The popular multiplayer online game League of Legends has been ranked as the most challenging video game, achieving a perfect difficulty score of 10 out of 10. This assessment, carried out by the video game asset marketplace Chicks Gold, analyzed completion times and player dropout rates to gauge the difficulty levels of various games.
The study reviewed data from howlongtobeat.com, evaluating over 7,500 games based on multiple criteria, including the time required to complete the main storyline, side quests, and achieving 100% completion. Additionally, it factored in the percentage of players who began but did not finish the game.
For games lacking traditional narratives, such as League of Legends and Dota 2, the ranking was based on alternative metrics, including the time necessary to unlock all champions or reach a high level of mastery.
Top Ten Hardest Video Games
The analysis revealed that online multiplayer games predominantly occupy the top ten list, with eight out of the ten requiring thousands of hours for mastery. The following are the top ten hardest video games according to the study:
- 1. League of Legends – 2009: 3,224.91 hours, 34.6% dropout rate, 10.00 difficulty score
- 2. Aura Kingdom – 2014: 9,341.75 hours, 36.6% dropout rate, 9.97 difficulty score
- 3. Dota 2 – 2013: 2,285.63 hours, 36.8% dropout rate, 9.89 difficulty score
- 4. Azur Lane – 2018: 3,170.63 hours, 37.8% dropout rate, 9.85 difficulty score
- 5. War Thunder – 2012: 4,627.70 hours, 31.1% dropout rate, 9.82 difficulty score
- 6. World of Warcraft – 2004: 5,802.32 hours, 31.6% dropout rate, 9.81 difficulty score
- 7. World of Tanks Blitz – 2016: 3,500 hours, 23.0% dropout rate, 9.78 difficulty score
- 8. Football Manager 2015 – 2014: 902.53 hours, 38.4% dropout rate, 9.69 difficulty score
- 8. Clicker Heroes – 2015: 1,111.10 hours, 37.4% dropout rate, 9.69 difficulty score
- 8. osu! – 2007: 3,431.64 hours, 32.0% dropout rate, 9.69 difficulty score
- 9. NGU Idle – 2019: 4,548.76 hours, 15.0% dropout rate, 9.68 difficulty score
- 10. Team Fortress 2 – 2007: 2,880.56 hours, 31.5% dropout rate, 9.60 difficulty score
According to the findings, players typically invest around 1,144 hours in competitive play of League of Legends, with dedicated players often surpassing 3,224 hours to master the game. Despite the significant time commitment, a notable 34.6% of players who start the game eventually abandon it.
Aura Kingdom follows closely in second place, with a difficulty score of 9.97 out of 10, requiring an astonishing 9,341 hours for completionists. This MMORPG also presents a high dropout rate of 36.6%.
In third place, Dota 2 received a score of 9.89 out of 10, demanding around 850 hours for primary objectives and 2,285 hours for those seeking full completion, with a 36.8% player retirement rate.
Azur Lane, a mobile naval warfare game, ranked fourth with a score of 9.85 out of 10, exhibiting the highest dropout rate in the top ten at 37.8%. Meanwhile, War Thunder, a free-to-play vehicular combat game, secured fifth place with a score of 9.82, requiring 4,627 hours for completionists.
Long-standing MMORPG World of Warcraft ranked sixth, with a demanding 5,802 hours needed for 100% completion, translating to nearly two years of daily play if maintained consistently. World of Tanks Blitz came in seventh with a score of 9.78, notable for having the lowest dropout rate among the top ten at 23%.
Finally, Football Manager 2015, Clicker Heroes, and osu! all shared the eighth position, each with a difficulty score of 9.69. The list concludes with NGU Idle and Team Fortress 2, which achieved scores of 9.68 and 9.60, respectively.
