The average Canadian spent eights hours playing online games every week in 2021. Mobile was the device of choice for gamers in the country. But what were the most popular online games in the country?
It depends on the demographic. Adult Canadians played more online games in 2021 than they did in 2020. Interestingly, more and more parents are playing video games with their kids. This will certainly elevate the country’s gaming industry.
With that in mind, these were the 10 most popular online games in Canada in 2021.
1—Minecraft
Minecraft was the game of choice in both Canada and the US in 2021. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The open world game has been gaining popularity sporadically around the world.
For the uninitiated, Minecraft is a sandbox-based game where you can design almost anything that exists in the real world. Want to bake cake? Not only can you prepare cake in the game, but you can also break all sorts of cake-baking records while at it.
The beauty of Minecraft is that there’s always something unique you can do. You can build a pyramid. Or you can hunt dragons. You can also look for rare items, toy around with the weather or compete to build stuff.
As mentioned, people love to chase Guinness World Records on Minecraft. If this is your dream, look up for records you could chase. Examples include creating the largest bridge, largest flag or smallest house in the game.
2—Fortnite
Maybe you’ve seen your kid playing this game. Or perhaps you play it. Either way, the Battle Royale game was one of the most popular video games of 2021.
Truth be told, Fortnite isn’t as popular as it was in 2018. Back then, it would attract up to 80 million concurrent players. Last year, the game averaged 4 to 8 million simultaneous players.
If you would like to play Fortnite, choose the Battle Royale mode. It’s the most popular mode. Here, you team up with people or play solo for a chance to be the last person standing in a fast-shrinking island.
There’s a training area you can visit to learn how the game works before you commit to play with more dedication. After you gain experience, learn defense. You receive a pick axe at the start of every game. Use it to gather metal, bricks and wood.
Importantly, guard your health by building a safe place. Also, pick consumables along the way to restore your health after you get hit.
3—Call of Duty
Call of Duty is one of the longest surviving battle games online. It’s a series of games, to be precise. All the same, thousands of Canadians interviewed last year claimed they played at least one of these COD games:
- WW2
- Black Ops 2 & 4
- Modern Warfare
- Warzone
- Mobile
What makes Call of Duty stand out from other online games? First, there’s the responsive mechanics. Then there’s the gameplay. You play as a soldier in a warzone and have a variety of missions to fulfill.
4—PUBG
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is arguably the most popular online game in India. Around the world, it’s one of the top five most famous games, especially in the Battle Royale category.
On the surface, PUBG looks like just another Fortnite alternative. But after playing it once, it becomes clear the game is ousting Fortnite from its throne. Basically, the secret behind the game’s success is that each battle is unique.
In Fortnite, people tend to complain the content is limited. And no one wants to keep using the same weapons and maps over and over. PUBG uses a map of 8 x 8 kilometers.
Like Fortnite, the name of the game in PUBG is survival. If you can outlive everyone in the island, you win. It isn’t that easy, though. Your fight is against 99 others.
If you drop into the island too soon, you risk getting eliminated early on. All the same, it’s essential to take cover while searching for weapons and essentials. Another important decision you have to make is when to attack versus when to take cover.
Every shot you make attracts potential enemies. And if they have better weapons than you do, the risk of getting killed are high.
5—Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
While Minecraft is popular with the general public, CS: GO was one of the most played games amongst professional gamers in Canada. It’s a team-based game—terrorists versus counter terrorists.
Depending on the side you pick, you’re assigned missions to set or diffuse bombs, kill terrorists or soldiers. The game has nine modes, ranging from demolition and deathmatch to an arms race and danger zone.
Being an eSports game, CS: GO united the best players in the world for annual tournaments. The best players make millions of dollars from this game—similar to our next game:
6—League of Legends
Launched in 2009, League of Legends is one of the most popular video games in the world. It has a massive fan base in Canada, hence why it appears on this list. It’s a multiplayer game through which you control unusually powerful characters known as champions.
The more you kill and complete missions, the more points your champion gains. In turn, he becomes more powerful and more skilled over time. There’s also a shortcut for increasing your champion’s strength—buying experience points.
The objective of LOL is to defend your team’s base all while trying to occupy your enemy’s half of the map. Like CS: GO, this is a game you can play professionally on Twitch or in real life.
7—Online Casino Games
Last year, Canada came to a stand still after the federal government legalized single sports betting. Surprisingly, Canadians have been gambling online for more than a decade.
In fact, slots, poker, blackjack and roulette were some of the most played online games in Canada last year. Click here to learn more about online casinos, the best games to play and payment methods to use for deposits and withdrawals.