Ostheer/OKW have the biggest playerbase within the community. Remember that time when OKW went under the major overhaul, everyone came back and almost everyone was exclusively playing as OKW.
OST, the most popular faction of all, is utterly hopeless and, not surprisingly, the playerbase is shrinking too fast due to the massive balance issues and useless units/abilities plaguing the game.
USF is the third popular faction and thank god they released some DLCs to keep it remotely competitive, we will have to wait and see the callie nerfs though.
The SU is incredibly boring now, you are either forced to go with op DOCs or just troll around with stock units.
The brits seem to be unpopular overall, due to overnerfed late game and some iconic units (cmmandos, Churrhills.)
Yes but it wasn't as widespread as it is now. Even new players who have just installed the game send their first unit to cap the building covering your cutofffu, reserving it for their Mg42/Maxim/Vickers/Sturms/Tommies.
This has always existed since vCoH
Bullshit.