5 Biggest Video Game Franchises of the 2000s

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As a gamer, I’ve seen so many amazing series start every ten years, and a lot of them just explode into huge universes with tons of games, comics, books, and even movies! What’s cool is that each decade seems to have its own unique style of franchises. I was thinking about the 2000s recently and wanted to pinpoint the biggest franchises that really got their start back then – the ones that started small and then became something massive. I ended up with five that I think stand out, and I’m sharing them – though not in any specific order!

1) Mass Effect

The Mass Effect series began in 2007 as a game exclusive to the Xbox 360. It was a huge success with critics and players alike, praised for its immersive storytelling that felt cinematic. The characters, worlds, and overall story became iconic, leading to three more games released in 2010, 2012, and 2017. While a fifth game hasn’t been announced yet, many expect it’s coming soon. Originally only available on Xbox, the series is now playable on many different consoles, including mobile devices.

2) Halo

Similar to Mass Effect, Halo originally launched as a game only available on Xbox, and remained exclusive for 25 years. Now, it’s coming to PlayStation 5 and has also appeared on arcade systems and a few other platforms. Halo: Combat Evolved, released in 2001, quickly became the leading first-person shooter on the Xbox. This was followed by numerous sequels and spin-offs, which built upon the game’s rich story into a sprawling, epic narrative. The story has expanded even further through novels, comics, and a TV series, though not all fans were pleased with the adaptation. Despite a slight dip in popularity recently, Halo remains a major gaming franchise.

3) BioShock

I first played BioShock a little later in the 2000s, when it came out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007, and it totally blew me away! It really set the stage for the whole series, building this incredible story about these isolated cities that were meant to be perfect, but ended up becoming dangerous and messed up. Everyone loved it – the story, the way it looked, and what it was trying to say. Since then, there have been a couple of sequels and a bunch of extra content, but the last big release was BioShock: The Collection back in 2016. Honestly, it’s been too long! We all love the world and how it plays, and it’s time for a new BioShock game to come out!

4) God of War

The original God of War game launched on PlayStation 2 in 2005, and introduced players to Kratos, a Spartan warrior who rises to become a god through brutal revenge. The game built a compelling story within the world of Greek mythology that players quickly embraced. Several sequels followed, and in 2018, the series took a bold new direction, moving Kratos from Greece to the world of Norse mythology in Scandinavia. While these newer games focus heavily on storytelling, they still maintain the visual style fans loved from the earlier titles, and have ultimately made the franchise more popular than ever.

5) Call of Duty

It’s difficult to think about today’s first-person shooter (FPS) games without mentioning Call of Duty, which first launched on computers, Macs, and consoles back in 2003. The series originally focused on World War II and set the standard for many of its future games. By 2007, it had evolved with Modern Warfare, and has since grown to include titles like Black Ops and updated Modern Warfare games. Each installment features immersive single-player stories and is known for having some of the best multiplayer experiences in gaming. As of today, there have been 22 Call of Duty games released, selling over 500 million copies and making it one of the most successful franchises of the 2000s.

What’s your top franchise that began in the 2000s? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with others in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-04 17:48