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According to the IMARC Group, the global market cap of massive multiplayer online (MMO) games is expected to reach US$ 130.4 Billion by 2032. Whether you are a business leader or an indie game developer, tapping into this market is crucial.
Let’s face it: the overall experience of multiplayer gaming is way better than single-player gaming. Competing with real players, trying to top the leaderboard, and chatting with your teammates in real-time all make up for an exciting multiplayer experience to which players keep coming back.
Statista has mentioned the following statistics that further explore how video games have become a part of the regular lives of individuals from every age group:
The weekly time American adults spent playing video games, broken down by age group, as of June 2024.
| Duration | 18-19 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-64 |
| < 1 hour | 12% | 12% | 12% | 10% |
| 1-5 hours | 29% | 28% | 27% | 24% |
| 6-10 hours | 21% | 19% | 16% | 13% |
| 11-15 hours | 12% | 12% | 9% | 7% |
| 16-20 hours | 6% | 8% | 7% | 4% |
| > 20 hours | 8% | 7% | 7% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| I don’t play video games | 9% | 11% | 18% | 35% |
As a game development company, we’ll explore the multiplayer gaming market in detail, discussing the reasons behind the recent surge in their popularity and demand. We’ll also talk about some of the most popular multiplayer gaming genres you can tap into.
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Reasons Behind Surge in Demand for Multiplayer Games
Social Connection
Humans crave interactive experiences. It doesn’t mean you should add many AI bots to their gaming experience. Multiplayer games allow people to interact and bond over shared interests and activities. It also enables them to become a part of different gaming communities.
Streaming & Esports
Streaming multiplayer games has become hugely popular. Viewers feel connected to streamers and enjoy interacting with their communities. The esports scene has also exploded, with top players broadcasting matches to millions of engaged fans.
Revenue
Multiplayer games have longer player retention and potential for monetization via in-game purchases, battle passes, etc. The ongoing revenue helps fund continual development and content updates.
The Mobile Gaming Revolution
With smartphones getting more powerful with faster, seamless connectivity, the demand for mobile gaming experiences continues to grow, especially in the multiplayer space. Players want gaming to be more accessible and portable, something mobile games ensure. From expansive battle royale to strategy games, the mobile gaming industry is tapping into different multiplayer genres.
Read More: The Rise of Multiplayer Games
Top 10 In-Demand Multiplayer Gaming Genres
If you’re still in the brainstorming phase, figuring out which gaming genre you should target, here are some of the most popular, in-demand gaming genres you can consider.
1. Battle Royale
Whether you’re playing as a team or the last man standing, battle royale games give you an adrenaline rush incomparable to any other game genre. Games like Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, Fall Guys, Apex Legends, and Fortnite are widely acclaimed hits that are loved by millions of players worldwide.
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2. MMORPGs
When RPG games go multiplayer, entertainment is guaranteed. Games like World of Warcraft provide vastly detailed, persistent adventures to explore together. This genre would benefit from modern, more accessible interpretations of deep social gameplay and progression systems.
Read More: MMORPG Development Cost -All You Need to Know
3. Tactical Shooters
The hardcore player base for games like Rainbow Six Siege, Escape from Tarkov, and Counter-Strike continues growing. The high skill ceiling, coordinated teamplay, and ruthless competition provide endless multiplayer depth. However, approachability and learning curves for new players could still be improved to expand the niche’s audience.
Related Project: RPG Style Shooting Game for Strategy Fans
4. Sports Games
Recreating the emotional engagement people have for physical sports digitally with soccer, basketball, football, and more will always keep sports games relevant and in demand. However, disruptive innovations in how physics systems, AI opponents/teammates, and online leagues function could shake up the status quo currently dominated by longstanding franchises.
Related Project: Fitness & Training App for Custom Workouts
5. Real-Time Strategy Games
The real-time strategy genre faces a resurgence with Age of Empires 4 and potential sequels to classics like Command & Conquer or StarCraft. However, the RTS formula could successfully blend with currently booming genres like shooters and card games to create compelling hybrid experiences.
Related Project: Space Pirates – MMORPG Video Game
6. Fighting Games
Iconic series like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros have immense skill depth cultivated over decades. However, the barriers to competitive play are immense for newcomers. Creative newcomer-friendly fighting game concepts could open the genre to those intimidated by legacy franchises.
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7. Battle Arena
Games like League of Legends or DOTA 2 have huge, devoted player bases. Their strategic teamplay built on vast character rosters provides endless depth for dedicated fans. Still, possibilities exist to evolve the formula potentially with fresh settings, gameplay styles, or monetization models.
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8. Survival & Escape Games
The infinite creative possibilities blended with rich systemic interactions pioneered by Minecraft hooked a generation. Additional innovations building on that formula, incorporating AI threats, augmented reality, and user-generated content tools, could push the social sandbox category further.
Related Service: Escape Room Game Development
9. Social Deduction
Unaware of the term? Well, social deduction is a gaming genre where the player is trying to explore the hidden identities of their fellow players. Among Us is probably the most popular game of this genre, engaging millions of players worldwide (and also creating trust issues in the process). With new social dedication games coming out, room still exists for more unique titles.
Related Project: Boddle – A Social Gaming Application
10. Horror Games
Multiplayer horror games like Dead by Daylight, Phasmophobia, and others spread terror and excitement, keeping players hooked and intrigued about what’s next. With a few breakout hits, multiplayer gaming in this niche has immense potential, especially in sub-genres like horror, hyper-casual, and zombie game development.
Read More: The Role of Unreal Engine 5 in Crafting Next-Gen Horror Games
Wrapping Up
Online multiplayer gaming shows no signs of losing steam. Delivering these social, immersive, session-based entertainment experiences comes with substantial technical complexity for developers. However, managing real-time synchronization, scalability, security, and post-launch support from day one ultimately pays off with deeper player engagement and retention.
With some careful planning around prototyping, infrastructure, security, testing, and content road mapping – combined with the passion for improving the player experience – Cubix’s game developers overcome multiplayer challenges and craft utterly enjoyable shared gaming experiences.
Connect with our representatives to see how our multiplayer game development solutions help realize your unique visions.
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Mohammad Azeem
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