10 of the biggest video game successes of the last decade

Recently, we took a look at some of the biggest failures that have rocked the video game world over the past decade. So, it's only fair that by taking such an angle that we also flip the script and focus our efforts on ten of the biggest successes of the last decade too.

Everyone you know was playing Pokémon Go in 2016

How could we not start here? Back in 2016, in the summertime, Niantic launched an augmented-reality mobile game with The Pokémon Company. Known as Pokémon Go, it asked people to head out and about to catch pocket monsters and to experience a Pokémon journey like no other. While it was different to what long-time fans know of Pokémon, it proved to be an immense hit around the entire world, to the point that you couldn't go anywhere without seeing people catching Pokémon on the city streets and in the countryside.

PUBG: Battlegrounds ignites a fire...

When you think of the past decade, gaming has generally birthed two massive and core ideas. One is battle royale, the premise of dropping 100 players into a lobby and letting them fight it out until a sole victor remains. In late 2025, there are countless battle royale games, and even more that have come and gone, but really we can point a finger at Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene for his creation of PUBG: Battlegrounds as the one that carved a path for everyone else to follow. Still an immensely popular hit today, PUBG is without question one of the biggest successes of the last decade.

...and Fortnite fans the flames to unfound heights

PUBG is PUBG but when it comes to a battle royale of a scale like nothing else, Epic Games' Fortnite stands as one-of-one. Over the past decade, Fortnite has transitioned from a more cutesy and accessible take on battle royale into the best example of the metaverse to date, thanks to its immense array of crossovers and collaborations. You could make the argument that Fortnite has been the most successful and influential video game of the last decade, but it does have to give at least some flowers to PUBG for being the pioneer.

Escape from Tarkov sets the precedent for the other major trend

Moving on from battle royale, the other trend that has blossomed in a way few would have imagined is the premise of extraction shooters. Like BRs, it's a product of online multiplayer becoming easier and better supported, allowing for more creative ideas, and the result is a tense and demanding activity where you can win big or lose it all. It's very much a love it or hate it experience, but it's also absurdly popular and we can all thank Escape from Tarkov from being the true successful pioneer on this front. It's perhaps a more fitting pick than ever considering the game finally leaves Early Access this November.

Remedy Entertainment delivers two of the most impressive games to date

Look, FBC: Firebreak has been a pretty big failure and there's no denying that. But Remedy Entertainment deserves to be here for two reasons. The first is Control and Alan Wake 2, two games that are frankly exceptional and top examples of what this Finnish developer can produce. Both games are arguably the two finest titles that were released in their respective years, and that's enviable to say the least. But the other reason is that Remedy has set a precedent that many developers/publishers could learn from. This is a team that doesn't define a game's success on launch sales but rather how a game will perform in the long-haul. It's why no one was worried that Alan Wake 2 didn't sell like hotcakes at launch, because Remedy knows that its games have legs and that given time they won't just make up their costs but will simply become a pure revenue stream. It's a business practice that many can learn from and it's enough to make this studio a premier example of a success.

Rocket League finds the back of the net

The past decade has really seen a rise in free-to-play video games that have quite simplistic setups but offer endless hours of entertainment. To this end, Psyonix's Rocket League has to make the cut because frankly it has become an absolutely remarkable behemoth that fans of all ages and demographics can enjoy. To this day, Rocket League exists in that same conversation as Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and all of the other accessible and timeless hits that fans flock to for endless or quick action.

Kojima Productions becomes a global sensation

When Hideo Kojima split from Konami to create his own development studio, the question surrounded who was going to fare better; the famed Japanese developer or the timeless publisher? Konami has been in a bit of a slump, one that it is admittedly climbing out of, but Kojima Productions has reached unfound heights. After two Death Stranding games, the sky is now the limit for the developer, with adaptations on the way, new projects in the works alongside PlayStation and Xbox, and Kojima himself truly taking his place amongst the elite of the creative realm.

Vampire Survivors becomes everyone's obsession

There are frequent small indie games that arrive and become enormous hits, with more recent examples being Peak, Lethal Company, and even Balatro. But Vampire Survivors exists in its own little realm because the game came out of nowhere and proved to be such an immense sensation that now we're seeing all manner of copies from bigger fish. Designed to be incredibly easy to pick up and play, packed with depth to keep you entertained, and appreciatively affordable, Poncle's title is a true success.

Hazelight reminds the world why we love co-op

You could make the argument that the Josef Fares-led Hazelight is currently carrying the cooperative video game sector on its back. The past decade has been nothing but an example of that as following A Way Out, It Takes Two, and Split Fiction, this developer has proven that co-op only games are not only relevant but massive hits when handled correctly. Over 35 million copies shifted between the three games, which doesn't even marginally reflect player numbers due to the consumer-friendly Friend Pass feature, goes to show just how much of a success that Hazelight has been.

Baldur's Gate III achieves record-breaking success

Perhaps the best-rated and acclaimed game of the past decade. Larian's Baldur's Gate III arrived and proved to the world that the cRPG sector is still very much alive and well. On top of record-breaking awards success and tens of millions of sold copies, the reason that BG3 is such a success is that it introduced a ton of appreciative accessibility design choices all while continuing to expand on the experience with tons of post-launch enhancements and improvements. Developed for players, with the help of players, BG3 might just be the game that defines the 2020s, although Grand Theft Auto VI will no doubt have something to say about that.

Have we missed any major successes? If so, don't forget to share them in the comments below.