# Why did Among Us lose its popularity?

> Among Us faded after its 2020 boom because the novelty wore off, streamers moved on, lobbies filled with hackers and players drifted to other games.

Among Us didn't die, but it lost the huge popularity it had in late 2020. The boom came from streamers and from people stuck at home during the pandemic looking for games to play with friends. Once the novelty wore off, big streamers moved on, public lobbies suffered from hackers and spam, and the game's need for a full group of friends made it harder to keep playing casually.

## Why it blew up in 2020

Innersloth released Among Us in 2018 to little attention. In mid-2020 popular Twitch and YouTube creators started playing it, and its formula — cheap or free on mobile, cross-platform, easy to learn, and built for chatting with friends — fit perfectly into lockdown life. Within months it was one of the most-played games in the world.

## Why players drifted away

- **Novelty wore off.** Social deduction is fun, but the same few maps and rounds feel repetitive for many players after dozens of hours.
- **It needs a group.** The game is best with 8–10 friends on voice chat; public lobbies with strangers are a weaker experience.
- **Hackers and spam bots** flooded public games at the height of the hype in late 2020.
- **Streamers moved on.** When the biggest creators returned to other games, so did much of the audience.
- **Slow updates at first.** Innersloth was a very small team; new content took time, though it did come.
- **Competition.** Similar games such as Goose Goose Duck and Lockdown Protocol borrowed the formula.

## Is Among Us still popular?

It still has an active player base and continues to get updates: the Airship map, new roles such as Engineer, Scientist and Shapeshifter, a Hide and Seek mode, and Among Us VR. It's no longer a cultural phenomenon, but it remains a go-to party game.

## FAQ

**When did Among Us get popular?**
In the summer and fall of 2020, two years after its release.

**Is Among Us safe for kids?**
The game itself is cartoonish and rated for older children, but public chat with strangers is the main risk. Use private lobbies with friends and the platform's chat restrictions for young players.

**What is the Among Us controversy?**
The best-known problems were hacker attacks that spammed lobbies in late 2020 and concerns about strangers in chat, which led to stronger account and chat controls.

**Why was Among Us not popular in 2018?**
It had no marketing and few players at launch; it took streamers in 2020 to make people notice it.

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https://gamevoyages.com/why-did-among-us-lose-its-popularity/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-30