The cycle of videogame discourse loops round once more, an ouroboros chewing its personal tail and pausing solely to vomit up one of many similar half-dozen matters we should apparently talk about time and again, till the world’s ending. This time, the cyclical serpent has barfed out the topic of how lengthy a videogame needs to be. Do your greatest to disregard it. Let’s speak about one thing else as a substitute. Let’s merely peruse our libraries, look over our save recordsdata, and be aware of these video games we have determined are price dedicating, say, to select a wholly arbitrary quantity at random, 500 hours to.
What recreation have you ever spent essentially the most hours in?
Listed here are our solutions, plus some from our forum.
Wes Fenlon, Senior Editor: Tragically all my League of Legends stats have been erased since I performed, however within the span of roughly one yr, principally in 2011, I performed one thing like 800 matches. At a median of 40 minutes a match, that comes out to greater than 500 hours that yr. I performed a lot it actually haunted my goals.
Halo 2 and three obtained extra of my time on Xbox, although. In keeping with the Halo web site’s surviving stats, I performed 2,969 matches of Halo 2 and 2,905 matches of Halo 3. At a median of quarter-hour a match, that is about 1,500 hours between the 2. Not so dangerous, contemplating that passed off over about 5 years!
Nat Clayton, Options Producer: It has been 5 years for the reason that recreation went offline, and longer nonetheless because it was actively performed, however bloody Tremendous Monday Evening Fight nonetheless sits on the high of my Steam most-played with a wholesome 1,020 hours logged. An previous highschool bud obtained me right into a beta simply earlier than graduating, and I spent the following two years with little else to do however get actually, embarrassingly right into a doomed shooter-MOBA hybrid. Nothing racks up recreation hours like being deeply depressed and unable to seek out work between college and college, however the neighborhood was tight-knit in the way in which tiny communities are typically, and I ultimately ended up travelling Norway with an American man from the scene.
I’ve spent a whole lot of the final decade hoping one thing, something else would overtake it as my most performed recreation. I imagined it would be Splatoon 2 for a minute, racking up a whopping 720 over the course of the pandemic, however contemplating I put 700 of my 800+ hours into Apex Legends within the final 7 months alone, I reckon it’s going to take the rostrum eventually. I am additionally utterly ignoring my World of Warcraft playtime which, having been an on-again off-again subscriber for over 16 years, should simply overshadow every thing talked about above. I lastly minimize the behavior in 2019, and I am not going again now simply to verify my hours.
Dave James, {Hardware} Lead: My reply actually has to embody a collection of video games, as a result of I am a kind of Soccer Supervisor obsessives, and as such I’ll plough my out there recreation time into a brand new iteration of the sport each single yr. I’ve intentionally not totted up the general time I’ve spent enjoying FM because it got here out, partly as a result of I do not ever must see that quantity, but in addition as a result of I can not discover play time stats for its Championship Supervisor progenitor which I additionally sank an enormous quantity of my life into.
However a fast verify of Steam reveals my most-played model of the sport was Soccer Supervisor 2019 with a hefty 1,107.7 hours, somewhat over the 1,062.7 hours I spent with FM2018 the yr earlier than, or the 1,007.1 hours of FM2017.
The collection is, nonetheless, a stark reminder about simply how a lot having kids impacts the time you possibly can spend gaming. FM2020 has however 841.5 hours of my life, FM2021 a paltry 393.1 hours, and FM2022 simply 113 minutes.
The lesson for everybody right here is a straightforward one: haven’t got children, they smash every thing.
Katie Wickens, {Hardware} Author: Rimworld was my saving grace all through uni, earlier than I even had many video games on my PC in any respect, as a result of who can afford video games whereas finding out? My system was reserved principally for recreation design so I actually had two video games put in. That manner I may think about getting my diploma… and ingesting. However Rimworld helped me move the time comparatively productively as I may simply go away it enjoying within the background whereas I wrote my design journal, till the hordes of rabid squirrels determined to assault, after all.
These 324.9 hours are however a fraction of the true time spent hunkering down in mountainsides with my pawns, although. One other 20 hours flew by straight off the bat, the primary time my good friend ever confirmed it to me. He went to mattress and awakened the following morning to me, red-eyed, and hunched over his PC like “I constructed a base, look.”
I clocked up one other hundred hours or so on my boyfriend’s PC through the yr between uni and discovering gainful employment, so it is secure to imagine the quantity is nearer to 450 hrs. Principally, I have been coaching in colony administration for a while. Can I put that on my CV?
Sarah James, Guides Author: I am truly somewhat scared to consider the period of time I’ve spent in World of Warcraft however right here we are. My priest sits at 303 days and 19 hours and is the character I created once I returned to WoW throughout Mists of Pandaria. That is the one which I’ve performed the longest, although I did most important a warrior through the second half of Warlords of Draenor and a demon hunter for many of Shadowlands, so good chunks of playtime aren’t included. A decebt period of time was spent raiding, although a whole lot of it may well in all probability be attributed to doing laps of Orgrimmar/Dalaran/Oribos whereas chatting to guildies on Discord.
Except for that, Valheim is available in second at 603 hours performed. Errr… go massive or go residence?
Mollie Taylor, Trainee Information Author: Completely no one on the PC Gamer crew might be stunned to know that Closing Fantasy 14 is my most-played recreation. Steam will lie and say I’ve 1,161 hours logged, however I began enjoying it on a PlayStation 3 again in 2014 so it is a bit greater than that—the in-game timer reveals I’ve put nearer to 1800 hours into it, which is nothing in MMO time. I solely ever are inclined to spend round 50 to 300 hours in most video games I play, so it is uncommon for me to hit 4 digits. I’ve come shut with video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Sims 4, however Closing Fantasy 14 is the primary one to lastly hit that milestone.
Lauren Aitken, Deputy Guides Author: It is extra seemingly nearer 1000 as I had a non-Steam model on the go for some time. I am fairly certain it was a disc copy? Anyway, it is a traditional, what can I say? Both that or my The Witcher 3 PlayStation first playthrough at round 420 hours. I similar to Gwent, okay?
Phil Savage, Editor-in-Chief UK: It is Guild Wars 2 for me—actually the one MMO I’ve correctly sunk my enamel into. And regardless of it being one of the vital alt-friendly MMOs round, over 94% of my 1,771 hours with it has been spent on one character. It is a nine-year-old recreation, so these hours are unfold out throughout an extended interval, with some important breaks. However with an enlargement arriving in February, I might count on that complete to rise dramatically this yr. 2,000 hours right here we come.
Evan Lahti, World Editor-in-Chief: I am feeling dwarfed by among the numbers on our crew, yow. CS:GO nonetheless sits atop my humble hours-played pile on Steam with 980, regardless of not having performed it severely since 2017 or so. For the stretch 2013-2015 it was one of many solely video games I used to be enjoying.
As I’ve gotten older I believe it is solely pure that you just lean away from video games that require ability upkeep to maintain up with, partly as a result of the chums round you might be doing the identical. The opposite issue is the mindset that our job at PC Gamer instills: overlaying video games creates a stress to be enjoying a breadth of various issues, to be diving into what everybody’s speaking about. I might like to know what future recreation will supplant the shooters on the high of my everlasting file.
Lauren Morton, Affiliate Editor: I used to be additionally going to say Guild Wars 2, however it seems that these hours do not maintain a candle to the quantity I spent within the first Guild Wars. I’ve a complete of 4,456 hours within the unique and a pair of,045 in GW2. Even mixed, they do not match the hours Sarah’s spent on simply her Priest. I will simply sit on down.
Over on Steam, it is The Elder Scrolls On-line, although it solely stories 503 hours whereas my actual complete from the standalone ZOS launcher might be double that. MMOs appear to be such apparent winners although. My top-played singleplayer recreation is Dragon Age Inquisition with 337 hours.
Wealthy Stanton, Information Editor: Simply over 2,600 hours in Rocket League, tipping 1,000 in CS:GO, and a few respectable showings for FromSoft. The tragic factor is that this does not embrace my Rocket League playtime on PlayStation 4, which is the place I performed it for the primary few years, or Swap, the place I play it fairly typically now. I’ve spent a whole bunch of days of my life chasing a ball in a rocket-propelled automotive. Possibly I need assistance.
Andy Chalk, US Information Lead: I am feeling like an absolute scrub studying all these numbers. I believe my Quake 2 playtimes from manner again when would give me a good exhibiting however that is all lengthy gone—the large canine in my Steam library lately is The Witcher 3, at 390 hours, adopted by Wasteland 2, Fallout 4, and Battletech. I have never touched any of them besides Witcher 3 in years.
Morgan Park, Workers Author: Between PC, PS4, and Xbox, I’ve round 2,000 hours in Rainbow Six Siege (although my Steam quantity is round 1,400). I do not wanna know what number of days that’s. Runners up embrace 700 hours in Day of Defeat: Supply, 260 hours in Mount & Blade: Napoleonic Wars, round 200 in Hunt Showdown, and 150-ish in Hitman 2. I do not know the best way to verify Overwatch playtime, but when I did that’d in all probability be second or third.
Chris Livingston, Options Producer: On Steam it appears to be like like TF2 takes the cake regardless of the very fact I have never performed it since in all probability round 2010. Not captured by Steam is The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, through which I’ve two characters who every have 200-hour saved recordsdata, and a 3rd with round 50 hours. So I am gonna say that is really my most-played recreation. I’ve to think about I spent a pair hundred hours enjoying Doom 2, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, The Sims 2, Unreal Match, and some extra earlier than Steam was a factor.
450 hours in Oblivion felt like quite a bit till I noticed nearly everybody else at PCG has over a thousand hours on their most-played lists. Typically manner over that. Now I am abruptly questioning: have I simply by no means discovered a recreation I actually, really liked? Rattling.
Tyler Colp, Affiliate Editor: Like Mollie and Sarah, MMOs sucked on a regular basis out of me. I haven’t got exhausting numbers for World of Warcraft, however I do know I’ve a minimum of 150 days or extra clocked into that recreation. That is a minimum of 3,600 hours unfold out throughout a number of characters as a result of I am indecisive. As any MMO participant is aware of, the sport turns into a factor to do whereas chatting with associates on voice chat, in order that’s the place most of my hours are available. I am nonetheless pretty new to Closing Fantasy 14, so I am solely sitting at 68 days, or 1,632 hours. I am certain it’s going to worsen.
All of those hour counts could be stunning if I went again in time and advised my youthful self what sort of curious selections I might make sooner or later, however the true shocker to me even now’s my Overwatch hours. I keep in mind scoffing at Blizzard making a first-person shooter when it was introduced and reluctantly shopping for it on launch day (which can also be my birthday) to hitch my associates. Now I’ve over 3,500 hours in it throughout a number of accounts. At this level I do know an excessive amount of concerning the recreation and its historical past. I by no means thought I might spend a lot time in a recreation that it is infiltrated all elements of my mind, however right here I’m.
Alan Dexter, Senior {Hardware} Editor: The stunning one right here is Spelunky. I knew I might spent a little bit of time dying to shock snakes, errant boulders, and pointy sticks, however by no means realised I might managed to tip over the 100-hour mark. High quality recreation although. I’ve clearly spent an excessive amount of time in New World, and I will freely admit that. And Skyrim is only a actually nice recreation (with a horrible interface). There are a few video games that do not seem on this checklist although, together with Cyberpunk 2077 (146 hours) and Apex Legends (1012 hours).
It is one other MMO that takes the win: I performed WoW for a lot of, a few years, and racked up the form of play hours that places all of those to disgrace (we’re speaking many 1000’s of hours right here). Which makes it a bit unusual that I have never touched it in nearly a yr and but do not miss it in any respect.
Jody Macgregor, Weekend/AU Editor: I’ve obtained over 300 hours in Skyrim, counting each Oldrim and the Particular Version. Since these are separate entries in Steam, it places Whole Conflict: Warhammer 2 on the high of my checklist. I’ve obtained 287 hours in that and nonetheless do not feel like I am near finished with it. Have not performed a beastman marketing campaign but, and I by no means did end my wooden elf or goblin run.
I performed 219 hours of the primary Whole Conflict: Warhammer, which is I suppose one marketing campaign much less? We’ll see if the third recreation knocks it off the perch.
mjs warlord: I can not show I did this however I began utilizing Warframe when it first got here out and on the level the place I ended utilizing it I had simply over 2,800 hours , I ended utilizing it as a result of in the future I logged in and every thing I had purchased or fought for had gone! Someway my account had obtained hacked.
Frindis: Subsequent to my nearly 11K hours in Rust , I obtained round 3K hours in WoW. That’s the most I’ve ever performed in a recreation. I am undecided why, however once I have a look at my WoW transaction historical past, it doesn’t present something older than my Diablo 3 buy from 19.07.12. It may need one thing to do with the redesign of the BlizzAccount.
Pifanjr: In keeping with Steam, it is Civilization V. I seen the overall hours of Skyrim Particular Version obtained reset when it up to date to the Anniversary Version although, so I may need had extra hours in there, although it is in all probability comparable.
I’ve by no means actually caught with any recreation for very lengthy, so I doubt there are non-Steam video games that vastly surpass 500+ hours, although there’s in all probability some that a minimum of come shut.
Withywarlock: I haven’t got the specifics as a result of this was on the Xbox 360, however The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will simply be within the 1000’s of hours, as I might performed it religiously for years on finish. On the PC model, together with Morroblivion I’ve 177 hours clocked. On Steam nonetheless, essentially the most hours I’ve put right into a recreation is with Whole Conflict: Warhammer II for the apparent causes of it being grand technique with massively various armies and many army-fantasy. Would possibly play that in a bit, tbh.
WoodenSaucer: Essentially the most for me is 221 hours in Skyrim. I normally play shorter video games, and I actually haven’t got that a lot gaming time. I do know a man on one other discussion board who has over 19,000 hours on Dragon’s Dogma: Darkish Arisen. Do not ask me how. He is not mendacity about it as a result of I simply now checked out his Steam profile, and he is presently as much as 19,864 hours on that recreation.
DXCHASE: For people who had learn a few of my posts, this is not stunning lol. This does not cowl the 1,000 hours or so I’ve spent on the sport when it was beneath battle.web. Id additionally like so as to add that there is a good 500-700 hours of idle time in there and to the Future 2 neighborhood these numbers are rookie numbers lol. So all-in-all, roughly 4.5 – 5k hours. And that is simply Future 2, I by no means performed Future, additionally I’m a pacesetter/founding father of a full rostered clan so enjoying with new gamers/clan members is all aside of the enjoyable.
Johnway: Path of Exile by a rustic mile. Slightly below 1,450 hours.
The leagues simply breathe life into the sport each time and are fairly important options so it is in my greatest curiosity to play it. The tip recreation is unusually addictive. By no means beat it thoughts, however sufficient to maintain me occupied every time. Typically it is in all probability the challenges of every league with an opportunity of loot that retains me going. But when there’s no good loot or the league is a bit naff, I give up sooner quite then later.
Kaamos_Llama: I simply pipped my most performed recreation not too long ago with Battle Brothers at 400-odd (and I am nonetheless dangerous at it), however in the event you add collectively my time in Whole Conflict Warhammer 1 and a pair of its about 720 they usually’re the identical recreation actually, proper?
Within the final 10 years anyway, earlier than I actually used Steam no approach to know and I had extra time once I was youthful. Fairly certain nothing could be close to 11k hours although.
Ryzengang: I may attempt to verify my lifetime Runescape/Outdated Faculty Runescape play time throughout all my accounts however I’d in all probability be deeply disturbed so I’ll chorus from doing that . Let’s simply say it’s properly over 5,000 hours and go away it at that. World of Warcraft is roughly 1,000 hours if I solely depend my most important. Apart from these two I actually haven’t got an awesome concept. A few of my most performed video games have been (principally) on console (e.g., Borderlands 2, Halo 3, OG Fashionable Warfare).
ZedClampet: I’ve obtained 3,550 hours in Warframe. Sooner or later I obtained exhausted by how grindy among the new content material was (to get this one merchandise, I calculated that the perfect case state of affairs had me doing the 15-minute mission 107 times–but that was the best possible case state of affairs) and simply give up enjoying.
They’ve an awesome neighborhood, however I ended up enjoying on my own more often than not primarily as a result of I used to be doing issues different folks did not wish to do and doing them in methods they’d have scoffed at. As an example, when folks wished to stage a weapon, there was one map they grouped up and went to, and it will take roughly ceaselessly to stage your weapon to max (they have been environment friendly at killing issues, however not at incomes weapon XP). Additionally, you have been anticipated to play a sure body and fulfil sure duties. However in the meantime I had a manner of leveling my weapons on my own in 10 to 12 minutes, and I may play any body I wished. Just about each objective was like that. Gamers thought there was a proper manner and a mistaken approach to method every thing, they usually anticipated you to comply with alongside, however their strategies have been truly not the perfect.
