Most Popular Video Game Genres for Teen Boys in 2024

Drawing on Circana (NPD), Newzoo, and Pew Research data, here are the top genres capturing males aged 13–17 in the US and Western markets:

1. Battle Royale / Shooter – Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, Valorant (PC). Social, competitive, live-service updates.
2. Open-World Action-Adventure – GTA V / Online, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man 2, Elden Ring. Freedom, narrative depth, co-op play.
3. Sports (Annualized) – EA Sports FC (FIFA), NBA 2K, Madden NFL, MLB The Show. Ultimate Team modes drive year-round engagement.
4. Sandbox / Survival – Minecraft, Roblox (platform), Terraria, Valheim. Creativity meets multiplayer.
5. Action RPG / Soulslike – Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Hogwarts Legacy. Challenge, buildcraft, streaming culture.
6. Tactical / Hero Shooter – Overwatch 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2. Team coordination, ranked ladders.
7. Racing / Driving – Forza Horizon 5, Gran Turismo 7, Need for Speed Unbound.

Key Popularity Drivers

• Cross-play (console/PC/mobile) – play with any friend regardless of platform.
• Content creator ecosystem (YouTube, Twitch, TikTok) – games become social currency.
• Live ops / seasons – FOMO, battle passes, constant novelty.
• Low barrier to entry (F2P or Game Pass included).

Individual taste varies; most teens actively play across 3–5 of these categories weekly.