Here are the top ten most watched gaming livestreams in 2021, according to TwitchMetrics. Will we be stepping up in 2022 with the same list? Because it's only the beginning of the year, we'll find out. Without further ado, here are our top 10 games for attracting a wide audience. I'll begin with the game placed on top 10.
#10 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
45M+ viewer hours
With a total of 45+ million viewing hours, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, also known as CS:GO, enters the top 10 most popular games in 2021. Shooter games have always been a high point in the gaming business, allowing for a variety of tournaments to keep the audience interested. In 2013, DreamHack staged the first CS:GO Major in Jönköping, Sweden, with a total prize fund of US$250,000 shared among 16 teams.
#9 Escape from Tarkov
53M+ viewer hours
Yet another multiplayer first-person shooter game for Windows. On 4 August 2016, a closed alpha test for the game was made available to a restricted group of users, followed by a closed beta that has been operating since July 2017. With over 53 million viewer hours, Escape from Tarkov cracks the top ten.
#8 Minecraft
54M+ viewer hours
Minecraft is a popular sandbox game that was created by the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios and is played by everyone from kids to adults. Markus "Notch" Persson designed the game using the Java programming language. It was first made public in May 2009 after numerous early private testing versions, before being completely released in November 2011, with Jens "Jeb" Bergensten taking over development. Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, with over 238 million copies sold and about 140 million monthly active users as of 2021. Minecraft has around 54 million spectator hours, putting it in the top eight.
#7 Apex Legends
57M+ viewer hours
Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts have released Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale-hero shooting game. It was released in February 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and in March 2021 for Nintendo Switch. With over 57 million watching hours, Apex Legends cracks the top seven.
#6 Fortnite
58M+ viewer hours
Fortnite is a free-to-play battle royale game created and published by Epic Games, just as Apex Legends. It was published in June 2018 on the Nintendo Switch, and by 2021, it had amassed over 58 million viewer hours.
#5 Rust
64M+ viewer hours
Facepunch Studios has created Rust, a multiplayer-only survival video game. Rust was first made available in early access in December 2013, and it was officially launched in February 2018 it runs on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Rust received over 64 million watching hours in 2021.
#4 Valorant
77M+ viewer hours
Valorant is a free-to-play first-person shooter for Microsoft Windows developed and published by Riot Games. In October 2019, the game was first announced under the codename Project A, then on April 7, 2020, it launched a closed beta period with limited access, followed by an official release on June 2, 2020. Valorant attracted more than 77 million viewers.
#3 Grand Theft Auto V
144M+ viewer hours
Grand Theft Auto V is a Rockstar North and Rockstar Games action-adventure game released in 2013. It is the seventh main installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the fifteenth overall, following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA V has surpassed 144 million hours of viewing.
#2 League of Legends LOL
177M+ viewer hours
League of Legends, or simply League, is a multiplayer online battle arena video game that was developed and published by Riot Games in 2009. Riot's founders were inspired by Defense of the Ancients, a custom map for Warcraft III, and wanted to create a standalone game in the same genre. League of Legends attracted more than 177 million viewers.
#1 Just Chatting
269M+ viewer hours
This is more of a category for streams that are focused on a discourse between the streamer and other streamers, or between the streamer and the viewers, rather than on gaming or a structured presentation. Although there is a thin line between Just Chatting and Talk Shows and Podcasts, it managed to garner over 269 million viewer hours. This could be due to a recent tendency/trend among streamers.
In 2022, will the tables be turned? It remains to be seen. Until then, stop by and create a FREE account to use our streaming resources.