There are many upsides to live service games which are continuously updated with balance patches and reams of new content. However, with the continued growth and popularity of live service games, the competition gets ever more fierce, and games both old and new must continue to produce top-quality experiences to keep drawing new players in and retain the attention of established fans.
For those games that have been declining for a while, had a rough 2022, or are even brand new on the scene, 2023 needs to be a decisive year.
7 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
For years Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was able to cruise along as the main tactical shooter revolving around bomb defusal. Without the fear of losing players to other similar games, and the fact that players mostly wanted the game to stay the same, Valve was never under any real pressure. This, however, all changed in 2020 with the release of Valorant.
As Valorant continues to gain traction and sweep in the newer generations, CS:GO will have to find ways to modernize in order to attract new players, while not changing too much lest their existing and dedicated fanbase feels marginalized. Perhaps an update to visuals and performance in 2023 could do wonders for the longevity of the game.
6 Dota 2
Dota 2 has always had to live under the looming shadow of League of Legends, which dominates the MOBA genre, and as time goes on the gap between the two is always growing. As League continues to grow and attract new MOBA players, Dota 2 continues to lose players.
To turn around the game's future and start competing at the top once more, perhaps 2023 could be the year for drastic changes. Even something as simple as going all out on marketing to make more players aware there actually is an alternative top MOBA, could do wonders. If the advantages of Dota 2, such as access to more free-to-play heroes, are stressed then perhaps fans can be won over.
5 Rainbow Six Siege
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After enjoying a couple of years of success, 2022 was a rough year for Rainbow Six Siege and saw drastic declines in the active player base. With a lack of new content and casual players feeling the game is being balanced too much around professional players, it is easy to see why.
However, for a game that has previously bounced back with exciting changes or by listening to the fans, 2023 could be a revitalizing year. Perhaps the tactical shooter will follow in the footsteps of other games and adopt a free-to-play model which would certainly drive in new fans, at least at the start.
4 Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite is the first attempt at a Halo live service game and despite initial signs of success by drawing players in with free-to-play multiplayer, fans quickly lost faith in the game's management.
Constant disappointment in promised features not being released or delayed has become an unfortunate staple of the game. However, despite things looking rough for the developers, a successful year in 2023 could do wonders for Halo Infinite, which always has the success of its franchise to fall back on.
3 SMITE
SMITE is a unique take on the MOBA genre with gods being controlled in third-person. However, despite this unique feature and a wonderful cast of characters inspired by real-world mythologies, the game has never truly found success.
And after a particularly worrying second half of 2022, with the player base declining once more, it is important that 2023 is not just a year of change, but the correct changes that make fans fall in love with the game once more.
2 Call Of Duty: Warzone 2
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 has been plagued with problems since its release in late 2022 and must solve its issues in 2023 lest players flock to other live service battle royale games. The high number of users at launch suggests that this shooter has the potential to enjoy huge success, as long as the changes made are effective.
From crashes, disconnects, and teammates quitting, the developers have a lot on their hands, all of which is on top of producing new top-quality content to generate excitement. Thankfully, the success of the franchise as a whole should give fans hope for a brighter Warzone future.
1 Overwatch 2
Late 2022 saw Overwatch 2 take over from its predecessor, transitioning to a free-to-play model which opens up the team-based shooter to new audiences. Despite bringing in new players, the updated game suffered criticism even before launch from its existing player base. Fans have been unhappy with the lack of PvE content that was promised, and have been all too willing to express their frustration at the new battle pass system.
Compared to other games that feature battle passes Overwatch 2 players feel like they have to grind too much, for too little in return. Despite the problems with microtransactions, Overwatch has always had the potential to be one of the consistent greats, and by listening to the fans and giving the game the love it deserves, Blizzard could make 2023 a year to remember.