Gaming is an undeniable behemoth of an industry with over three billion gamers playing together across the world. The question is, which games are the best at linking you up with potential friends in other countries?

Firstly, you may be asking why is this important? Well for me, the friends I made through gaming helped me get through some of the loneliest points of my life, especially when I was a teenager.

I’ve played with people from America and Europe almost every day at points in my life. Whilst having new friends is great in and of itself, it also gave me a deeper understanding of different cultures.

Of course, as with anything you do online, when chatting or gaming with people, be careful with what you say, as a general rule I never give anyone any personal information over the internet. Another way I stay safe is by bringing introducing my in person friends to play with my online ones to help ensure I’m not missing any glaring red flags.

With that being said – if you want to widen your cultural understanding and get new gaming connections of your own. Here’s some recommendations you could play.

US – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Starting with a likely pick – Call of Duty: MWIII (the remake) was the best selling multiplayer game within the US in 2023. It is still the fourth best selling game in the US in March this year.

Launching in November, it had massive sales, capturing the eyes of millions of people and within the US it reigns supreme. 

This shooter franchise has been around for yeas and if you want the best chance of teaming up with someone from the US, this series is the one for you.

Europe –  EA Sports: FC 24

Despite sports games sometimes being controversial releases especially when EA is involved, their impact is undeniable.

EA’s FC24, the newest iteration of FIFA, was the most sold game in 2023 within six European countries (Spain, Slovakia, Portugal, Poland, Italy and Hungary) and came second in another six (UK, Switzerland, Slovenia, Norway, The Netherlands and Germany).

This proves that this sporting giant is the perfect place to try your skills against players in Europe whilst sharing your love of Football together at the same time.

US – Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 has smashed into the gaming industry becoming a gaming sensation with a peak player count of over 450,000.  

The whole industry is talking about it. The game sees players team up and save planets from aliens – what’s a better bonding experience than that.

This game is played worldwide on both PC and Playstation and was the second best selling game in the US in March 2024.

If you want to enlist and fight with friends in the US – this is another great way to do so.

Europe and US – GTA V

Almost every gamer will have heard about Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V. The game that launched in 2013 yet was still the third best selling game in Slovenia in 2023 and still brings in nearly 200,000 concurrent players each month in 2024.

This game’s online mode still brings people back to this day. With the amount of different game modes around – there is a chance you will be able to play with people from anywhere in the world.

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Whilst GTAVI is in development, it is clear that if you want to meet people from around the world – GTAV still is an option. 

Worldwide: Shooters

The final entry on this list goes to shooters in general, there are lots out there and worldwide it is the most popular genre of games within every different age group.

Every shooter also offers a unique perspective on the genre and the most important thing when connecting with people is that you are both having fun.

So, if you’re looking at the four games above and going – that’s not for me then just sit down and play your favourite shooter. The chances are you’ll meet someone from a whole different culture.

Whatever you want

Ultimately, gamers play the games they love, whilst there are different best sellers within each country, your next online companion could be sat playing your favourite game right now, hoping to find someone to share it with.

The best advice I can give is to play what you love and see who you meet – you never know what connections are waiting for you in your next game.