YouTube has released the YouTube Rewind 2019 video, and this year, it takes a look at the most popular videos, content creators, and topics on the video hosting platform for the past year. This includes the five most popular video games on the service for 2019, and some may be surprised to learn that none of the most popular video games on YouTube actually released in the year 2019.
The five most popular video games on YouTube for 2019 are as follows:
5. Roblox
4. Garena Free Fire
3. Grand Theft Auto
2. Fortnite
1. Minecraft
Some hardcore gamers may not even recognize some of the most popular video games on YouTube. Roblox, for example, is an MMO that lets players play with others in user-created worlds and games. Roblox has been around since 2006, but the game has exploded in popularity these past couple of years, perhaps due to the rise of video game streaming. Roblox is a popular game for streamers, with PewDiePie even playing Roblox to help boost his subscriber count in his feud with T-Series.
Garena Free Fire is another game that some fans may not recognize. Released back in 2017, Garena Free Fire is a battle royale game, and one of the top battle royale games on mobile platforms. The game won a number of awards and has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It may not have the name recognition of titles like PUBG and Fortnite when it comes to the battle royale space, but it's still a hugely popular game.
The top three most popular games on YouTube for 2019 are far less surprising, consisting of Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, and Minecraft. Some may be surprised that Minecraft is ranked higher than Fortnite considering how hugely popular Fortnite has become, but Minecraft has consistently been one of the most popular games every year. Minecraft continues to receive significant updates that add new features to the game, not to mention it's available on virtually every modern video game platform. Not only that, but Minecraft has also enjoyed a resurgence thanks to streamers, so it's not all that surprising to see it claim the top spot for 2019.
Looking ahead to 2020, it's unlikely that the most popular games will change much. There may be some mobile game phenomenon that knocks Roblox or Garena Free Fire off the list, but it would be surprising to see anything dethrone Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, or Minecraft. Fans will just have to stay tuned to find out.