Online multiplayer gaming statistics 2022

Study reveals the vibes—good and bad—in the most popular online gaming communities

When you play games online, they can be simple and straightforward - like Mahjong or Yahtzee - or they can be World of Warcraft. In any case, the intent is to have fun (not to get all sweaty, cuss out your closest friends and rage quit).

In the past decade, few social phenomena have grown faster than online multiplayer video games, bringing millions of people together and banking billions of dollars for the studios that produce them. These games are not just the stuff of teenagers. According to USA Today, two-thirds of Americans play video games. During the pandemic, games bore an outsized burden as they were one of the few ways people could socialize safely—83 percent of gamers say that gaming helped them cope with isolation during the past two years.

Recently, we conducted a poll of 1,202 gamers, to better understand the experience of playing online multiplayer games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. To begin, we asked which games players enjoy the most.

Most of our questions focused on what kind of vibe defines different gaming communities. For example, Call of Duty: Warzone has the dubious honor of featuring the most trolls, being the most intense, and having the most toxic chat. Though, to be fair, it’s also rated as having the most skilled players.

On the more positive side, Minecraft is noted for having the most helpful players and the most honorable gameplay environment. Fortnite, a truly global sensation, is the preferred stomping ground for younger, less mature players. Our respondents report it has the most “nOObs”—inexperienced, newer players—and the biggest whiners.

While exploring virtual worlds in front of a screen may seem an unorthodox way of socializing for many Americans, it’s clearly a new norm. And no doubt, real friendships form through online gaming. Of the gamers we polled, 43 percent say they have close friends they met through gaming.

Whether Solitaire, FreeCell, or Spider is more your speed, or you love slaying pirates in Sea of Thieves, to all who play games, we salute you. Have fun!

Methodology

On December 3, 2021, we surveyed 1,202 Americans who regularly play online multiplayer video games. Our respondents were 49 percent male, 47 percent female, and four percent non-binary. Ages ranged from 18 to 64, with an average age of 30 years old.

Fair Use

Feel free to use this data and research with proper attribution linking to this study. When you do, please give credit and link to https://solitaired.com/