Online gaming has grown worldwide in the last few years due to several factors. One reason is that with the continual advance of digital technology, the games themselves are increasingly sophisticated, lifelike, and exciting. This is facilitated by better broadband connections allowing for greater bandwidth, meaning that more information can be passed back and forth between player and server at a faster pace, reducing annoying glitches, fails, and freezes.

Mobile platforms

Online games are now every inch the match of their console-based equivalents. Their popularity has also been boosted by the increased popularity of mobile platforms. A wide variety of high-quality games are now available online, whether you're playing on a PC, laptop, tablet, or even your phone. Many of these can also be accessed for free.

The top apps

The global phenomenon of the year in terms of apps was undoubtedly Pokémon Go, which was the number one app in most countries around the world. However, there were exceptions, such as in Russia, where the number one app was Game of War: Fire Age. Elsewhere, traditional casino games were popular, with Australia choosing Heart of Vegas Slots and India going for Teen Patti, an Indian poker app.

Different demographics

Perhaps because online games can be played by people of any age, while console gamers tend to be at the younger end of the demographic, online casino games rank very highly worldwide. The best UK casino sites are among the most protected and regulated in the world, giving them a global appeal. Elsewhere, massive multiplayer online (MMO) games continue to be hugely popular with teenagers and gamers in their early 20s.

Regional variations

While there are clear market leaders worldwide, different parts of the globe have their own particular favorites. StarCraft, for instance, is huge in South Korea, while World of Warcraft is particularly popular in China, which provides over half of its 5 million plus players.This is despite the fact that Chinese players get a special, government-censored version of the game, known as World of Magic Beasts, which is less violent and has a timer mechanism to stop anyone from playing for too long.

The most popular online games

It should come as no surprise that the number one online game worldwide is League of Legends. This wildly popular MMO has occupied the top spot for nearly half a decade and has over 100 million players a month – double that of its nearest competitor, Hearthstone. On the other hand, Hearthstone is the most-watched game on ESports.

Overwatch, at number three, is the fastest-growing first-person shooter in the world and has 20million players, despite only launching this year. Its unique characters and world building seem to have captured all our imaginations, putting it ahead of Dota 2, which has 15 million players and is the most played game on Steam.

Rounding out the top five is a fallen champion.World of Warcraft lost 40% of its subscribers in the last year, but still has 5.5million players per month. Once the most popular online game in the world, its heyday may be over, but World of Warcaft still has plenty of fans, particularly in the Chinese market as noted earlier.