MMORPGs rely on having many players. We at MeinMMO have therefore looked at which had the highest player counts on Steam in July 2022. Here you will find the current numbers from October.
How was the list created? To create the Top 10, we looked at the average player counts of the MMORPGs over the last 30 days. The data comes from the site steamcharts, which tracks and analyzes the numbers.
However, the numbers only include players who start the game via Steam. Most MMORPGs also have their own clients, the numbers of which we cannot see. So the exact numbers are likely much higher.
Those looking for the MMORPGs with the best reviews will find them here: The 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings in 2022.
Here are places 10 to 4
- Place 10 – Phantasy Star Online 2 (3,303 players)
- Place 9 – MapleStory (3,515 players)
- Place 8 – Legends of Idleon (3,532 players)
- Place 7 – Star Wars: The Old Republic (6,067 players)
- Place 6 – Albion Online (6,691 players)
- Place 5 – New World (13,293 players)
- Place 4 – Black Desert (13,423 players)
Place 3 – The Elder Scrolls Online
- Focus of the MMORPG: Story and world exploration
- Player Count: 17,036 average players in the last 30 days
- Player Numbers Trend: Rising since June 2022
- Business Model: Buy2Play and optional subscription
- Developer: ZeniMax
What kind of game is this? The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online has been around for 8 years and allows its fans to experience the worlds of Elder Scrolls together with others.
The game is continuously expanded with major expansions and smaller DLCs throughout its lifetime. The last major expansion was released with High Isle in June 2022. It led to a significant increase in player numbers on Steam.
In addition to these expansions and DLCs, ESO regularly features interesting events and content that players may not be used to. If you are playing ESO, exciting stories and challenging PvE raids await you.
ESO takes place in a world that invites exploration and shows players both familiar Elder Scrolls areas and completely new locations.
For PvP enthusiasts, the MMORPG offers exciting battles in various modes and with different numbers of players, but PvP is rather a smaller part of the game.
Who is it interesting for? The Elder Scrolls Online is aimed at players who:
- are fans of other Elder Scrolls games and want to share the experience with other players
- enjoy getting lost in a world and exploring places
- prefer a first-person perspective
- place little value on PvP and prefer PvE
ESO serves well as an alternative to story-driven and world-related MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 or FFXIV, but those looking for a grinder like Black Desert or Lost Ark may not be happy here.
Place 2 – Final Fantasy XIV
- Focus of the MMORPG: Story, Roleplay, and instances
- Player Count: 23,835 average players in the last 30 days
- Player Numbers Trend: Increased sharply in 2021, currently rather declining
- Business Model: Base game Free2Play with restrictions, subscription, and Buy2Play for expansions
- Developer: Square Enix
What kind of game is this? Since 2013, Final Fantasy XIV has been one of the most popular MMORPGs ever. It focuses on an emotional story and offers players the opportunity to purchase multiple DLCs to continue the story and level up. The expansion Endwalker was released in 2021.
In addition to the story, exciting PvE content awaits you, such as dungeons, boss fights, and raids. For this, you only need a single character in FFXIV, as the classes are called jobs in FFXIV, and anyone who invests time can level each of them to level 90.
The combat system is based on tab targeting, which may feel somewhat sluggish at first, but improves significantly as you unlock more skills.
Additionally, you can level various crafting and gathering classes, buy a house, and soon even design your own island.
By now, you can play the game for free up to level 60, but you will need to buy an expansion and subscribe to continue playing afterward. However, the free trial version is not available on Steam.
Who is it interesting for? FFXIV is particularly aimed at players who:
- can focus on the story and want to experience a compelling narrative
- prefer tab targeting
- are looking for a challenge in PvE endgame
- seek a friendly community
- like a classic holy trinity (tank, DD, healer)
The community is praised by players worldwide. The interactions are said to be (in most cases) very friendly and considerate, which presents a stark contrast to other MMORPGs whose communities tend to be toxic.
Place 1 – Lost Ark
- Focus of the MMORPG: Grinding, instances, exploration
- Player Count: 384,377 average players in the last 30 days
- Player Count Trend: Declining, but probably due to the banning of numerous bots
- Business Model: Free2Play
- Developer: Amazon and Smilegate
What kind of game is this? Lost Ark is an action MMORPG that just started this February. You choose your character from 17 classes and explore the world of Arkesia from an isometric perspective.
You initially dive into the story. After the prologue, you are level 10, get your first mount, and level up through the story to level 50. The story is about finding and delivering a total of 7 Arks to an NPC. Along the way, you travel across different continents.
At level 50, you reach the endgame of Lost Ark and that is where the real game begins. Daily, you complete dungeons and raids to farm materials and improve your equipment. With a higher item level, you unlock more content, which allows the story to continue.
Additionally, starting around level 40, you can sail and explore numerous islands, farm them, and participate in events.
The deeper you dive into the endgame, the more challenging the contents become. Currently, players are struggling against Vykas, the boss of the second Legion raid.
Who is it interesting for? Lost Ark is aimed at players who
- like to grind and want to fight many enemies simultaneously, as in Chaos dungeons
- enjoy isometric perspective and action-packed battles
- appreciate interesting mechanics and are not shy about searching for guides online
- are patient and don’t mind needing 10 attempts for a specific content
- want to explore a large, open world both on land and at sea
The developers of Lost Ark promise monthly updates and weekly patches, so new content comes quickly and new classes are introduced. However, there have been a few problems recently regarding the speed. The delayed June update finally went live on June 30 and brought some changes.
Special case – MIR4
MIR4 is an MMORPG focused on cryptocurrency. According to Steamcharts, an average of 45,000 players play it monthly, but we assume that many bots are active. Therefore, we do not include it in our regular ranking.
In MIR4, players can earn a “cryptocurrency” called DRACO. The currency is obtained only by connecting the game with Facebook, Google, or Apple. You can earn the currency from level 40. Many of the activities operate via autoplay, and it is evident that the game is designed for mobile.
What do you think of the current Top 10 MMORPGs on Steam? Are you playing one of the games, or are you currently looking for something new? Are you playing an MMO that currently has fewer players? Do you think Lost Ark rightfully occupies the top spot on the list? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO!
Did you know that there will soon be an MMORPG from League of Legends? You can find the latest information here:
League of Legends is becoming an MMO and brings exactly what many fans wish for
