The Most Popular Game in Each Year of the 2010s

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New video games are released consistently, giving players hundreds of choices every year. Throughout each decade, a few truly outstanding games capture the attention of players worldwide, and the 2010s were no different. We reviewed the games released between 2010 and 2019 to find the most popular titles from each year. While it’s hard to measure popularity exactly, we focused on sales figures and a game’s overall influence on the industry when it was at its peak.

2010) Call of Duty: Black Ops

The Call of Duty series was incredibly popular throughout the 2000s, and that continued into the next decade. In 2010, Call of Duty: Black Ops revitalized the franchise, becoming a massive hit. The game was praised by both critics and players for its compelling story, engaging multiplayer, and other features. It quickly became the best-selling Call of Duty title, selling over 5.6 million copies in just one day. Since then, Activision has sold over 25 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops, making it the most popular game of 2010. However, it faced strong competition from games like Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach, and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

2011) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the top-selling game of 2011, we’re recognizing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as the most popular. Skyrim quickly became a leader in the RPG genre and had impressive sales from the start. Both critics and players loved everything about the game, and it sold over 7 million copies in its first week. That number has now grown to over 21 million, and many fans consider Skyrim to be one of the all-time greatest video games. It faced strong competition in 2011 from games like Minecraft, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and Battlefield 3, as well as Modern Warfare 3.

2012) Call of Duty: Black Ops II

2012 was a strong year for gaming with releases like Assassin’s Creed III, Borderlands 2, and Halo 4. However, Call of Duty: Black Ops II was the biggest success. It sold over 24 million copies in its first year – a phenomenal number for any game, and a huge win for the series. Many fans consider it one of the best Black Ops titles, praising its Zombies mode and engaging story. With excellent multiplayer – a key feature for Call of Duty – Black Ops II clearly outperformed its competitors in 2012.

2013) Grand Theft Auto V

2013 saw the release of many great games, like The Last of Us, but Grand Theft Auto V was the clear standout. It wasn’t just the best-selling game of the year by a large margin; it’s become one of the most popular video games ever made. With over 225 million copies sold and billions earned, it’s easy to see why Rockstar Games continued to support and update GTA V while developing its sequel. Even as fans eagerly await Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar has consistently improved GTA V since its original release.

2014) Destiny

Okay, so looking back at 2014, even though Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Madden NFL 15 sold really well, for me, Destiny was the game of the year. Bungie really went all-out with the development, and because it was something completely new, everyone was so curious and jumped in to try it. It totally blew up at launch! They’ve added tons to it since then and even made a sequel, but back in 2014, it felt like Destiny was all anyone was playing – besides the usual GTA V and Minecraft, of course. It’s crazy to think it sold over 25 million copies in just one year and made Bungie and Activision a huge amount of money!

2015) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt & Fallout 4

2015 was a tough year for me as a gamer – so many great releases! Both The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Fallout 4 came out and everyone loved them, critics and players alike. Honestly, Call of Duty: Black Ops III still sold the most copies, but those other two really stuck with people. It’s amazing to me that even now, over a decade later, people are still playing them – that’s how well-made they are. I know some people weren’t huge fans of the base-building in Fallout 4, but millions of us were, and Bethesda has kept adding new stuff for years, which is awesome.

2016) Pokémon Go

2016 was an amazing year for video games, with fantastic releases like Doom, Dark Souls III, Overwatch, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. However, despite all the great games, Pokémon Go truly defined the year. It quickly became a global sensation, captivating longtime fans and newcomers alike. Everywhere you went in any city, people were playing it, making it clear that 2016 belonged to Pokémon Go.

2017) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

While PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was a huge seller in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild resonated with more players globally. PUBG definitely pioneered the battle royale genre, but over time, games like Fortnite have become more popular. Breath of the Wild continues to be critically praised, and its successful sequel proves its lasting appeal. 2017 also saw a lot of discussion around other titles, including Star Wars Battlefront II (often for negative reasons), Horizon Zero Dawn, Destiny 2, and Call of Duty: WWII.

2018) Red Dead Redemption 2

In 2018, Rockstar Games dominated the gaming world with Red Dead Redemption 2. While titles like God of War, which won Game of the Year, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 provided strong competition, RDR2 stood out as the biggest and best game of the year. It’s still considered one of the greatest open-world action-adventure games ever created, and has sold over 82 million copies since its release, easily surpassing its rivals in sales.

2019) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

2019 was a competitive year for games, with major releases like Pokémon Sword and Shield, Borderlands 3, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ultimately came out on top. It was the best-selling game of the year, successfully rebooting the Call of Duty series with impressive gameplay, graphics, and multiplayer. The game also featured a strong single-player campaign, attracting millions of players. Selling over 30 million copies in under a year, Modern Warfare significantly outperformed all other games released in 2019.

What was the best game you played during the 2010s? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-02 20:18