• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechVideo Games

The Top 10 Video Games of 2015, According to YouTube

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 9, 2015, 9:30 AM ET
Photograph by Getty Images

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 may ultimately claim the title of 2015’s best selling game, but when it comes to viral YouTube videos it didn’t even manage to crack the top 10.

Instead, it was a commercial for a mobile game that captured the attention of YouTube fans this year, with Liam Neeson’s Clash of Clans Super Bowl ad taking the top spot and racking up more than 83 million views.

Top trending gaming videos are based on views, shares, comments, likes and more, according to YouTube (GOOG). In other words, the top 10 gaming videos are the ones that went the most viral this year.

While the full list did include several AAA titles (those with the highest development and promotion budgets), including the reveal trailer for EA’s (EA) Star Wars: Battlefront, some smaller games held their own against multi-million dollar competitors. The teaser trailer for the independent horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 proved more popular than reveals for Bethesda’s long-awaited Fallout 4 (which claimed a $750 million launch in November) and Final Fantasy VII.

That’s likely not a worrisome sign for publishers and instead simply an indication of the wildly varied tastes of the industry’s millennial gaming audience. Players have increasingly shown an interest in off-the-beaten-path games in addition to long-running hit franchises.

Of course, this is YouTube—and you can’t have a top 10 list without several gaming-themed videos that are original clips, rather than just marketing reels. Among the favorites were a real-life recreation of scenes from Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), a playthrough of Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 (which reduced the onscreen player to a quivering mass), and a video that captured the first impressions of senior citizens as they play GTA V for the first time.

In addition to running down the top videos, YouTube also pulled back the curtain on the demographics for its gaming audience. Thirty percent of YouTube’s gamers are women, with one third of its members over the age of 35. Gamers are also growing up, with 47% of the 4,800 people YouTube surveyed saying they are now parents.

Here’s the complete list of the most-watched videos:

  • Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial)
  • Real GTA
  • Star Wars Battlefront Reveal Trailer
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 Teaser Trailer
  • WARNING: YOU WILL DIE | Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 – Part 1
  • Discover Pokémon in the Real World with Pokémon GO!
  • Fallout 4 – Official Trailer
  • Elders Play Grand Theft Auto V (Elders React: Gaming)
  • Halo VS Call of Duty
  • Final Fantasy VII – E3 2015 Trailer | PS4

.
There is some redeeming news for Activision-Blizzard (ATVI). While the company’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 videos didn’t go viral, YouTube’s overall gaming audience still love it. In terms of total views and watch time, the game managed to top the list of titles that captured people’s attention this year, with FIFA 16 coming in second.

Even in that ranking, though, independent and smaller games had a phenomenal showing. Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 and Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 both made the list, as did ARK: Survival Evolved and Agar.io; titles that most non-core gamers have never heard of. Meanwhile, some of the year’s biggest releases, including Halo 5: Guardians and Star Wars: Battlefront, were absent from the list.

The video game world is becoming increasingly important to YouTube. In August, the company launched a game streaming service to compete with Amazon’s (AMZN) Twitch. The company says people currently watch billions of hours of gaming on its service each month, and that half of its top 100 channels are gaming-focused.

Make sure to sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For more on video games and Activision Blizzard’s recent acquisition of Candy Crush, please check out the following Fortune video:

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Even Nvidia’s own research teams can’t get enough GPUs amid the race for AI computing power
NewslettersEye on AI
Even Nvidia’s own research teams can’t get enough GPUs amid the race for AI computing power
By Sharon GoldmanApril 9, 2026
15 hours ago
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
AIdisruption
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
By Nick LichtenbergApril 9, 2026
15 hours ago
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan
Successthe future of work
‘I hate working 5 days’: Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Preston ForeApril 9, 2026
16 hours ago
Nutella seen aboard the Orion spacecraft Integrity.
RetailFood and drink
Nutella jumps on the best product placement money can’t buy: A trip to the far side of the Moon
By Catherina GioinoApril 9, 2026
17 hours ago
kash
Cybersecuritycyber
Trump’s ‘cease-fire’ won’t stop Iranian hackers for long, cyber experts say
By David Klepper and The Associated PressApril 9, 2026
17 hours ago
lego
PoliticsIran
AI-savvy pro-Iran groups troll America with Lego Movie-style propaganda videos mocking American failure
By Sam McNeil and The Associated PressApril 9, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
20 hours ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
22 hours ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
23 hours ago
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
AI
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
21 hours ago
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
AI
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
2 days ago
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
Energy
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.