With the massive evolution of the gaming industry, many publishers ache to get their hands on long-running gaming franchises that are full to the brim with amazing worldbuilding, great characters, and common tropes that can help these franchises last for years to come. It's this longevity that many developers aim for by creating in-depth universes with engaging personalities and riveting storytelling.
The following franchises are bound to stand the test of time and will almost certainly remain standing throughout the next thirty years or so. Of course, this is a massive period to consider given how quickly the games industry has evolved, but the bedrock of these franchises is so solid that players just can't see their significance dying down at all no matter how many decades pass.
10 Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy is a series that has already been active for more than thirty years, so it wouldn't a stretch to wonder if it will endure for thirty more. It might be facing a rather rocky period, but the fact that Final Fantasy 14 is lauded by many as the best MMORPG around shows just how much more this series has to offer.
Final Fantasy features some of the most iconic monsters, abilities, characters, and stories ever told in gaming history. The rollout might be slow, but fans can easily expect this franchise to deliver more and move over the course of time.
9 Dragon Quest
Another JRPG series that has made a lofty name for itself is Dragon Quest. The series features all the facets of classic role-playing titles that fans have grown to love.
With the latest release of Dragon Quest 11, it's clear that the series is heading in a bold yet promising direction. Fans can't wait to see what else this franchise has to offer, with the prospect of new mainline games looking pretty promising indeed.
8 Persona
The Shin Megami Tensei series is pretty legendary in its own right, there's no doubt about that. However, there's just something about the Persona series that made it so much more popular than the series it spun off of.
With the Persona series still being held in high regard by so many fans, it's easy to see why this JRPG franchise is not going away anytime soon. Each game has been better than the last from a technical perspective, and Persona 6 is bound to blow more people out of the water with its innovations.
7 Assassin's Creed
It would be impossible to make a list of series that seem destined to last for ages without mentioning Assassin's Creed. Sure, the franchise might already be burning many players out, but there's no denying that it has an allure of its own that's hard to match.
The games might phone it in at certain points but will still have highlights of their own that make the entire experience worth it. Of course, the formula of the series is bound to be overhauled even more over time, but that's a matter that is reserved for the future.
6 The Witcher
It might be a bit too soon to assume that The Witcher will remain relevant for the next three decades. After all, this franchise is the least populated one out of all of those mentioned so far on this list, boasting just three mainline games and one spin-off title.
However, while the releases might be few and far between, there's absolutely no denying the fact that The Witcher will remain a household name for a long time to come. There's a Netflix series for it too, and that's not even mentioning the various books in the series that fans will pick up and read over time.
5 Ace Attorney
The Ace Attorney series is easily one of the most unique inclusions on this list. The combination of visual novel and detective gameplay works like a charm and makes players feel pretty clever when they solve the many questions being posed by the games.
The courtroom sections are easily the highlight of every Ace Attorney title, and will not get old anytime soon. Regardless of the franchise's future in the west, there's always a solid audience for these games in Japan that'll never let this franchise die out.
4 Super Mario
Nintendo has treasured its age-old franchises for quite some time, always releasing games that keep the soul of the series intact while integrating some new innovations that are a treat to experience. No series personifies this more than Super Mario.
This platforming series houses some of the greatest games ever made. The release of Odyssey and the expanded world of Bowser's Fury has made it clear that 3D Mario has immense potential, and everyone trusts Nintendo to bring everything to the table and create even more groundbreaking platformers with the Super Mario name.
3 Pokémon
It was only a matter of time before Pokemon appeared on this list. The fanbase for this game has never been more divided than it is right now, but that doesn't really matter once players look at the fact that both Pokemon Sword & Shield and Pokemon Legends: Arceus sold like hotcakes.
Moving forward, it seems clear that Pokemon is going to remain in pop culture for quite some time. It is the biggest media franchise around, which is the major reason why so many fans aren't too happy with how Game Freak is treating it at the moment.
2 The Legend Of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is one of the most popular action-adventure franchises of all time. Nintendo knew exactly when the formula was getting stale and stepped up their game with Breath of the Wild.
With the knowledge that they've developed one of the greatest open-world games ever made, fans can rest assured that The Legend of Zelda will always be revitalized with Nintendo's extensive knowledge of these games.
1 Mortal Kombat
Some of the longest-running franchises in gaming history are fighting games that were around since the time of arcades. One such franchise that has witnessed its fair share of controversies is Mortal Kombat.
With the modern state of the gaming industry, the violence present in Mortal Kombat is not nearly as shocking as it used to be. With the stellar work of NetherRealm Studios on the latest titles, it's safe to say that the future of this series is definitely in the right hands.