Monster Hunter Wilds’ rise was meteoric, and this year, Peak ascended out of nowhere. In partnership with EE, the UK’s fastest growing broadband provider, we explore some of gaming’s biggest breakout hits from the last few years, and look at what may top the popularity charts in the near future. Sponsored by EE

The gaming industry has seen several titles achieve rapid growth in recent years, propelled by digital distribution and streaming platforms. Monster Hunter Wilds set records as Capcom's fastest-selling game, while indie title Peak quickly sold millions of copies after its release. Fall Guys and Among Us also experienced explosive popularity, with Fall Guys reaching 50 million players shortly after transitioning to a free-to-play model and Among Us achieving half a billion monthly active users at its peak. 

The article also highlights the ongoing success of platforms like Roblox, which recently saw a game break the concurrent player record, and anticipates future growth for established franchises such as Fortnite and the upcoming GTA 6. These trends underscore the impact of accessibility, social play, and streaming on the modern gaming landscape.

Exploring the fastest growing games

With the combination of streaming and digital downloads, games can skyrocket in popularity overnight. And thanks to Steam Charts and Twitch, we have a good idea just how many people are playing. When a game is popping off, you want to be sure you can download it quickly. EE Broadband offers rock-solid and speedy full-fibre connections, alongside a game mode Wi-Fi optimiser that prioritises your gaming experience. Because EE is the UK's fastest-growing broadband provider, we're taking a look at a selection of the fastest-growing games of the last few years, and casting an eye on which future games will likely get that same title. A vast open world, a host of weapons to master, and humongous creatures to take down, it's easy to see what makes the Monster Hunter series so appealing. The first entry released in 2004 on the PlayStation 2, and since then, the series has grown immensely, almost to the size of the menacing beasts you're tasked with slaying. While the previous mainline entry in 2018, Monster Hunter World, remains the best-selling game in the series, shipping 25 million copies, World ran so Wilds could sprint. The latest release sold 8 million units in its first three days, making it the fastest-selling Capcom game ever. Its successful launch saw a concurrent player peak of 1,384,608 on Steam, and contributed to the PC platform topping out at 40 million players. By the end of its first month, Wilds sold over 10 million units. We'll have to see if it can surpass World, but it's certainly made a good start. From a game with a long lineage, to one that's only been out for a few months. Launched in June 2025, Peak is a co-op climbing game where you have the deceptively simple objective of climbing to the top of a mountain at the centre of a mysterious island. Collaboration is key, and mistakes can be fatal. While climbing a mountain may be long and arduous, this indie darling rocketed to success, selling 1 million copies in the first six days, and had an all-time concurrent player peak on Steam of 170,759. It was then confirmed by Geoff Keighley at Gamescom's Opening Night Live that Peak had sold 10 million copies. Not bad for a game that only started development in February 2025, as part of a game jam. Something developers AgroCrab noted when they posted, Why did this stupid jam game sell more copies than another crab's treasure? I'm gonna crash out. We've all fancied our chances taking part in shows like Takeshi's Castle, Total Wipeout or Ninja Warrior, and given their popularity, it's amazing more video games haven't captured that sense of chaos, luck and hilarity. But Fall Guys did. Launching in August 2020, initially on PlayStation 4 and PC, within the first month, The Bumbling Bean Battle Royale had become the most downloaded PS Plus game to date, and, on Steam alone, sold over 10 million copies by November 2020. Following Epic Games' purchase of developer Mediatonic, the game was relaunched as a free-to-play title in June 2022, alongside its launch on Xbox consoles and Nintendo Switch. With access to more players and a low barrier to entry, Fall Guys blew past its already meteoric milestones and soared to 50 million players just two weeks after going free-to-play. That's a lot of beans. Calling Among Us a sleeper hit would be strange, but it wasn't until two years after its 2018 launch that the space-based multiplayer social deduction game went stratospheric. Inspired by classic party games like Werewolf, the aim is for crewmates to weed out the impostors, while the impostors attempt to kill the faithful crewmates. To be honest, the concept probably doesn't need much explanation. Given these numbers, there's a high likelihood you were one of its many players. Twitch streamers and YouTubers playing the game were crucial to its popularity. Mix in lockdowns and a desire to play with friends, and you had a perfect storm. Gamesindustry.biz reported in September 2020 that between the 1st and 14th of September, Among Us was downloaded 42 million times, with a peak of 1.5 million concurrent players in that same month. If that wasn't enough, later that year it was reported Among Us had half a billion monthly active users in November 2020. And when people weren't playing it, they were watching it. YouTube revealed that Among Us content on the platform reached 4 billion views in September 2020. Truly a modern gaming phenomenon. Some games launch with mass adoption, like Peak. Others have to bide their time, like Among Us. So which games will be the next to grow a huge audience quickly? The game creation platform Roblox continues to generate incredibly popular in-game experiences that seemingly pop up overnight. One recent example is Grower Garden, which in August smashed the concurrent player count record for any game with 22 million, and contributed to a record 47 million players all on Roblox. Previous peak player record holder Fortnite is sure to continue to accelerate in popularity around events and new seasons, while GTA 6, arguably the most anticipated video game of all time, is almost certainly going to launch with a legion of players booting it up on release day. With a second half of the year filled with anticipated releases, which upcoming game do you think will soar in popularity? And if you're looking for super fast speeds and a rock-solid connection to handle all your gaming and streaming needs from the UK's fastest growing broadband provider, check out EE's broadband offers at EE.co.uk. And for more on the latest video games, stick with IGN. you

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Washington

Trump urges Pam Bondi to go after his political foes

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Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Russia denies violating Estonian airspace

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Glendale

Trump closes out Charlie Kirk memorial

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Trump says Murdochs would be involved in TikTok deal

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Lisbon

Portugal formally recognises Palestinian state

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Nashua

Suspect yelled 'free Palestine' before country club shooting

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Trump pressuring Justice Department to pursue his political foes

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Phoenix

Trump, others remember Charlie Kirk at memorial service

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Israel continuing assault on Gaza after countries recognize Palestinian statehood

A group of US Republicans has sent a letter to France, Canada, the UK and Australia, urging them to re-consider their decision to recognise a Palestinian state.  It's warning there may be consequences if the countries move ahead with plan at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

US Republicans warn allies over decision to recognise Palestinian state

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Britain, Canada and Australia all recognize Palestinian state

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New York

UN approves video address by Palestine’s Abbas after U.S. visa refusal

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Nations ratify world's first treaty to protect international waters

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London

Travelers stranded as cyberattack disrupts major European airports

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Manhattan

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Melbourne

Telco vows to cooperate after deadly outage

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Two-state solution gains support as IDF moves on Gaza City

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Thousands set to attend Charlie Kirk's public memorial

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Kyiv

Russia launches mass strikes across Ukraine

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Heathrow Airport

Flight chaos as UK, European airports hit by cyberattack

Three Russian military jets violated NATO member Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes on Friday in an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion, its government said, the latest in a series of recent military actions by Russia that have rattled the alliance.

Tallinn

Russian jets enter Estonia's airspace in latest test for NATO

President Trump said Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping "made progress" on a deal over TikTok ownership, and that he would visit China early next year.

Trump says he and Xi Jinping 'made progress' on TikTok deal

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Remains of father suspected of killing 3 daughters found

Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets lingered in NATO-member Estonia's airspace for several minutes on Friday, according to Estonian authorities. Italian F-35s responded.

NATO defences triggered amid Russian airspace violation

Fellow comedians Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon mocked U.S. President Donald Trump Thursday after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled off the air on Wednesday by ABC following Federal Communications Commission pressure.

Late-night hosts mock Trump as outrage over Kimmel grows

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Tehran

Sanctions to hit Iran again after UN vote

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Caracas

Venezuela orders three-day drills amid U.S tensions

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Chicago

Tensions boil over as protesters clash with authorities outside Chicago ICE facility

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Breakdown