Summary
- Over 40% of playtime on PlayStation and Xbox is spent in live-service games like Fortnite and Call of Duty.
- Popular live-service games, like Fortnite, Overwatch 2, and Marvel Rivals, are free to play, boosting their popularity.
- Despite some missteps, live-service games continue to be successful on consoles, with strong support from fans and developers.
Live-service games are among the most popular for gamers on PlayStation and Xbox platforms, as they continue to top the lists of the most-played titles on those respective consoles. New analysis from Circana alleges that about 40% of playtime from gamers on these consoles is spent in live-service titles among the likes of Fortnite and Call of Duty, among many others.
Many of the most popular live-service games are entirely free to play, such as Fortnite and a variety of other competitive titles like Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals, which is likely a huge contributor to their popularity.
Related
I Wish More Live Service Games Had Permanent Battle Passes
I hate FOMO as much as the next guy, and I really wish more online games adopted the permanent battle pass systems used by Helldivers 2 (and to an extent, Marvel Rivals). It’s so nice when you don’t have to worry about a pretty cosmetic going away, and it’s even nicer when a game doesn’t feel like a job that you have to commit to.
Given this data, it may come as no surprise that live-service titles are some of the most-played on the biggest consoles available, as recent analysis from Circana claims that over 40% of playtime was spent in them. Specifically, the report claims that at least 70% of players on PlayStation and Xbox platforms played one of the top 10 most popular live service games at least once.
Live Service Games Are As Popular As Ever On Consoles
While the reporting did not specify which games specifically contributed the highest amount of live-service player statistics, online games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Fortnite, and Call of Duty, among various others, consistently top the charts in terms of player numbers. In any case, the live-service model appears to be going strong, though it has shown some signs of turmoil amid several recent layoffs and shutdowns.
Specifically, Marvel Rivals developer NetEase announced a recent round of layoffs, despite the fact that the game has enjoyed a huge degree of success in the few months since its debut on both consoles and PC. On top of that, Warner Bros.’ own takes on the live-service model, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus, have both failed.
Regardless, this has not stopped live-service games from being popular, as even among major missteps like Suicide Squad, there are plenty of massive successes as well, with games like Helldivers 2 continuing to show strong support from fans and the developer.