Which MMOs did players spend the most time on in July? Final Fantasy XIV and the Diablo-like Path of Exile saw an increase.
Once a month, the folks at Raptr analyze which games users of their program spent the most time on. This is on PC and tracked by hours. The numbers should not be viewed absolutely as a “hit list,” but rather as a trend indicator of whether a game is currently gaining or losing popularity and why.
The Raptr numbers are still the best indicator , there are simply no official player numbers available in that area.
World of Warcraft slightly recovering, Hearthstone stable, Diablo 3 and HotS struggling
The Blizzard titles are performing quite well in July. In WoW, the 6.2 patch is now having an impact, with played hours increasing by 20%. How this playtime will develop in WoW until the expansion Legion is released is likely to be an exciting question for fall and winter. No new game content is planned until then.
Hearthstone rises three ranks, but not because more people are playing it, but because other titles are losing stronger. The card game remains constant, it should see a boost in September when the new expansion arrives.
Diablo 3 was not very popular in July. That is likely to change only in September, when the new season is in full swing. Heroes of the Storm also loses a rank, with 18% less playtime than in June.
Ark Survival Evolved is not a flash in the pan, World of Tanks robust
Winners in July also include the dino MMO Ark Survival Evolved. It is not a flash in the pan, but continues to enjoy popularity among Raptr users in July. World of Tanks also gains a spot, now entering the top 5.
League of Legends floats above all, Witcher III now in free fall
The rise of World of Tanks and Ark SE is also due to the fact that the strong single-player titles of the last months are now significantly losing steam. Witcher III is down about 50% in playtime compared to June, and GTA V loses 17% of its playtime. The MOBA Smite also belongs to the losers with 12% fewer hours played.
Speaking of MOBA: The godfather of the MOBA genre, League of Legends is once again in a completely different league than the rest of the titles. Almost a quarter of all hours from Raptr users are attributed to LoL.
Final Fantasy XIV and Path of Exile show strong gains
The fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV notices in July the expansion Heavensward. Playtime has increased by 65% compared to June. This is enough to climb from 15 to 13 among PC games.
Playtime in the Diablo-like Path of Exile has almost tripled compared to June. The expansion “The Awakening” was released in early July and provided a boost that likely catapulted Path of Exile into the top-20 categories for a brief visit.
Interestingly, “Terraria” rose even more dramatically, with a new patch released in July increasing playtime nearly sixfold.
