Like it or not, video games have become an ingrained part of American life. Studies show that 75% of Americans have at least one gamer in their household. So, as COVID-19 social isolation kept millions of Americans at home, it’s no shock that many turned to video games to occupy their time.
But which video games got the most attention during quarantine? A new study from Insight Pest Solutions has the answer. The study looked at Google Trends over a six-week period during quarantine to trace video game trends across states nationwide. Data surrounding the most popular games provides insights into our gamer nation during the pandemic.
First, the study looked at different states to see which standard video gamers were the most popular.
Fortnite came out on top, as it was the most popular game in ten states, mostly in the East Coast and Midwest. The game’s popularity is no surprise, seeing how it has become a worldwide phenomenon over the past few years. And while recently, thousands of Fortnite players have convened for tournaments, the game’s online multiplayer format definitely allowed for connection during quarantine.
Other popular games like Overwatch, Grand Theft Auto, and Hearthstone that also allowed for this multiplayer online connection also proved to be popular during quarantine.
It’s worth noting that the themes of disorder and lawlessness that also trace through these top games might account for some of their popularity during times of strict pandemic guidelines.
The study also looked to capture the most popular mobile/app games during the quarantine period, an important consideration given that 60% of adult gamers use their smartphones to play videogames.
The variety of popularity of mobile apps was far greater than that of traditional video games, with the most popular games being shared by only four states at most.
The most popular mobile games were Clash Royale, Garena Free Fire, and Sonic Dash.
What do these games have in common? All three were designed for mobile apps, even though Sonic was based on the previously popular traditional video game featuring the same speedy hedgehog. Given the added challenges of adapting traditional games to mobile, it’s no surprise that these mobile-optimized games became fan favorites during quarantine.
Regardless of which games were the most popular among gamers nationwide, there’s no question that the aggregate time Americans spent playing video games during quarantine will be used to fuel the video game industry’s steady rise. It’s exciting to see which games and trends our gamer nation will see next.
You can see the full study and all the top games, including the most popular games of all time, here.