Epic's Fortnite was the highest trending game on Google US in 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2 and Fallout 76 were second and third
Fortnite was the highest trending game on Google in the United States this year, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2.
Given the commercial success of both Epic's battle royale game and Rockstar's open world sequel, their positions at the top of Google trends is hardly surprising.
However, there are surprises elsewhere in the top ten list. The third highest trending game was Fallout 76, for example, which was greeted with poor reviews from both the press and its users. The game evidently stirred debate both before and after its release in November.
Another striking placement is Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance in ninth, ahead of a host of far more expensively produced and marketed games. While it was better received than Fallout 76, it was also the subject of controversy this year due to the absence of people of colour from its depiction of 15th Century Bohemia.
And there is also Zombs Royale, a relatively obscure game available both in the browser and on mobile. It is described in its marketing as being "inspired by Fortnite and PUBG."
Here's the top ten list for the United States, from Google Trends:
- 1. Fortnite
- 2. Red Dead Redemption
- 3. Fallout 76
- 4. Far Cry 5
- 5. God of War
- 6. Monster Hunter: World
- 7. Sea of Thieves
- 8. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII
- 9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- 10. Zombs Royale