Have you ever wondered what video games are popular in a particular place? A country, region, or even the whole continent will have their own preferences when it comes to video games. The African continent is no exception. In this article we will look at the most popular video games played in the African continent, based on available data—and where applicable.

An Overview of The Popular Video Games in Africa

The African continent has some market for video games. North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia,) Nigeria, and the country of South Africa are the top African regions with the most concentration of gamers. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan regions like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana have the largest growth in both gamers and revenue generated from video games.

The market for video games in Africa is also diverse, there are markets where the dominant platform is mobile (Android and iOS), and there are those who prefer PC and console. Whichever platform, Africa has its fair share of players and is considered an important market.

Most Popular Video Games in Africa

As a whole, the African continent is a hotbed for the following games:

• Fortnite: Considered one of the most played games in Africa. It is a free-to-play game published by Epic Games. Since it can be played on both PC and console, it is easy to get a Fortnite account and join the action.
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG): The PC and console version of PUBG is highly preferred by African players but the mobile version, PUBG Mobile, is highly ranked in this continent, as well.
• Grand Theft Auto V: While the whole series is well-received in Africa, the fifth installment in the series is the most popular title right now. Some players join in with a GTA modded account to check out the game. Its vast open-world gameplay is one of the main reasons why this game is popular in Africa.
• EA FC 24: The latest title in EA Sports’ popular FIFA-based game, FC 24 has seen a tremendous rise in popularity after the historic World Cup run of the Moroccan national football team back in 2022.
• Call of Duty: Both the PC/console and mobile versions are played by Africans. The mobile version is highly regarded in the region since it gives a similar experience to the PC/console versions, even including some of the iconic maps from the older Call of Duty games.
• Counter-Strike: This popular tactical shooter has a large following in Africa. Historically, the African continent has produced a few professional Counter-Strike players since the early version 1.6 days. Somalian-Swedish brothers SpawN and MegatoN are notable ones, while modern Global Offensive players like johnqt represented Morocco in the international stage.
• Free Fire: This battle royale game has seen a steady rise in popularity in the African continent since its release. It directly competes with PUBG Mobile and Fortnite.
• DOTA 2: This is another game that has produced many African professional talents. The shoutcaster Snare, and professional player Castaway, both from South Africa have represented the whole region in DOTA 2.
• Overwatch: This hero-based team shooter has been a top title in Africa since its release, while the game has shown a decline in its player base, it is still beloved in Africa (and non-Western markets).
• Valorant: The latest title in Riot Games’ arsenal of highly regarded video games, Valorant is one of the most popular games in Africa. The game has a strong footing in the North African region with a heavy concentration in Morocco. This is also complimented by the fact that johnqt (who previously played Counter-Strike) has represented the country in the Valorant Champions Tour Americas as a member of Sentinels.

Other Popular Titles

The titles in this section are not exactly as popular as the ones above but are games that are popular in a particular country.

• League of Legends: This popular MOBA is a top game in Morocco. It is even having a tournament in Morocco Gaming Expo, along with PUBG and EA FC 24.
• Brawl Stars: This MOBA is also a popular title in Morocco and Algeria. In fact, it is in the Top 10 grossing games as of June 2024.
• Roblox: The Experience-based game is one of the Top 5 titles in Kenya.
• Minecraft: This world-building game is the top title in Egypt, besting out Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as of June 2024.

African Players in Professional Tournaments

Despite the continent’s strong video game market, it has not produced a steady stream of professional players representing African countries. There is also the problem of not having enough tournaments held in Africa. However, some players from the continent have shown up in international tournaments despite lacking local tournaments.

The Kenyan Tekken player, Sylvia Gathoni (aka QueenArrow) has represented her country in big international tournaments like the Evolution Championship Series and Red Bull Hit the Streets held in South Africa, the first of its kind in the fighting game community.

Some popular titles in other continents have regional tournaments that include Africa. For example, the MOBA game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has qualifying tournaments for its World Championships that includes the “MENA” region which stands for Middle East and North Africa.

Perhaps the most popular African professional player today is johnqt who represents the North American Valorant team, Sentinels. His inclusion in the team roster has helped the team reap rewards, like winning the Valorant Masters Madrid back in March 2024. He still lives in Morocco and flies out from his home to wherever the Sentinels play.

Despite the lack of professional players from the continent, Africa is still one of the biggest non-Western markets in the world.

Conclusion

The African continent is continuing to grow as a market for gamers. Despite the lack of professional players, it still rakes in a ton of money for developers and publishers. The different games played in each country show the diverse player base in the whole continent, which shows how important video games are to Africans.