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5 Hottest Online Games For 2023

Hottest Online Games For 2023

Online gaming has become a widespread phenomenon for people of all ages, especially teens. With innovations such as the treadmill desk, ergonomic gaming chairs, and comfort technology, gamers have the power to continue playing without having to sit in a bad posture for long periods or leave their desk to get some exercise.

For the past several years, certain blockbuster games have kept a chokehold on the lion’s share of online gamers, including PubG, Apex Legends, League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and the ever-popular Minecraft. 

While those games will again feature heavily as favorites for the hottest online games of 2023, new contenders are making their first appearances, hoping to steal the crown of glory and forge their destinies. 

Here are five of the hottest, most-anticipated games for 2023:

Overwatch 2

The sequel to Overwatch is Blizzard’s attempt to regain its past glory and push the series back into the limelight for 2023. The original Overwatch has a respectable following, and the expectation is that a new, improved game will draw vast quantities of players. 

A futuristic team-based free-to-play online game, Overwatch 2 pits players against each other in 5 vs. 5 matches using a variety of science-fiction weapons and offering over 30 heroes to play, most of which appeared in Overwatch. 

It also builds on its successes from the original game, adding more maps and features. One such feature is a new “Push” mode, where teams challenge one another to control a central robot, essentially playing tug-of-war as they try to advance it toward the opposition’s base. Other changes include the removal of the unpopular “Assault” mode, with a focus on adding new PvE (player vs. environment) content in the future.  

Blizzard is no stranger to online success, as they are behind the MMORPG powerhouse World of Warcraft, which holds approximately 8 million subscribers even today. 

Overwatch 2 is available to play now!

XDefiant

Originally named “Tom Clancy’s XDefiant,” developer Ubisoft dropped the unnecessary tie to the popular game series, providing the opportunity to create a more versatile game taking advantage of factions from its many IPs rather than just one. 

Another free-to-play arena shooter, XDefiant, pits players against one another using various maps, offering up to 6 vs. 6 battles. They promise a new take on competitive FPS, and they will need to come through if they hope to rise above the competition, as the market for these types of games is already saturated. 

Information is scarce, yet new details appear frequently. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of Rainbow Six and Call of Duty, you may be interested in this one. The game is not officially released, but you can sign up for an Open Beta.  

Stormgate

If you enjoyed Blizzard games such as Warcraft and Starcraft, you likely want to check out the upcoming free-to-play strategy game Stormgate by Frost Giant Studios, a company made up of former members of the development team of those popular games, as well as Wasteland. 

With the ability to play solo or competitively, the game depicts a war between humanity and alien invaders (like in Starcraft), and the classic features such as harvesting resources, building and upgrading your base, and designing an army to wipe out your enemies are intact. 

You can join friends to compete against AI forces, play solo mission stories, or join the competitive 1 vs. 1 ranking ladder, among other options, so it is a game fit for many play styles. 

A beta version will be available soon, allowing you to try the game early, before its actual release. 

Minecraft Legends

Any Minecraft game is sure to garner interest from its fanbase, and Minecraft Legends will likely be no exception to that rule. However, it has a colossal set of shoes to fill if it ever hopes to match or beat the popularity of the original. 

This game is unlike the rest of the Minecraft fare, as it is an action strategy game with strategic elements. In it, the porcine “Piglins” have come from the Nether, invading the Overworld. Players and the Overworld mobs must unite to thwart this latest threat in all-out war from a third-person perspective. 

In the game, your primary objective is to establish an army of mobs while using two companions called Allays, one to harvest resources for you and the other to build structures. You can then develop defenses and set out with your recruited army to face off with the Piglin forces. 

As well as solo play, there are multiplayer PvP and Coop options, so you can take on other players and their armies or join with them against the Piglins. Whether you’re playing alone or setting up a minecraft hosting server to play with friends, you’re bound to have a great time.  

The developers are Minecraft’s original Mojang Studios in conjunction with Blackbird Interactive and will release in Spring 2023.  

Ark 2

Another sequel joins the list, the second entry in the ARK: Survival Evolved series. While scheduled for 2023, Studio Wild has not yet provided a solid release date. 

Taking place after the events of the original game and its DLC content, there are not many details as to its story, but it does feature Vin Diesel as the star, playing a clone of the original player character Santiago de Costa. Diesel is well-known for his love of gaming, from Dungeons and Dragons to ARK, having logged over a thousand hours in the game. His experience with the game is a boon for the series as he has an intimate familiarity. 

Unlike the original sandbox nature of the first, Ark 2 promises to be more action-oriented, often described as a “Souls-like” third-person melee combat experience. Also, with a dynamic world featuring dinosaurs (like the original) ripe for exploration, Ark 2 allows you to climb, swing, and parkour your way around it. 

Along with its detailed single-player story, Ark 2 includes PvP, Co-Op, and PvE options, although the full details of these features are yet to come. The game should release in late 2022 or early 2023. 

The Bottom Line

With players flocking to online multiplayer games, more developers are trying to design the gaming experience that will draw a huge audience, making their game one of the hottest options on the market for years to come. While the same games have dominated for a long while, sometimes a new contender has what it takes to shoulder into the top 10. 

One of these hot new titles may make the grade. Time will tell, but it’s worth checking out these five games if you are looking for a new online experience. You might find a new favorite. 

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