It's hard out there for multiplayer games. If a title doesn't come out the gate strong, it's unlikely to ever develop a strong community. This makes the old multiplayer games below especially impressive and venerable. All but one title below are over a decade old and still have relatively active player bases.
Some are even seeing regular updates and changes and many are dependent on multiplayer to stay alive. If these communities dry up, the game would essentially cease to exist. We'll see if any of the popular multiplayer games of today will live on even half as long as some of these.
Updated June 21, 2022 by Jason Wojnar: Multiplayer games often do not last long. There are a few exceptions, however. This list deals with games you might have totally forgotten about that are still kept alive by a small community who refuse to let the servers collect dust. Don't confuse these with old games people know still have a large player base. We went back to it and added a few more titles. Jump into any of these to become a part of an old community of gamers who cannot get tired of an old multiplayer classic.
14 Second Life
There is nothing quite like Second Life. It is more of a social space than an MMORPG or traditional video game. The novelty made it a big deal back when it came out in 2003, especially with the idea of players making some money from the platform.
Though it has not made headlines in well over a decade, the virtual spaces in Second Life are still populated by plenty of people having the time of their lives. Developer Linden Lab still updates Second Life regularly, which is one reason for its longevity.
13 Grand Theft Auto 4
Grand Theft Auto Online, the multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto 5, is one of the most popular online services out there. It was not birthed from nothing, however. Grand Theft Auto 4 has its own online mode. One mode just lets you and your friends explore Liberty City and create their own fun.
You can see the seeds of what would become GTA Online in these modes. Some players prefer the simplicity of Grand Theft Auto 4 over the meta game of GTA Online. There are still ways to play Grand Theft Auto 4 online, but here's hoping a re-release comes out soon.
12 Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead is one of the most celebrated cooperative shooters of its time and was way ahead of its time. Since Valve never gave made a third entry, fans still revel in the goodness of Left 4 Dead 2. The modding community has also done plenty to spice up the zombie shooter.
Developer Turtle Rock Studios released a spiritual successor in 2021 called Back 4 Blood. While the game saw some success, there are still plenty who prefer Left 4 Dead's levels and action more.
11 Neverwinter Nights
Some older western RPGs are difficult to access for newcomers. They require an in-depth understanding of the systems and take hours of micromanaging and paying attention to stats. All the same, plenty of fans are still keeping Neverwinter Nights alive.
The BioWare RPG was remastered and released for modern consoles, ensuring the game stays alive and more accessible for new players to jump in.
10 Quake 3
The original Quake was recently remastered for both PC and consoles. The debut entry in the series was a revolutionary FPS for several reasons. While it is definitely possible to play the game online, it is surprising to learn that even Quake 3: Arena has an active community thanks to Quake Live.
Quake Live started out as a free-to-play game before it was turned into a regular purchase. Despite the different name, the game is almost identical to Quake 3: Arena. Retro arena shooters are making a comeback, but we've yet to see a proper successor to Quake.
9 Mass Effect 3
This is the only game on the list not older than ten years, but it is getting there. It deserves a mention because of how upset some fans were at the multiplayer's exclusion from the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
If you want to play Mass Effect 3's multiplayer, you can still jump into it and find matches in the original release. It found a solid following and is a fun way to pass the time for a solid cooperative Mass Effect experience.
8 Team Fortress 2
The multiplayer portion of the Orange Box has an entirely different aesthetic than the rest of the package. After several years the game became free-to-play and changed a lot about its core mechanics.
For those still looking for a pure Team Fortress 2 experience, play it on Xbox 360 or PS3. A handful of people surprisingly still play on these consoles, free of microtransactions and potential cheaters populating the free-to-play PC version. Old-school gamers can go back even further and play Team Fortress Classic.
7 Ultima Online
This MMORPG first launched in 1997 and revolutionized the genre. While MMOs with graphics existed beforehand, this is the first one to resemble what we know as the genre today.
More than 20 years later and Ultima Online is still running with many thousands of people playing. A revamp was released in 2007 with a new engine, and as of 2018 people can jump in for free, albeit with numerous restrictions to be unlocked upon subscribing.
6 EverQuest
Even though a sequel came out in 2004, people are still playing the original EverQuest, released in 1999, and its most recent expansion came out in October 2020.
It has obviously seen a decline thanks to modern MMOs, but you are still free to create a character and jump into the world. People still play, but thanks to the dwindling numbers some bots help newcomers go through the opening areas. All the same, for an MMO to receive its 27th expansion more than two decades later, is undeniably impressive.
5 Meridian 59
Before the rules of MMOs were set in stone, Meridian 59 did some incredibly innovative things for the genre. It is the oldest multiplayer game on this list and it is up there with Neverwinter Nights (not the previously mentioned BioWare game) as the first MMOs with actual graphics.
As of 2012, the game has been free-to-play with servers run by the original developers. Players level up skills individually instead of leveling up classes like modern MMOs, and most play the game for its PVP features these days.
4 RuneScape
The original RuneScape's graphics are hilariously quaint, but that doesn't matter. The mechanics and gameplay are more than enough to keep fans glued to it for decades, long after even an upgraded version came out.
Unfortunately for longtime fans, RuneScape Classic closed down in 2018. Fortunately, the other versions are still going strong and show no signs of leaving anytime soon.
3 Final Fantasy 11
Released in 2002, Final Fantasy 11 is legendary for several reasons. Most notably, it is the first mainstream MMORPG from a Japanese developer. The game was still going strong even as Final Fantasy 14 launched.
The last expansion came out in 2015 and support for the PS2 and Xbox 360 is no longer available, but people still play the PC version plenty. There was another episodic story expansion in 2020 as well. It is notably hard to get into and requires a significant commitment, being very much an MMORPG of its time.
2 Age Of Empires 2
The Age Of Empires series is only just getting its fourth mainline entry in 2021. While the wait has been tedious, fans are still enjoying Age of Empires 2's multiplayer, with many preferring it to the third game.
Fans are hoping the fourth game brings back the glory of the second game. RTS games are not as popular as they once were, so perhaps a franchise as big as this returning could help revive it.
1 Counter-Strike
Even after so many re-releases and updates, the original Counter-Strike mod still sees an active multiplayer community. It makes sense, too; the gameplay holds up just as well today as it did when it first launched. The old maps are still there and if anything the older engine just adds a bit of charm and nostalgia to the whole thing.
Counter-Strike serves as a constant reminder of the way the mod community has changed the face of gaming and introduced us to a whole slew of new ideas to the medium.