If you’ve been anywhere near social media this week, the latest trend has been sharing throwbacks from 2016 with many calling for the return of the greatest Summer of their life.
The unforgettable “flower filter” on Snapchat had the girls (and guys) in a chokehold, Beyoncé’s shock drop of the “Lemonade” album seamlessly blended genres as a political and cultural pillar, and even the premieres of “Insecure” and “Stranger Things,” two unforgettable pop culture series that shaped TV consumption.
These moments barely scratched the surface of a core memory for those that lived them.
For the gaming industry, the impact of 2016 was felt in the same way. With the release of GTA 6 and other heavy hitters coming this year, will it live up to what gamers saw 10 years ago?
Let’s memorialize an incredible year with a look back at five of the best titles from 2016:
Overwatch
From the minds of the team at Blizzard Entertainment, the online first-person shooter saw an international rise as players engaged in cross-platform gameplay. A few months after its release, Blizzard announced the Overwatch League with $20 million franchise buy-ins from organizations around the world.
In its first year, Overwatch earned multiple accolades including Game of the Year at the Game Awards. Blizzard also reported that the game earned over $1 billion in revenue in its first year.
Pokemon GO
Pokémon GO saw a meteoric rise in popularity as the first true success of an augmented reality game from the world of Nintendo. Taking people out of their usual gaming places and into the world, anyone could become a trainer with just their cellphone.
With dynamic trading, catching all your favorites and building your own Pokédex, it became a cultural experience for long-time fans of the series to even experience with new fans. Still today, fans go head-to-head in official Play! Pokemon tournaments for their share of the over $500,000 prize pool.
Dark Souls III
From the distinguished mind of Hidetaka Miyazaki, the final title of the Dark Souls series took players through the kingdom of Lothric as the Ashen One.
This action role-playing title won the Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. The game sold well upon its release and continues to see a rise in interest with Soulslike titles such as Elden Ring bringing about renewed interest.
Stardew Valley
Over the last 10 years, Stardew Valley became the destination for “cozy gaming,” even before that title defined an entire genre, which was created by CozyK and her community. Solo developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, Stardew Valley allows players to live an open-ended experience where farming, building relationships and tending to the needs of your town are critical.
According to gaming journalists in 2016, it is one of the few cozy games to be considered among the best games created. As an indie game, it is also a massive success with over 30 million copies sold to date.
Battlefield 1
Released in direct opposition to its futuristic counterpart Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1 took players deep in history to the ground of World War 1. As the Call of Duty series leaned further into advancing technologies, Battlefield took a risky gamble on classic war mechanics.
Although this game did not outsale Infinite Warfare due to the Modern Warfare Remastered bundle that boosted Call of Duty sales, fans across Reddit and social media widely consider Battlefield 1 to be the victor in the 2016 showdown due to its gameplay and direction. The challenge ultimately lead Activision-Blizzard to return to its roots with the Call of Duty series.
What are some of your favorite gaming memories from 2016?! Let us know on social media.
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