While the live service genre took an overall hit this year, there were a variety of newcomers joining the ranks of fan favorites. These are the 10 best live service games of 2023.
Top 10 Live Service Games in 2023
Top 5 Live Service Games Released in 2023:
Top 5 Live Service Games Available in 2023:
Honkai Star Rail
The most recent HoYoverse game to be launched, Honkai Star Rail takes fan-favorite characters and puts them back in the limelight. As a single-player game, there are multiple modes and worlds you can explore. Just like Genshin Impact, there are never-ending character and content updates in the works. Even better, it recently won The Game Award for Best Mobile Game 2023.
Monster Hunter Now
Niantic’s latest game features a partnership with another monster-focused franchise. This time, instead of catching them, you’re hunting them. Bringing Monster Hunter to augmented reality, the mobile title Monster Hunter Now boasts 10 million downloads since its September 14 release. While it lost Best Mobile Game to HSR at the TGAs, it was also nominated for the category.
Diablo 4
Fans headed back to Sanctuary in June with the launch of Diablo 4. It’s already in its second season, which features a tough endgame level 100 dungeon, as well as the end-of-year winter event. There have been bumps along the way, such as progression concerns between seasons as well as balancing class builds. However, the introduction of new content every few months and a focus on endgame play continue to enhance what the main story offers.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has only been available for a month and the first season has already started. The reboot of the original 2011 game, the remake hopes to make up for previous shortcomings with new maps and mechanics. While the launch was a bit rocky, the game has seen over 190,000 players at a single time.
Marvel Snap
If you’re into card games, Marvel Snap is for you. Combining card-driven combat with comic book characters, you’ll be able to hone your tactics each new season. The latest to start, Hellfire Gala, introduces Sebastian Shaw, along with new avatars, card backs, and card variants.
Fortnite
We wouldn’t be able to talk about the best live service games without mentioning Fortnite. Appealing to all ages, there are multiple maps, exciting crossovers, unique skins and weapons, as well as special events. It’s completely free to play, making it accessible to everyone. This year was a boom for the game, with LEGO Fortnite, Season OG, and extremely popular partnerships releasing. On top of that, the ability to make your own content with Unreal Editor for Fortnite is enticing for aspiring devs and creative geniuses alike.
Genshin Impact
The longstanding gacha game from HoYoverse is as popular as ever. Genshin Impact repeatedly gets new content, new characters, and new events every couple months. There are over 63 million players worldwide in November 2023. With the new Fontaine area recently introduced, there’s plenty for people to do, whether playing solo or with friends.
Destiny 2
With large content updates each season, free-to-play, first-person shooter Destiny 2 offers over 100 hours of game time for hardcore players. While the main story is relatively short, expansions and seasons bring new missions to complete, unique weapons to collect, cats to find, and raids to finish. The latest update to be released, Season of the Wish, adds the new three-man dungeon Riven’s Lair, and the upcoming Starcrossed mission.
Warframe
Another free-to-play game, Warframe is a sleeper hit in the live service genre. Originally released in 2013, the third-person shooter boasts a player base of 70 million. Multiple regions with differing environments can be explored either solo or with others during fast-paced combat. Featuring cross-platform progression and new game modes in its latest expansion, Whispers in the Walls, Warframe is ready to maintain its live service dominance.
Pokemon GO
Niantic has found unrivaled success in the mobile live service area with Pokemon GO. This year it received two new features, as well as new items, added. Routes let players earn bonuses for walking along predetermined paths, while Parties highlight group play. The Master Ball finally appeared, just in time to catch Shadow Mewtwo. While adjustments were made to the uses and availability of Remote Raid Pass that caused outrage among the community, the movement-based game has continued to see success.
Those are the 10 best live service games in 2023. Whether you’re looking for a gacha game, FPS action, or a fast-paced card game, there’s always new content to explore for these titles. For more on the games, like our reviews, quest guides, or tips and tricks, check out our various game hubs.
