The best live service games breathe life into the industry, keeping communities abuzz with new updates and experiences. Service games seem to be the go-to model for several big publishers, bringing reliable cash sources later invested in new triple-A games. However, thanks to the model’s popularity, there’s a sea of options out there, and not all of them may be worth the steady income.
For those looking to add a consistent, dynamic game to your library, here are some of the best live service games out there right now, ranked.
10. Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 fired up the fighting game community all around the world and with good reason. Bright visuals, striking character designs, and a responsive rollback netcode will keep fans battling it out for many years to come. While the costumes, like the TMNT crossover, are expensive, the game keeps updates coming with intriguing new characters to master.
If you’re a little less fighting game savvy, Street Fighter 6 also has a comprehensive tutorial system. The “Modern Type” control settings are great for helping newcomers get into the fight. For a more in-depth look, check out the Destructoid review.
9. Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
There’s no better feeling shooter than Call of Duty, and those fluid controls work well within a battle royale format. Matches demand you be tactically astute about every move, driving your need to collect weapons for new strategies. There’s something endlessly thrilling about how a few, small changes impact the flow and outcome of a firefight.
That makes every match feel different, adding replayability to the classic shooter. It’s a storage hog for sure, but it’s still one worth checking out if you’ve got the hard drive space to spare. It’s one of the best live service games in its class, and always one that’s easy to go back to.
Image via Psyonix
8. Rocket League
Sometimes, the best games are the simplest. The aim of Rocket League is to score balls in the enemy net while using an RC car. However, the technical aerial skills you’ll use with these powerful vehicles make it far more exciting than traditional football. You’ll jump in the air, flip, and turn vehicles in wild maneuvers to aim for your goal.
Rocket League isn’t without glamor options, either. Customizing vehicles with all sorts of cosmetics gets surprisingly detailed too, as player personalities shine through their RC fashion. It’s also one of the best free PS5 games right now.
7. Fall Guys
While some of these service games aren’t exactly family-friendly, Fall Guys makes the cut as one you can enjoy with just about anyone. You play as a little jumping, flailing bean overcoming hilariously brutal obstacle courses and each other. You’ll compete against dozens of other Fall Guys fighting for the crown rewarded at the end of several matches.
Fall Guys demands quick thinking, some teamwork, and a little patience, but it’s an easy one to jump right into. Ultimately, it’s certainly an attractive, engaging service game with universal appeal. There’s also plenty of outfits for personalizing your little bean, including a crossover with Final Fantasy XIV-based skins.
6. Apex Legends
While Call of Duty‘s precision shooting is fantastic, Apex Legends arguably trumps it with its energetic control style. One minute you’re juggling downhill terrain and sliding over slippery surfaces, then leaping through the air to escape an everpresent death circle in another. The Apex Legends arsenal boasts tons of weapons that feel powerful to control, and because of the frenetic combat, you’re always on edge.
Maps also tend to feel more creative, playing into the strengths of Apex’s sci-fi setting. The real bummer is how high some cosmetics and characters are priced, Apex can get expensive if you’re out to collect and play long-term.
5. No Man’s Sky
Just the scope of No Man’s Sky makes it among the best live service games out there. You’ll explore randomly generated worlds that remain permanent after discovery, name new species, craft bases, and explore a limitless universe. Since its 2016 launch, the game’s received a long list of updates. Among those most important was the addition of online co-op, so you can explore the everchanging world with a friend.
Either way, it’s an excellent adventure solo or with a buddy. And for those who love gathering resources, building, and exploring, No Man’s Sky is an ace pick.
4. League of Legends
League of Legends is an old try-and-true that remains popular to this day. As a MOBA, it holds appeal with folks who live for competition and keeps plenty of players coming back to try new characters, adding depth and tuned gameplay. Developer Riot Games offers plenty of its heroes and villains for free, though all of them are playable from the get-go if you have Xbox Game Pass.
League of Legends can be an intense game to get into, however, so grab friends familiar with Summoner’s Rift and practice before getting into a PvP battle.
3. Genshin Impact
If you want a game that delivers hours of narrative, Genshin Impact might be the live service game for you. HoYoverse delivers a cast of likable characters along the way, an explosive elemental-based combat system, and a gorgeous open world to explore.
Genshin’s Breath of the Wild first impressions may draw you in, but you’ll stick around for its twisting story and sidequests. It’s wild how much HoYoverse offers for free, with new regions and missions added regularly. Its biggest downfall is that scoring new characters from the Wish system can take a while, thanks to good ole gacha RNG. You’ll get some for free, though, and Genshin offers in-game opportunities to earn its Primogem currency.
2. Fortnite
Fortnite‘s my chill game. It’s a solid third-person shooter that scratches the genre itch, and Epic Games keeps a steady schedule of regular updates. Fortnite’s missions also give ample opportunity to level up the battle pass, something that’s a sore spot for other service games. I’ve earned so many skins, emotes, gliders, and more just from playing and occasionally grabbing the battle pass.
Thankfully, Fortnite also supports crossplay, so you can join any of your friends across mobile, PC, and consoles (even the Nintendo Switch). Updates to your arsenal always feel meaningful, too. Creative guns and creative new modes keep updates feeling like more than a boring wall of patch notes. It’s a rush to go back to Fortnite over and over again. And, even if the building feature is a huge turn-off (I don’t blame you), Epic Games has an exemplary No Build Mode, which brought me back into the battle royale in a big way.
1. Final Fantasy XIV
Last but certainly not least is Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix’s online RPG has brought back MMO players of old and introduced new lovers to the genre, thanks to its decade-long story and impeccable gameplay. Environments look wonderful, and it’s a thrill to explore open areas with friends. Also, don’t get me started about the glorious music in this MMO; FFXIV has too many bangers.
The free trial includes hundreds of hours of content from A Realm Reborn to Stormblood. You’ll also be able to reach Level 60 before you have to pay a monthly subscription. By then, you’ll likely understand what draws millions of players to the MMORPG. And, as far as the genre goes, FFXIV constantly receives hefty updates outside of expansion releases, making it one of the best live service games out there.
