are all due out in 2021, with Call of Duty: Warzone coming out in 2020. Perhaps the weirdest of the bunch is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which debuts in during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and is still extremely popular to this day.
The most successful new game released in early 2022, Elden Ring, was not in the top 10. More specifically, Elden Ring was ranked 20th in overall playtime, behind older online games like Rocket League and World of Warcraft. Even The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim ranks higher than the Elden Ring.
Of course, with Elden Ring having sold at least 13.4 million copies, playtime doesn’t necessarily equate to success because it’s a single-player game, and it’s only been out for a while. As this list shows, almost no other game can make it into the top 10 easily because the competition from existing online games is so strong. Dozens, if not hundreds, of online games will still be successful every month, month after month, year after year. Breaking into the top 10 is a rarity for big games with established brands and big online titles, something that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
See also: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will change a new actor for Ghost
