Google has wasted no time breaking down some of the biggest trending topics for 2015, including top Searches, Movies, People and other topics, including offbeat interests like Celebrity Pregnancies and Celebrity Weddings. However, one list that should be of interest is Video Games, as the top spot doesn’t belong to an established franchise, but rather a surprising favorite.
The web browser based game Agar.io managed to take the number one spot when it came to trending video game topics. In the game, players compete against one another online, portraying circles that absorb smaller circles in a limited playfield, growing larger as a result. The game has amassed millions of players this year, thus making it an obvious favorite.
However, the rest of this year’s top trending games are quite familiar:
2. Fallout 4. Bethesda’s hit sequel benefitted from a huge marketing blitz this year, alongside its popular mobile tie-in, Fallout Shelter, which has become one of this year’s biggest free-to-play hits.
3. Mortal Kombat X. The blood-soaked fighting sequel didn’t disappoint, selling millions of copies across the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Its success will continue in 2016 with the announcement of several new fighters, including the Xenomorph from the Alien films and Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Activision’s latest entry in the fast-paced first-person shooting franchise has been a huge sales success, and has also seen a strong marketing push in its own right. 2016 will be big for it as well, between forthcoming downloadable content for the game and the introduction of an eSports-based World League.
5. Star Wars: Battlefront. Battlefront‘s success shouldn’t be that big a surprise, since the Star Wars-labeled shooter has tie-ins with the forthcoming The Force Awakens, as well as a large offering of multiplayer modes. It should no doubt be one of the most popular games for the overall holiday season.
6. Pokémon GO! A game that will no doubt take the mobile playing world by storm, Pokémon GO! ingeniously combines real-world terrain with in-game actions, as players attempt to “catch ’em all” across a number of places. With hundreds of Pokémon characters available, this should attract fans with ease.
7. Madden NFL 16. EA Sports’ officially licensed football game continues to draw in millions of fans around the world, and with various promotions happening this year, it continued to be a top trender on the Google front as well. Don’t be surprised if Madden NFL 17 follows suit next year.
8. NBA 2K16. 2K Sports’ slam-dunk of a basketball franchise continued to be a best-seller this year, with millions of units sold throughout the holidays. The game has gained big buzz through a number of promotions as well, including a recent team-up with Twitch to reveal Kyrie Irving’s new Nike shoes. Look for this trend to continue well into next year’s NBA season as well, leading up to the release of NBA 2K17.
9. Bloodborne. Sony Computer Entertainment had big success this year, with over 30 million PlayStation 4 systems sold. Leading the charge was an array of strong original titles, including this brutal hack and slash game from the creators of the Dark Souls series, From Software. Bloodborne drew a large audience since its release earlier in the year, and its success continued on with additional downloadable content and new challenges.
10. Battlefield Hardline. Battlefront wasn’t the only big success for Electronic Arts this year, as its latest Battlefield game, set in the world of cops and robbers, also drew a big online crowd since its release earlier in the year. Featuring a number of multiplayer options that fans have become used to, along with an action-packed single player campaign, Hardline had no problem boosting its popularity on the social front.
