Summary

  • Successful live-service games like Rocket League and Genshin Impact prove that adaptation and evolution lead to lasting player satisfaction.
  • Wuthering Waves demonstrates how attentive developers can turn a rocky launch into a thriving, engaging open-world experience.
  • Games like Path of Exile and Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn show that constant updates and expansions can revitalize a game's reputation.

As one of the most collectively reviled gaming trends in recent memory, gamers everywhere will still have to put up with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:live-service games for a good while. Continuous updates and a steady stream of content years after laun𒊎ch all sound great on paper, but as is often the case, empty promiღses and unreachable lofty goals so often lead to disappointment.

Related
6 Live Service Games That Are Unrecognizable From T𝕴heir Original Launch

As is their nature, live service games add content and evolve all the time. T♌hese games are the ones that have changed the most since launch.

Thankfully, not all live-service games follow the same fate. When done right, live-service games will adapt and evolve to the needs of their player base over time. These games have not only realized the original vision that was laid out by the developers, but they have also more than surpassed them. Here are some of the best live-service games that are s🤡till widely enjoyed today.

Updated on March 16, 2026, by Sanyam Jain: The best part about live-service games is that they'll constantly have new content for you to try. This makes it so when you get new games added to this genre like Infinity Nikki, it just means that you'll have more things to play!

18 🎀 ꦡ Rocket League

Chaotic game of Rocket League with five cars, the ball and an explosion in Rocket League.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Rocket League
Sports
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 87/100 Critics Rec: 94%
Released
July 7, 2015
ESRB
🔴 🎀 E for Everyone: Mild Lyrics
Developer(s)
Psyonix
Publisher(s)
Psyonix
Engine
Unreal Engine 3
Multiplayer
Local ꦛMulti🔯player, Local Co-Op, Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

When Rocket League was released all the way back in 2015, it was not initially touted as a live-service game - its staggering success and huge concurrent player base saw to that. The base game mode sees you engage in tense matches of 4v4 soccer matches while controlling 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:rocket-powered sports cars.

After its huge success, Psyonix and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Epic Games began rolling out the game’s live-service elements to keep its huge community of players satisfied. After several years of significant content drops, car packs, cross-platform support, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a battle pass, Rocket League has become💟 a multiplayer j🎃uggernaut that still has a healthy concurrent player base.

17 🦩 Once Human

Once Human screenshot of character looking at Harborside.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Once Human
Survival
Shooter
Open-World
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 75/100 Critics Rec: 58%
Released
July 9, 2024
ESRB
t
Developer(s)
Star﷽ry Studio
Publisher(s)
💮 Starry St▨udio, NetEase, Inc.
Engine
Once Human engine

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

While there are many live-service games that extend their gameplay with updates, there are only a few that drastically change everything, and Once Human is onဣe such examp🉐le. The game leaves you in a big open-world where you have to consistently fight zombies while you farm for better gear and get stronger.

You essentially have to select a scenario for your character and go through the multiple phases of that scenario. Once you're on the last phase, you can sign up for the next scenario, consistently progressing the story and getting to take part in different types of worlds. With updates, the dev🏅elopers also release various events to keep things fresh.

16 Inf♚inity Nikki ♚

Miraland Collection user Martessa showcases a cute outfit with Knitted Butterflies hair ribbons in Infinity Nikki.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Infinity Nikki
Adventure
Open-World
Dress-Up
RPG
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 80/100 Critics Rec: 88%
Released
December 5, 2024
ESRB
🐠 T For Teen // Blood, Violence
Developer(s)
Papergames, Infol�🍷�d Games
Publisher(s)
♔ Papergames, Infold Games, Fearless
Engine
Unreal Engine 5

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Out of all the games on this list, Infinity Nikki is likely the coziest one you'll find, and anything you see about this one will conv🧔ey that message. In this game, you play as ෴Nikki who interacts with a beautiful dress, which pulls her into an unknown world where she's tasked with the job of finding as many new dresses as she can.

On your path, you not only witness some of the most beautiful and cozy sceneries, but also meet various characters that might help you or become an obstacle in your path. 💧Overall, Infinity Nikki is going to give you a good time, and the constant addition of beautiful dresses makes it all the more enticing.

15 Gensꦏhin Impact

Genshin Impact battle with Unknown God with Lumine and Aether.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Genshin Impact
RPG
Action
Adventure
Gacha
Open-World
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 87%
Released
September 28, 2020
ESRB
T for Teen - Fantasy Violence, Alcoho💖l Referenceౠ
Engine
Unity

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

The developers at HoYoverse r♓eleased Genshin Impact on September 28, 2023, and it instantly took the world by storm. This Gacha game became extremely famous worldwide because it had something for everyone🍬. With a giant open world, emotion-filled story, difficult combat, and a variety of characters, there was no way for it to fail.

One of the recent highlights of the game is the release of its sixth season, Natlan, and the main story of this area came to an end during the Version 5.3 update. While the story might not have gotten the best rating, you still get to play as some of theꦕ strong new characters like Mavuika, the Pyro Archon.

14 Wuthering Waves ꦇ

Wuthering Waves Havoc Rover looking at pet mascot.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Wuthering Waves
Action RPG
Open-World
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 73/100 Critics Rec: 75%
Released
May 22, 2024
ESRB
💟 T For Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
✤ Kuro Games
Publisher(s)
Kuᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚro Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 4

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Wuthering Waves might not have had the best of launches, but the improvements made to this game have made it a big competitor in the gacha genre, but it's so much more than that. With a vibrant open world and one of the best character desigꦿns out there, the game also features som🐓e breathtaking combat and story.

The second main area in the form of Rinascita has finally been released in Wuthering Waves and what a🔯 treat it has been. The developers have made significant improvements to every aspect including the main story, character design, and the sceneries you get to see around the map.

13 🐷 Path Of ♏Exile

Combat in Path of Exile.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Path of Exile
Action RPG
Systems
Released
October 23, 2013
ESRB
M for Mature: Intense Viol💯ence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Nudity, Language
Developer(s)
🙈Grinding Gear Games
Publisher(s)
Gri๊nding Gear Games
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
ꦜ Online M💎ultiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Franchise
༒ Path of Exile
PS5 Release Date
September 6, 2024

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Taking heavy inspiration from the iconic Diablo 2, Path of Exile has evolved into something truly special. This wa🍎sn’t always the case, as it took some time for gamers to warm to the new IP when 🎐it was released back in 2013.

All they had to do was engage in its 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:fantastic ARPG mechanics and a vast array of engaging character builds to be sold on one of the best games to ever do it. The game has enjoyed a plethora of seasonal events and significant updates to keep players coming back. It also 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:handles its free-♋to-play entry point amicably, by (fairly) monetizing for cosmetics only.

12 🌃 L🌟eague Of Legends

Multiplayer match in League of Legends.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: League of Legends
MOBA
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 84/100 Critics Rec: 90%
Released
October 27, 2009
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Fant𓆉asy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alco🌠hol and Tobacco
Engine
Proprietary

Even if you’re not a MOBA fan, it’d be hard not to at least be aware of the ongoing impact of League of Legends on the general gaming sphere. Over the years, 168澳洲幸运5开🃏奖网:League has added hundreds of Champions to take into the game’s diverse set of tense battle arenas, with more being add﷽ed on a continuous rolling basis during its popular ranke🥀d seasons.

3:14
Related
The Multiplayer Games With The Highest Player🅘 Count

With ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚso many 𒅌people logging in daily, you'll never be alone when playing these multiplayer titles.

3

There’s a reason the game has accrued over 180 million registered players, is a global Es🧸ports phenomenon, and has inspired a bunch of high-quality spin-offs. Its longevity and continued relevance in gaming culture pretty much speaks for itself🥃.

11 Marvel Rivals 💧

Psylocke MVP screen in Marvel Rivals.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Marvel Rivals
Third-Person Shooter
Action
Multiplayer
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 78/100 Critics Rec: 84%
Released
December 6, 2024
ESRB
T For Teen // Violence
Developer(s)
🎐 NetEase Game🀅s
Publisher(s)
🥃 NetEase Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 5

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

The gaming community hasn't shied away from showingღ that they're no𒅌t super interested in a hero battle game, but Marvel Rivals took the risk anyway, and their success shows the results. Not only did this game break various records on release, but it's also giving tough competition to the best in the business.

As the name suggests, you get to play as Marvel heroes in a 6v6 scenario with different objectives. You have to fight as a team to either capture the objective or escort a veꦅhicle to a certain location. The first season has also arrived in the game with two new characters in the form of Invisible Woman and Mister Fantastic.

10 🅠 Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai Star Rail Jing Yuan fighting Phantylia.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Honkai: Star Rail
3.5/5
Top Critic Avg: 83/100 Critics Rec: 90%
Released
April 26, 2023
ESRB
T for Teen
Engine
Unity

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Another Gacha game coming 🤪from HoYoverse, Honkai: Star Rail had a lot to prove during its release since it was directly competing against the biggest Gacha game from the same developers. This game's world wasn't nearly as open or explorable as Genshin Impact, but it still exceeded all expectations with its phenomenal story and character design.

You'll play as Kafka when you start the game for the first time, but eventually, you'll start playing the role of the main c𝐆haracter who has a Stellaron inside them. The journey of the express now takes you to Amphoreus as the𒐪 fifth main region in the game, and this is the biggest area yet with the story spanning across a whopping eight updates.

9 Zenless Zone Zero 𓆉

Anton, Koleda and Ben standing assertively in front of a sunset in Zenless Zone Zero.
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Your Rating

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Zenless Zone Zero
Action RPG
Systems
Top Critic Avg: 75/100 Critics Rec: 69%
Released
July 4, 2024
ESRB
൲ T (Teen) - Suggestive Themes & Violence
Publisher(s)
HoYoverse
Engine
Unity

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

Zenless Zone Zero was the third major release from HoYoverse in the live-service genre, and it didn't enjoy the same popularity as the other two, and there were a few 🌄reasons for this. However, the most common reason was the overuse of TV mechanic, especially in the main story.

In one of the recent updates, the developers revealed that they'll 𒁃be eliminating this mechanic f𒐪rom the main story completely, allowing players to have a seamless experience. That combined with phenomenal combat involving dodges and parries makes this game one of the more challenging gacha games to play, even if you have strong characters.