2024 introduced plenty of incredible new releases to our gaming libraries, but we can’t forget about our faves that celebrated some big birthdays this year!
Grab some party hats and balloons as we’re ending 2024 by showcasing our top five games that achieved some very big milestones this year.
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft turned 20 in November 2024. This beloved MMORPG is set in the fantasy world of ‘Warcraft’ in which you play as a powerful hero tasked with fighting hordes of monsters and deadly creatures to defend the world of Azeroth against countless threats. After 20 years the game continues to serve as a foundation for all MMOs and is still updated with brand-new DLC which promises exciting new content and adventures to keep players on their toes.
Blizzard went all out with the birthday celebrations, delivering players a huge 20th anniversary patch which reunited players with the Blackrock Depths and the Gates of Ahn ‘Qiraji, along with a new currency, sparkling trinkets, and low-pressure activities including an ice rink, pet corner, and even a cosplay booth.
The popularity of World of Warcraft has been massively influential on the gaming landscape. You can read more about the change it created and what other games influenced the future of gaming in our blog post.
Minecraft
Minecraft is another classic video game that celebrated a big birthday. May 2024 marked 15 years since the game’s original release and global success. Popularity isn’t slowing down for Minecraft, with the game still attracting 160 million every month and even an upcoming hit movie starring big names like Jack Black and Jason Momoa.
Running from May 15 – 29th 2024 Minecraft’s birthday party was fifteen days of free goodies such as a new cape, in-game birthday supplies, and a brand-new map full of exclusive surprises. Plus, to hype us up even more (as if that’s possible) Jack Black and Jason Momoa took to Instagram to celebrate Minecraft’s birthday in style.
There have been countless DLC packs and even fan made mods that bring even more incredible gameplay to Minecraft. Check out our faves over on the OcUK blog.
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 celebrated a milestone in 2024. As of September 2024, The Sims 4 turned 10 years old! As the fourth installment of the infamous life sim franchise, The Sims 4 is the longest running game, still treating players to plenty of new content and even in-game events such as Reaper Rewards in which you selflessly help the Grim Reaper.
To celebrate the tenth birthday of The Sims 4 EA teased fans with news about upcoming content, including a Sims movie developed by Amazon MGM Studios, Creator Kits designed entirely by dedicated creators in the Sims community, the return of MySims on the Nintendo, and Sims Labs, the new way for players to get involved and test upcoming gameplay.
If you’re a big fan of The Sims be sure to check out my favourite life sims for even more great games to play!
Elder Scrolls Online
Everyone’s favourite RPG, Elder Scrolls Online turned 10 this year! Tamriel has changed a lot since 2014, but ESO remains just as popular as it was on release, therefore it’s no wonder that the game’s tenth birthday was a big deal for fans and developers. So much so, that it received its own roadmap, jam-packed with celebrations, new content, events, and much more taking place from April 2024 and into 2025!
The highlight of the celebration has to be the release of Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road. This DLC pack promises to bring a brand-new adventure and plenty of content for you to enjoy as you journey across the West Weald and uncover the truth behind the mysterious arrival of Ithelia, the Daedric Prince.
ESO: Gold Road is one of many incredible big name DLCs that landed in our gaming libraries in 2024. You can check out the rest of the list in our blog post below.
GTA: San Andreas
Turning the big 2-0 in 2024 was GTA: San Andreas. The fifth main game in the iconic GTA franchise and originally released on the PlayStation 2, San Andreas is still a fan favourite thanks to its gritty yet humorous storyline, realistic protagonist, exciting missions, and impressive open-world. Plus, there are plenty of hidden easter eggs scattered across the map for you to find.
With Rockstar heavily focused on GTA VI, there wasn’t a lot of official birthday celebrations for GTA: San Andreas. But fans took it upon themselves to kickstart their own playthroughs of the game to relive their favourite moments and former developers even lifted the lid on some secrets revealing that the huge map was originally intended to be split into three! Something that we might see with GTA VI thanks to hints that Vice City will be split into distinctive areas such as the city, beach, and even the Everglades.
Looking to Play These Classics?
Are you looking to experience these great games once again in incredible detail? The Overclockers UK range of Refract Gaming PCs comes equipped with everything you need, optimised for a range of games, playstyles, and budgets. We’ve picked out our favourite below, but you can explore the full selection of Refract pre-built computers by clicking the button.
Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC
- Pre-built gaming PC
- Designed for mid-tier gaming and budding streamers
- Optimised for 1080/1440p resolutions
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
Did You Celebrate Any of These Big Birthdays?
Did you celebrate any of these big game birthdays in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 5 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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