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Australia has a strong gaming culture that can be traced back through generations to a fondness for board games and card games. In the digital age, Australia is a leader, with a strong infrastructure, great connectivity and a digitally savvy populace.
The gaming world is evolving fast, and earlier this year, researchers from the Gamerbolt team took a look at the Australian market to find out what the most popular games are in Australia. Their findings could cause some surprises.
Fortnite remains the top battle royale game
When it was released in 2017, Fortnite was an instant sensation. Initially, it was more popular with younger players, but seven years on, two things have happened. First, those youngsters are now seven years older and are still playing. Second, older players have been drawn in, intrigued to see what all the fuss is about.
The collaborative nature of the game, where players can play with friends makes it more of a social experience and increases engagement. Also, the increasing profile of Fortnite as an esport keeps casual players interested. Its organic popularity attracted the attention of pro players like Ninja and prompted Epic Games to launch the Fortnite World Cup, which started in 2019 with a $30 million prize pool.
Queen of the Nile is also Queen of the Casino
Of course there had to be a pokie in the mix. Australians love them and there are more titles than ever to choose from among the best Australian online pokies, with all sorts of exciting features like thousands of ways to win and skill-based bonus games. Yet the most popular pokie in Australia this year is a standard Ancient Egypt adventure that has been around since 2010.
Queen of the Nile checks all the boxes. A reasonable RTP, medium volatility and a couple of fun, if uncomplicated, bonus games. It’s a pattern that has been seen elsewhere, too, with games like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest remaining popular despite their age and lack of glamor compared with new releases.
Other high scoring pokies included Buffalo, Where’s the Gold and More Chilli.
League of Legends still has a huge player base
VIDEO: Welcome to League of Legends | Official Cinematic
Here’s a game that’s been around even longer than Queen of the Nile. The multiplayer online battle arena game has a massive player base in Australia. Although exact numbers are unavailable, it is thought to be in the region of 100,000. Players can try out different events that demand different abilities and playing styles, so it is hard to get bored.
The game features complex gameplay and intense matches, so appeals strongly to Australian’s competitive natures.
Minecraft appeals to all ages
Even when it came out in 2011, Minecraft seemed retro. The ultimate sandbox game, it has captured the imaginations of Australians of all ages and is firmly established in the top five. Again, the ability to play in multiplayer mode is likely to be a significant factor in its enduring popularity.
Overwatch checks all the boxes
VIDEO: Overwatch Cinematic Trailer
New first-person shooter games appear every month, and in Australia in particular, they are given a chance. Yet players keep coming back to Overwatch, and seven years on from its release, here it is in the Australian top five.
Players can play solo or in teams, and the immersive gameplay and polished graphics stand up alongside anything new that developers can offer – although Overwatch 2 might stand a chance at some point.
Ultimately, Australians have access to an incredibly diverse range of online games, including the latest and greatest releases and limited releases. Those can be exciting to explore, but according to Australian sensibilities it seems that gaming peaked between 2009 and 2017. Evidently you can’t beat the classics – but let’s look in again the same time next year and see if some innovative studio has managed to!
