The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

VS

Minecraft

The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War is a licensed mobile RTS/strategy game by NetEase, released in late 2021. While initial launch interest was strong thanks to the IP and solid marketing, typical player retention for mobile strategy games stabilizes at a lower active base over time. NetEase titles perform well in Asian and international markets but generally see gradual decline after 2-3 years. As a mobile-focused, session-based game (not a full persistent MMO), it likely maintains around 70,000 daily active players globally by mid-2024.

Minecraft is an exceptionally popular sandbox game with a strong legacy since its release in 2011. Its cross-platform availability, enormous modding community, and consistent updates contribute to a large, active player base even over a decade later. While it’s not a traditional MMO (no single persistent shared world or servers holding thousands of simultaneous players together), its server model supports substantial multiplayer activity.