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Free Xbox Game Is One of the Most-Played Games 10 Years After Its Release
One of the most-played games on the Xbox Store right now is free and available via Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. On the surface level, this isn’t that surprising. After all, free games dominate the most-played charts on Xbox. What makes it surprising, though, is that the game in question was released back in 2015. For it to be the 5th most-played game on Xbox right now, 10 years later, is a testament to its quality. And for what it is worth, it is indeed one of the best sports games of all time and one of the best multiplayer games of its generation.
When you think of 2015, releases like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Bloodborne, or Undertale probably come to mind. These are all great games, but they are single-player games. The multiplayer game that defined 2015 was Rocket League. 10 years later, more relevant than all of the other games above is Rocket League, partially thanks to the fact that it is free-to-play. And unlike some free-to-play games, its microtransactions feel sidelined compared to the core experience, which was a revelation back in 2015, and continues to hold up in 2025. Most multiplayer games from 2015 haven’t held up in the decade since. Rocket League is arguably better than ever, thanks to dual support from Psyonix and Epic Games.
#5 Most-Played Xbox Game Right Now
The only games more played on Xbox right now than Rocket League are Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, and Minecraft. The first two games are obviously also free, while Call of Duty includes multiple games. And then Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time. This four is almost always topping the Xbox charts. And to be fair to Rocket League, it is typically always in the top 10 itself.
Why Are So Many Still Playing Rocket League
Unlike many of the games in the live service market, Rocket League doesn’t really have any natural competitor. In 2015, there was nothing on the market like it, and this has not changed. To this end, even if you fall out of it or get busy with another, newer multiplayer game, you will probably come back to Rocket League because there is no real alternative to its unique dopamine hit.
Meanwhile, unlike many other live service games, which can feel daunting to jump into or even jump back into, Rocket League doesn’t really have this problem. While it has a huge learning curve, it’s still simple to pick up. More than this, unlike most games in the live service market, it has hardly changed since 2015. Fortnite, at times, has been an unrecognizable game compared to its vanilla version. If you haven’t played Rocket League since its launch, since it was free with PlayStation Plus, you can jump right back into it today and not be overwhelmed or lost or feel like you’re playing a foreign game.
Being free no doubt boosts the engagement of Rocket League, but this is true of other multiplayer games of its era. Meanwhile, it is drawing more interest than even newer free games like Marvel Rivals and Apex Legends. So, it being free isn’t the only factor here. The biggest factor in its prolonged success is the fact that it’s an incredible game. This was true in 2015, and it is still true.
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