League of Legends tops the list as the most difficult video game with a perfect 10/10 difficulty score based on completion time and player dropout rates, according to a new assessment.
Overall, online multiplayer games dominate the top hardest games, with eight of the top 10 requiring thousand s of hours to master.
The analysis, conducted by the video game asset marketplace Chicks Gold, examined data from howlongtobeat.com to determine which games presented the greatest challenge to players based on completion rates or time to achieve mastery and time investment.
The study used data from howlongtobeat.com to rank more than 7,500 games based on several factors, including how long it takes to complete the main story, side quests, and 100% completion, as well as the percentage of players who started but never finished the game.
Games without traditional storylines, such as the popular MOBA games League of Legends and Dota 2, were ranked based on alternative factors, including the time required to unlock all champions or achieve mastery at a high level of play.
Top 10 ‘hardest’ video games
| Rank | Title | Year | Completionist Hours | Percentage Retired | Difficulty Score |
| 1. | League of Legends | 2009 | 3,224.91 | 34.6% | 10.00 |
| 2. | Aura Kingdom | 2014 | 9,341.75 | 36.6% | 9.97 |
| 3. | Dota 2 | 2013 | 2,285.63 | 36.8% | 9.89 |
| 4. | Azur Lane | 2018 | 3,170.63 | 37.8% | 9.85 |
| 5. | War Thunder | 2012 | 4,627.70 | 31.1% | 9.82 |
| 6. | World of Warcraft | 2004 | 5,802.32 | 31.6% | 9.81 |
| 7. | World of Tanks Blitz | 2016 | 3,500 | 23.0% | 9.78 |
| =8. | Football Manager 2015 | 2014 | 902.53 | 38.4% | 9.69 |
| =8. | Clicker Heroes | 2015 | 1,111.10 | 37.4% | 9.69 |
| =8. | osu! | 2007 | 3,431.64 | 32.0% | 9.69 |
| 9. | NGU Idle | 2019 | 4,548.76 | 15.0% | 9.68 |
| 10. | Team Fortress 2 | 2007 | 2,880.56 | 31.5% | 9.60 |
As indicated above, League of Legends was found to be the most difficult game, with a perfect difficulty score of 10 out of 10. Players spend an average of 1,144 hours engaging in competitive play, while highly dedicated players invest more than 3,224 hours mastering the game. Despite this enormous time commitment, 34.6% of players who begin the game eventually give up.
Aura Kingdom ranked second with a difficulty score of 9.97 out of 10. The game requires an astonishing 9,341 hours – equivalent to over a year of non-stop play – for completionists to finish. This MMORPG also has a high dropout rate, with 36.6% of players retiring before completion.
The competitive MOBA Dota 2 secured third place with a 9.89 out of 10 difficulty score. Similar to League of Legends, Dota 2 demands substantial time investment – 850 hours for the main goals and 2,285 hours for completionists. Its player retirement rate stands at 36.8%.Mobile naval warfare game Azur Lane took fourth place with a 9.85 out of 10 difficulty score. It has the highest dropout rate among the top 10 at 37.8%, meaning more than one in three players abandon the game before completing it.
War Thunder, a free-to-play vehicular combat game, ranked fifth with a 9.82 out of 10 difficulty score. The game has over 1,500 playable vehicles, requiring 4,627 hours for completionists to master them all.
World of Warcraft came in sixth place with a difficulty score of 9.81 out of 10. The long-running MMORPG requires 5,802 hours for 100% completion – equivalent to playing 8 hours daily for almost two years straight. The game has maintained its challenging nature since its launch in 2004. World of Tanks Blitz ranked seventh with a 9.78 out of 10 difficulty score. This game stands out for having the lowest retirement rate among the top 10 at 23%. The satisfaction of its gameplay loop seems to keep players engaged despite the massive 3,500-hour investment for completionists.
Football Manager 2015, Clicker Heroes, and osu! all tied for eighth place, each earning a 9.69 difficulty score out of 10. Football Manager 2015 also had the highest retirement rate in the top 10 at 38.4%. Rounding out the top 10 were NGU Idle and Team Fortress 2, with difficulty scores of 9.68 and 9.60.
