Google has released its annual list of global trending searches and it perfectly encapsulates the biggest moments of the year we can’t wait to put behind us.Among some of the top searches were Chadwick Boseman, Among Us, and Tiger King.It’s worth noting that Google compiled these lists based on the biggest year-over-year searches, or spikes, for each specific term. Put simply, these aren’t necessarily the most-searched terms of the year, just the most popular as compared to last year.
Gaming saw a big increase in 2020 as many needed to shelter-in-place, with record-breaking spending at the beginning of the year. Topping Google’s list of top trending searches for gaming globally were Among Us and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, which both saw incredible popularity due to their accessibility and multiplayer nature. Valorant, Genshin Impact, and The Last of Us Part 2 also populated the list.
Fall Guys was a breakout success, becoming the most downloaded PlayStation Plus game of all-time when it launched in August. It dominated our Summer, had massive viewership across Twitch, and even had companies competing to include in-game skins.
But Fall Guys wasn’t the only multiplayer game that generated mass appeal. Among Us experienced a sudden surge in popularity despite being released in 2018. Among Us quickly shot up the charts on Twitch (as well as Steam and mobile) to become one of the biggest games of 2020. Everyone was playing Among Us, including U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who streamed it earlier this year in front of a massive audience of over 430,000 viewers.
On the entertainment side, Netflix dominated most of the conversation. Tiger King, Cobra Kai, Money Heist, and Umbrella Academy were among the top trending searches for TV shows, with Big Brother Brasil also making the cut, too.
Tiger King was a moment in 2020. It was so popular, in fact, that Netflix is working on a spinoff starring Nicolas Cage in a new scripted docuseries. NBCUniversal is also working on a separate series starring SNL’s Kate McKinnon depicting the rivalry between Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic.
Parasite was the most-searched movie of 2020, after winning Best Picture and making history at the 2020 Academy Awards and director Bong-Joon Ho tying Walt Disney for most Oscar wins in a single ceremony. Other top trending movies included 1917, 365 Dni, and Contagion.
2018’s Black Panther was also one of the top trending searches of the year, largely in part to the untimely passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, known best for playing T’Challa in the Marvel films. It was also recently revealed that Boseman will not be recast in the upcoming Black Panther 2.
For more of 2020’s best, check out IGN’s Game of the Year Awards 2020 and our Best Movie, TV, and Comics of the Year Awards 2020.
Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.Source