The 10 Most-Watched Games on YouTube, and What Each Means for Brands
If you want to know where young attention lives, look at what people watch, not just what they play. In 2025, YouTube Gaming recorded a record 8.8 billion hours of live viewing, up 12% on the year (Tubefilter). These ten games drew the most of it.
| Rank | Game | Hours watched on YouTube, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roblox | 425M |
| 2 | League of Legends | 421M |
| 3 | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | 412M |
| 4 | Garena Free Fire | 380M |
| 5 | Counter-Strike | 342M |
| 6 | Minecraft | 279M |
| 7 | Grand Theft Auto V | 261M |
| 8 | Valorant | 221M |
| 9 | Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) | 209M |
| 10 | Fortnite | 170M |
Source: Stream Hatchet, via Tubefilter and NetInfluencer.
1. Roblox
The most-watched game on YouTube in 2025, up 294% in a year. Roblox is less a game than a platform of millions of player-made worlds, which makes it the home of identity and self-expression for the youngest audience. Brand fit: confectionery, snacks and family brands, with care around audiences under 18.
2. League of Legends
The global esports giant, driven by tournaments in Asia and the West. Smaller in India than the mobile titles below, but proof that competitive play still draws huge live audiences.
3. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Southeast Asia's favourite mobile game, built for quick matches on a phone. Relevant for any brand planning beyond India into Indonesia, the Philippines or Vietnam.
4. Garena Free Fire
A fast mobile battle royale with one of India's biggest player bases (StreamO estimates 40 to 50 million monthly players in India). Its culture is fun and accessibility. Brand fit: mass FMCG, QSR and telecom.
5. Counter-Strike
The original team shooter, with an older, PC-based audience. Brand fit: PC hardware, peripherals and energy drinks.
6. Minecraft
The building game that has become a generation's shared language, up 91% on YouTube in 2025, helped by A Minecraft Movie. Its culture is creativity and imagination, which makes it one of the safest and most flexible worlds for brands.
7. Grand Theft Auto V
More than a decade after launch, it is still one of the most-streamed games in the world, mostly through role-play servers where creators act out stories. Brand fit: automotive, fashion and any brand that wants to be part of a story.
8. Valorant
A tactical shooter with a style-conscious, competitive audience. Brand fit: tech, energy drinks and fashion.
9. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)
The only India-specific title on the list, with 209 million hours watched on YouTube. BGMI is built on skill and teamwork, played in squads, and powers a huge share of India's gaming creators. Brand fit: almost every category that wants young India at scale.
BGMI is the only India-specific title on the list, with 209 million hours watched on YouTube.
10. Fortnite
Bright, fast and culture-heavy, with concerts, film tie-ins and branded islands. Brand fit: entertainment, music and youth brands.
Free Fire, BGMI and Minecraft together drew 868 million hours.
What this means for brands
India's own game mix shows up in this list: Free Fire, BGMI and Minecraft together drew 868 million hours on YouTube in 2025. And India itself was the third-largest country for YouTube Gaming watch time, with 194 million hours across the top 1,000 creators (Stream Hatchet).
StreamO's Top-10 Games pack activates 100 gamers across YouTube's most-watched games, so one campaign can reach every culture on this list without a brand having to pick one.
Sources
Tubefilter, YouTube Gaming hit 8.8 billion hours of watchtime in 2025
NetInfluencer, YouTube Gaming viewership hits record 8.8 billion hours in 2025
StreamO sales deck (India player base); StreamO Business Plan (Top-10 Games pack)