5 Video Game Franchises That Can’t Be “Killed”

by

Some video game series have an uncanny ability to endure beyond what seems possible. Despite the march of time, shifting tech, and the ebb and flow of gaming trends, these collections persistently manage to avoid slipping into obscurity. Even when faced with less-than-stellar games or major corporate upheavals, they’ve shown resilience in overcoming fan criticism and internal changes. The series’ enduring appeal can be attributed to factors like high quality, sentimental value, or unwavering loyalty from their fanbases. What’s more, the future looks bright for each one, as each new installment only strengthens its lasting influence among video game franchises.

Five notable video game series consistently shine as industry giants, despite occasional setbacks like flops, delays, or more severe issues. These games’ developers demonstrate exceptional talent, and these series remain indomitable, outpacing their competitors. Here are the unbeatable video game franchises that have maintained their popularity at the top.

5) Call of Duty

Among first-person shooter (FPS) games, Call of Duty is one of the top titles and a well-known brand in the gaming industry. Activision feels assured about its success even with the release of Battlefield 6, one of its main rivals. Over the years, Call of Duty has managed to outshine countless other games and solidify its position as the front-runner. Other FPS series have made their appearance and faded away, like Medal of Honor and Titanfall, but Call of Duty remains a force to be reckoned with.

The popularity of the series remains strong enough to keep player numbers high, even when contemporaneously released games receive negative reviews. This enduring appeal of “Call of Duty” has led some fans to acquire consoles solely for the purpose of playing this legendary first-person shooter. With the highly anticipated release of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7”, excitement is building at Gamescom. It’s unlikely that any other series can outdo Call of Duty, as even superior games struggle to match its enduring success.

4) Pokémon

One way to rephrase the given text could be: The Pokémon franchise is one of the most successful media franchises in history, encompassing video games, trading cards, and merchandise. It’s unlikely that the series will fade away anytime soon. While other similar games like Digimon, Yokai Watch, and more recently Palworld have tried to take its place, none have managed to unseat Pokémon as the champion of creature collecting. However, there is room for these games to coexist, as evidenced by the popularity of Palworld. Yet, it’s worth noting that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have taken legal action against the developer Pocketpair, suggesting they felt threatened by the emergence of Palworld.

Fans are eagerly purchasing each new Pokemon game almost automatically, sparking debate about perceived complacency and reduced quality from The Pokemon Company and Game Freak in recent releases. Despite numerous glitches and bugs emerging during the first week of Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, these games have still proven to be among the highest-selling in the series. No other franchise featuring creature collection or monster taming has yet approached the level of success achieved by Pokemon, indicating that the series continues to thrive.

3) Super Smash Bros.

Nintendo once again appears on the list, this time with the renowned and widely-loved Super Smash Bros. series. Known as the most identifiable and highly-acclaimed platform fighter, it maintains an unrivaled status. A significant factor contributing to this is the dedicated fan base of Super Smash Bros. Melee, who continue to compete with the game even two decades post-release. Similarly, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has brought together some of gaming’s most memorable characters and holds the title as the most ambitious game in the series. The only conceivable way for Super Smash Bros. to falter would be if Masahiro Sakurai were to discontinue his involvement in the series development.

Numerous games have aimed to challenge the dominance of Super Smash Bros, with Sony offering PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Warner Bros attempting MultiVersus, and Nickelodeon releasing Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and its sequel. However, none have managed to dethrone Super Smash Bros as the ultimate champion. The most successful challengers so far have been Ubisoft’s Brawlhalla and the indie game Rivals of Aether, along with its sequel. While they have made a significant impact, they are yet to match the widespread popularity enjoyed by Super Smash Bros.

2) Minecraft

The popular game, Minecraft, has solidified its status as a timeless classic by earning the distinction of being the best-selling video game in history since its release in 2011. Across various platforms, it has remained the uncontested leader among sandbox survival games, appealing to players of all ages. The game consistently receives content updates and has even branched out into different genres with spin-offs like Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Legends, and others. To surpass Minecraft seems almost impossible, as it currently sets the standard for voxel-based titles.

Numerous studios have attempted to replicate the popularity of “Minecraft,” but many have failed to last. Titles such as “Dragon Quest Builders,” “CubeWorld,” “Trove,” and even those that preceded like “Terraria” have emerged, yet none have matched the success of “Minecraft.” The release of a “Minecraft Movie” further underscored its dominance. With regular updates, Mojang is thriving, indicating that “Minecraft” shows no signs of slowing down.

1) FIFA/EA Sports FC

The Electronic Arts (EA) FIFA series has been extremely successful and is now known as the EA Sports FC series due to some licensing complications. Other soccer games have attempted to rival it, but none have managed to match the longevity of the FIFA series. Among the competitors, Pro Evolution Soccer and Football Manager were probably the most formidable, but they lacked the same level of recognition as FIFA. Interestingly, even after being renamed EA Sports FC, there’s still a lot of excitement for EA Sports FC 26, showing that its popularity remains undiminished.

It’s possible to contend that “Rocket League” and the newly launched “Rematch” have become the most significant challengers to the dominance of “EA Sports FC”. However, it’s important to note that despite both being soccer games, they belong to different genres, making a direct comparison somewhat unfair. Nevertheless, with the upcoming release of “EA Sports FC 26”, it appears that this series and sports gaming in general could experience one of its largest launches yet. EA has demonstrated that its soccer series has staying power, something not entirely evident in other soccer games.

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/black-ops-2-guns-maps-in-black-ops-7/embed/#

Read More

2025-08-23 14:13