The Biggest Online Game Developers of the 21st Century

The gaming industry is worth billions of dollars worldwide, with teams of developers coming from each and every genre, competing to release the biggest games on the market. Nowadays, online gaming can appear in all forms; whether it’s video games on your favourite game console or slots on your preferred live casino site, the market is constantly growing. 

Different games provide different experiences based on their appearance, gameplay, and even platform. The companies that manufacture the game can also play a massive part in how successful a game is. In the 21st century, we have more developers than ever taking on the challenge of releasing some of the biggest games in the market, so today, we will be taking a look at the biggest developers right now.

Pragmatic Play

Starting off with an online casino game developer, Pragmatic Play is one of the most successful names in the industry right now. The Gibraltar-based company was only founded in 2015, but its instant impact and innovation on the industry have allowed it to become one of the most respected game developers in the industry. As a casino provider, their theme of games alternates between titles, but the art style remains somewhat the same. They’ve released plenty of recognisable titles during the 21st century, including the entire Big Bass series, Sweet Bonanza, The Dog House, and many, many more.

Nintendo

Arguably one of the biggest video game developers of all time, Nintendo hit the market during their initial launch in 1889 with playing cards, but the digital side we know today came in 1975 with the arcade game EVR Race. Ever since, Nintendo has become the biggest talking point when it comes to legends of the video game industry, introducing iconic characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link. Despite being one of the older developers, the Japanese company has still performed incredibly strongly in the 21st century. Not only does Nintendo produce some of the most famous video games in the world, but it also produces handheld consoles, which have shaped the gaming industry.

During this century, they have released iconic consoles such as the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, WII, Nintendo Switch, and many more. Some individual games they have developed during the same period include over 10 new additions to the Mario franchise, 8 new games in the Zelda series, and over 5 new Pokémon instalments. Nintendo has dominated in the 21st century and will more than likely continue long into the future.

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts is a game developer that can do almost everything, with games across various genres that may not even be related to one another. Founded in 1982, the American video games company entered the market with Hard Hat Mack in 1983, not revolutionising the industry but cementing its name as part of it. As of the 21st century, Electronic Arts has been at the centre of producing some of the biggest games we have seen, including the FIFA series, Madden Series, Sims, Battlefield, Plants vs Zombies, Skate, and many more.

EA is great at building detailed video games and maintaining fans across a series of instalments, leveraging the latest technology, which is why some of their most successful games in the 21st century are The Sims 4, FIFA 10, and Battlefield 3. EA will continue to dominate, with Battlefield 6 and EAFC 26 both being released in 2025, topping video game charts worldwide.

Rockstar Games

While they may be under a bit of pressure in 2025 after yet another delay to their highly anticipated release of GTA VI in 2026, Rockstar has become one of the biggest names in the industry. They were founded in New York in 1998, despite their first ever game being released in 1997 under a different name, which would go on to start one of the biggest game series of all time, Grand Theft Auto. While Rockstar may not have as long a catalogue of successful releases in the 21st century as EA or Nintendo, the games they have produced have been revolutionary and have become a big part of culture and the industry.

Some of their top releases since the start of 2001 include GTA San Andreas, GTA Liberty City Stories, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, GTA V, and Red Dead Redemption 2. They may not have released a range of titles over the course of 24 years, but they have retained a dedicated audience who are captivated by both the GTA and RDR series.

Honourable Mentions

While we have named some of the most influential game developers in the 21st century, there are still so many worldwide who have played a huge part in innovating the industry in the 21st century. Some other developers we could have mentioned include:

• NetEnt – Starburst
• Ubisoft – Assassin’s Creed
• Capcom – Resident Evil
• Mojang – Minecraft
• Epic Games – Fortnite