Player Participation: Which Games are Most Popular?

Whether on smartphones, PCs, or consoles, gaming is hugely popular these days. Gaming has long since ceased to be a niche hobby and, with around 3.32 billion active video game players, has developed into one of the largest and most lucrative markets in the entertainment industry.

In countless game genres, developers continue to work hard to release more and more games to market that impress with improved graphics and better storytelling. But which games and genres are the most popular today?

Surprisingly, there is one genre that tends to be overlooked in such analyses, even though it enjoys a large fan base: casino games. Current statistics show that up to now, 882 million people have gambled online in 2025. The UK even estimates that 56% of gambling revenue comes from online channels.

With the increase in player participation in online casinos, non-GamStop casinos are becoming very important in the UK.

According to casino expert Wilna van Wyk, these sites allow more freedom for players as they are less affected by self-exclusion schemes and regulations. In addition, casinos not on GamStop often offer better bonuses, a greater variety of games, and more payment methods.

Mobile games are also climbing higher and higher in the rankings. According to Pocket Gamer, 79% of all gamers played games on their phones in 2023, with 35% playing exclusively on mobile devices. Since then, the number has risen even further.

One of the most played mobile games in 2025 is Roblox, which, according to DemandSage, reported 111.8 million daily active users, leading to a 41% year-over-year increase in 2025. The title was originally known as a collection of mini-games and has since become one of the most played games worldwide.

According to a recent study by DemandSage, Roblox’s user base is primarily Gen Alpha, i.e., players under the age of 13. However, Minecraft is topping it with 126 million active daily users according to Pinecone. Although often played on PC and console too, most Minecraft players now prefer to use their smartphones.

Although most games are played on smartphones, with only 43% played on PCs and 41% on consoles, some video games attract an astonishing number of users. Counter Strike was released as an exclusive PC game in 2000. In 2023, the second edition, Counter Strike 2, was released, reaching its highest level to date with 1.8 million users.

According to SteamDB, it is number one in terms of daily active users in 2025. The slightly newer League of Legends was launched in 2009 and still remains one of the most popular PC games today.

Fortnite remains the undisputed favorite on consoles and is currently the most played game on consoles in 2025. Fortnite first came out in 2017 and has built up a strong user base since then. Today, it has around 1.3 million active players per day, according to Exploding Topics.

Although the game had to contend with a five-year legal battle, it returned to the Apple Store in the US in 2025. Call of Duty and EA Sports FC rank second and third after Fortnite.

Ultimately, it can be said that the title of the most popular game is up for debate. While many providers now offer cross-device gaming, the same game ranks differently on different devices. However, the data clearly shows that mobile gaming is increasingly coming to the fore.

Will this completely overtake other devices? Hardly, but perhaps the figures will soon prove us wrong. Considering the rapidly growing number of users, one thing is certain, however: there are many more exciting titles to come in the future.