League of Legends Named Most Challenging Game in New Ranking

A recent evaluation has identified League of Legends as the most difficult video game, achieving a perfect difficulty score of 10/10 based on completion time and player dropout rates. The assessment, conducted by the video game asset marketplace Chicks Gold, analyzed data from howlongtobeat.com to determine which games present the greatest challenges to players.

The analysis ranked more than 7,500 games, focusing on factors such as the time needed to complete the main story, side quests, and achieving full completion. It also took into account the percentage of players who start but do not finish the game. Notably, online multiplayer games dominate the top ranks, with eight of the top ten titles requiring thousands of hours to achieve mastery.

Top 10 Most Challenging Video Games

The following list highlights the top ten hardest video games based on the comprehensive evaluation:

1. **League of Legends** (2009) – Completionist Hours: 3,224.91; Percentage Retired: 34.6%; Difficulty Score: 10.00
2. **Aura Kingdom** (2014) – Completionist Hours: 9,341.75; Percentage Retired: 36.6%; Difficulty Score: 9.97
3. **Dota 2** (2013) – Completionist Hours: 2,285.63; Percentage Retired: 36.8%; Difficulty Score: 9.89
4. **Azur Lane** (2018) – Completionist Hours: 3,170.63; Percentage Retired: 37.8%; Difficulty Score: 9.85
5. **War Thunder** (2012) – Completionist Hours: 4,627.70; Percentage Retired: 31.1%; Difficulty Score: 9.82
6. **World of Warcraft** (2004) – Completionist Hours: 5,802.32; Percentage Retired: 31.6%; Difficulty Score: 9.81
7. **World of Tanks Blitz** (2016) – Completionist Hours: 3,500; Percentage Retired: 23.0%; Difficulty Score: 9.78
8. **Football Manager 2015** (2014) – Completionist Hours: 902.53; Percentage Retired: 38.4%; Difficulty Score: 9.69
8. **Clicker Heroes** (2015) – Completionist Hours: 1,111.10; Percentage Retired: 37.4%; Difficulty Score: 9.69
8. **osu!** (2007) – Completionist Hours: 3,431.64; Percentage Retired: 32.0%; Difficulty Score: 9.69
9. **NGU Idle** (2019) – Completionist Hours: 4,548.76; Percentage Retired: 15.0%; Difficulty Score: 9.68
10. **Team Fortress 2** (2007) – Completionist Hours: 2,880.56; Percentage Retired: 31.5%; Difficulty Score: 9.60

Among the ranked games, League of Legends stands out for its significant time investment required for mastery, with players averaging 1,144 hours in competitive play. Dedicated players, however, may spend over 3,224 hours honing their skills. Despite this commitment, 34.6% of players who start the game ultimately decide to quit.

In second place, Aura Kingdom demands an extraordinary 9,341 hours for completionists, equivalent to over a year of continuous gameplay. This MMORPG has a high dropout rate as well, with 36.6% of players not finishing the game.

Similar to League of Legends, Dota 2 earned a score of 9.89. Players are expected to invest around 2,285 hours for full completion, facing a dropout rate of 36.8%.

The mobile naval warfare game Azur Lane ranks fourth, with a difficulty score of 9.85. It reports the highest dropout rate among the top ten at 37.8%, indicating that more than one in three players abandon the game before completion.

Further down the list, War Thunder ranks fifth with a score of 9.82. The game includes over 1,500 playable vehicles, requiring a total of 4,627 hours for dedicated players to master.

The long-standing MMORPG World of Warcraft takes sixth place, with a score of 9.81 and an impressive 5,802 hours required for 100% completion. This equates to playing for eight hours daily for nearly two years.

Notably, World of Tanks Blitz, which ranks seventh, has the lowest dropout rate of the top ten at 23%, suggesting that its gameplay keeps players engaged despite the extensive 3,500 hours needed for full mastery.

Tied for eighth place are Football Manager 2015, Clicker Heroes, and osu!, each with a difficulty score of 9.69. Football Manager 2015 notably has the highest retirement rate among the top ten at 38.4%.

Completing the list are NGU Idle and Team Fortress 2, with respective scores of 9.68 and 9.60.

This ranking offers insights into the demanding nature of modern gaming, illustrating how much time and dedication players must invest to achieve mastery in their favorite titles.