10 Most Popular Online Games in the Philippines

Online games have always been a thing here in the Philippines, and because that, we have accomplished a lot in our E-sports community, most notably in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where our team garnered three gold medals. Online games play a huge part in our lives and that we are pretty darn good at it! So I compiled a few games that are probably the most played here in our community from PC to well our Mobile Phones since they are pretty much still considered as online games.

2021 Lineup

Valorant

First up we have Riot’s flagship FPS game, Valorant. If there is one good thing that happened during the pandemic it would probably be this game. It lets you use unique agents with different classes with unique skills which you use to your advantage. Valorant seems to be the love child of both CS:GO and Overwatch, inheriting the wide selection of weapons and great map design of the former, and the unique MOBA-style abilities and character designs of the latter. Before this game came out, Counterstrike used to be the top dog when it came to FPS games but right now, we have a new sheriff in town and his name is Valorant.

Genshin Impact

Next up, is Mihoyo’s free-to-play, open-world gacha game Genshin Impact. Explore vast worlds, do challenges and be a part of Genshin’s story. Genshin’s gameplay draws similarities to one of Nintendo’s iconic games which are Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and sort of made it their own. If you’re a huge weeb then this game will probably be something you will enjoy from its engaging stories to its cute and entertaining characters and a multiplayer mode, Yes! You can enjoy the open world and fight off monsters with your friends as well. So if you’re looking for a good Gacha game with JRPG and action-adventure elements. Then this is a great game for you to get into. Just be careful, as this game can end up costing you… a lot.

Ragnarok M: Eternal Love

Next up, we have Ragnarok M: Eternal Love. It’s one of the most popular open-world mobile MMORPGs out there and based on the incredibly famous Ragnarok Online. The game features the same open-world movement, music, sound effects, and a nostalgic visual resemblance of the original Ragnarok that we know and love. It also has real-time PvP and a War of Emporium system that makes the game more immersive.

Roblox

If you want to unleash your creativity in a fun cartoon-ish environment with no limits then Roblox might be a game you should consider. The game is commonly played on PC and Android/IOS mostly by kids. I know that this might be turned off but think about it for a sec, this game can be an immersive educational tool that teaches real coding, game design, digital civility, and entrepreneurial skills– all while having fun.

Wild Rift

Finally we have the mobile version of one of the games we mentioned, Yup you guessed it, it’s League of Legends: Wild Rift. For a time, Mobile Legends has been dominating the whole mobile MOBA genre but now, they have a formidable rival. Wild Rift is pretty much the same game as its PC counterpart but just smaller, games are faster and modified to fit the mobile platform. I honestly liked this game more since the characters and metas are quite easy to get used to compared to Mobile Legends but both games are alright in my opinion and I do prefer playing this over the PC games since well, it takes less time to finish a game. So if you’re a hardcore LoL fan or just looking for a new Mobile MOBA to play then I highly recommend this game.

2020 Lineup

Dota 2

Dota or Defense of the Ancients has been around since, well, ever. It started as a mod in the classic Warcraft III and since it has been a popular game in our country. According to Steam Charts, we are averaging around 500,000 players each month. The game is a multiplayer online battle arena where you pick a hero with several unique abilities where you must defeat your opponent by destroying their base.
The game includes item building to make your character stronger, experience points to help you level up your skills and teamwork, which plays a vital part in the game.

League of Legends

Inspired by Dota, League of Legends, or popularly known as LoL, is another multiplayer online battle arena, just last year, that the game catered to over 115M players. The rules and gameplay are pretty much similar to Dota. However, the character design, in my opinion, is something that stands out since they based on fantasy themes, steampunk, and Lovecraftian horror.

Riot Games, LoL’s publisher will also release an abridged version of the game called League of Legends: Wild Rift, which will be released for mobile phones and consoles sometime around this year.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Probably the most popular game in the list, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the pioneers of mobile multiplayer online battle arena games. The game reportedly accumulated over 500 million downloads and 75 million active players since its launch. Gameplay mechanics are quite similar to every MOBA game. However, what differentiates this game from the previously mentioned games is that it features a variety of modes such as its survival mode, which is a battle royal mode, Chess-TD, or a tower defense mode, and Magic Chess.

PlayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds

One of the most played Battle Royale games, PayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds or commonly known as PUBG, is inspired by the 2000 Japanese film “Battle Royale.” The game has over 240,000 active players on PC and 10,000,000+ downloads for its mobile phone version. The game lets you and your customizable character and other players parachute to an island where you must find weapons and survive.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

CS: GO is the franchise’s fourth installment and probably the most popular first-person shooter nowadays. There are over 771,218 active players in the last 30 days, according to Steam Charts. Faithful to its predecessors, the game is objective-based, depending on the mode you have chosen. It has over multiple modes and a lot of customizable content for you to enjoy.

Call of Duty: Mobile

This is the mobile multiplayer game version of the famous Call of Duty franchise. There are over 100 million installations since its release, and the game offers the same features as in the game like a zombie mode, capture the flag, and of course, a battle royale mode. The game is one of the most downloaded mobile games, and it doesn’t feel like a stripped-down version of its other titles.

Apex Legends

EA’s answer to the every Battle Royale games, Apex Legends is set in the same science fiction as Titanfall and Titanfall 2, The game has over 70 million players worldwide. Its gameplay is similar to any other BR game where you parachute down on an island and fend off players from the opposite team. What makes it different from the rest is probably its science fiction themes, diverse set of characters, and unique weapon enhancements.

Call of Duty: Warzone

This is Activision’s most recent installment in the franchise. It is a free-to-play, multi-platform game that takes you to the world of Call of Duty in a Battle Royale theme. The gameplay is the same as any other BR game, although one thing special about this game is its Gulag mechanic. It happens after you die the game as you have to fight a fallen enemy, and whoever wins gets revived.

Fortnite

Any list won’t be complete without this cultural phenomenon. Fortnite is a multiplayer online game that has 250 million players. The game has multiple modes: 1) Fortnite: Save the World — a cooperative mode where you need to survive against zombies. 2) Fortnite: Battle Royale, which is pretty much the same as any other BR game. And 3) Fortnite: Creative, where the game gives you absolute control over making anything. From battle arenas, racecourses something like the popular game Minecraft.<

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

It’s an online tactical shooter game and entry to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series and the successor of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots. The game has over 55 million players and includes a whopping seven modes for you to enjoy and 20 playable maps. The game also has a heavy emphasis on environmental destruction, which gives the players an excellent feel to it and makes the game very realistic.
Online games here in the Philippines is truly something that you cannot overlook. Its a part of our modern-day culture, and with the rise of Esports, I don’t see online games fading anytime soon.
you have your list of games, please do share them in the comments. Stay safe and happy gaming!