Gaming
Gaming
The best multiplayer shooters of 2025
The genre of first-person shooters is one of the most popular in gaming. Multiplayer shooters in particular are still an absolute hit today. We present the best titles in 2025.
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It's been over 20 years since titles such as Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament and others changed the gaming landscape forever. Multiplayer shooters are still among the most popular titles today and have become an integral part of the top lists of the most-played games. But which games are actually worth playing in 2025? We present the best current multiplayer shooters.
01
Valorant
Just a few of the VALORANT agents
© VALORANT from Riot Games
- Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
With Valorant, League of Legends makers ventured into the multiplayer shooter genre in 2020. Once developed under the codename 'Project A', the game quickly became an absolute mega-hit and is now one of the most influential representatives of its genre. And the most important esports titles par excellence.
Riot Games understands its craft like no other development studio and impressively demonstrates what is important with Valorant: an appealing but not demanding technique. Gameplay that is as simple as it is tactical. And varied characters that appeal to different types of players. The multiplayer hit is ready.
Valorant is a tactical shooter in which two teams of five players compete against each other. The attackers have to plant a bomb and successfully detonate the explosive device, while the defenders try to prevent this or thwart the attackers' entire round.
The title plays with marvellous precision and its varied classes ensure that every round feels fresh and different. Valorant has finally been available on consoles since mid-2024 and is now also causing a sensation on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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02
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / CS2
Counter-Strike went from mod to mass phenomenon
© Valve
- Platforms: PC
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO for short, is a true veteran among multiplayer shooters, which proves how timeless the gameplay of the tactical shooter really is. Released back in 2012, the free-to-play game was recently given an extensive update and a makeover with Counter-Strike 2 .
The roots of CS go back even further. Since the turn of the millennium, Counter Terrorists (CTs) have been competing against Terrorists (T) in this online game to prevent a bomb from being planted and detonated. Or to ensure exactly that when you are on the attack.
A firm favourite in esports and one of the most-played games on Steam week after week.
- The history of CS:GO: In our film 'Memories of CS:GO - The Early Years' , we take a look back at the glorious years of the shooter legend. Find out more about the background to the evergreen that has shaped gaming history.
1 h 28 min
Memories of CS:GO – The Early Years
Reminiscing on CS:GO's golden age while embracing Counter-Strike 2, featuring interviews from key players.
03
Apex Legends
Each character in Apex Legends has unique skills
© Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Take a classic battle royale game, mix it with a good pinch of hero shooter and you have a multiplayer hit. Apex Legends captured the hearts of shooter fans around the world with its surprise release on 4 February 2019 and has lost none of its fascination to this day.
There are several reasons for this. There are, of course, the eponymous legends, the game's characters, all of whom boast unique abilities. Combined with the varied maps and fast pace of play, this results in a unique mix of genres that you won't find in any other shooter.
This makes the title particularly interesting for those who are not very fond of classic battle royale games. Thanks to cross-play, you can even play the game with your friends across platforms.
04
The Finals
The Finals is a genuine revolution in the FPS genre
© Embark Studios
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Embark's multiplayer shooter The Finals also became a real hit within a very short time of its release and set one player record after another.
In the meantime, the air has gone out of it a little. And that's a shame, because The Finals is absolutely unique in today's shooter landscape. Why? Well, the game offers completely destructible environments.
So while you fight your way through the casinos of Las Vegas, the skyscrapers of Seoul or picturesque pagodas in Kyoto at the start of a round, by the end of a game almost no stone is left standing.
This of course opens up unique possibilities. Whether you are destroying defenders' defences or defending the cashout yourself with the help of debris - no two rounds in The Finals are the same.
Varied game modes, three excellently balanced classes, a wide-ranging arsenal and outstanding gunplay characterise the shooter, which entered its fourth season in September 2024.
- From CS:GO to Valorant: Michaela 'mimi' Lintrup is one of the best-known players and content creators in the world. In our show'Esports Unfold', she talks about the influence her family has had on her esports and streaming career.
8 min
Unfold mimi's success story
From CS:GO queen to Valorant leader, mimi redefines women's esports.
05
Rainbow Six: Siege
Rainbow Six Siege shows that the Games as a Service concept works.
© Ubisoft
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Rainbow Six: Siege is also an absolutely unique game in the genre of multiplayer shooters. If you prioritise the tactical depth of a game over the speed of play, then this long-running hit, which was released in 2015, is just right for you.
It is no coincidence that the Ubisoft game is celebrated as one of the best multiplayer shooters of all time and is regularly updated with new content even today, around nine years after its release.
Over 70 characters, known as operators, are now available to fight for victory in the exciting 5-on-5 matches. While the defenders do everything they can to prevent the opposing team from reaching the objective, the attackers must try to reach one of the objectives and, for example, rescue hostages, secure biohazard containers or defuse one of two bombs.
A special feature of Siege is that, unlike most other games, there is no respawn. One life, one chance to fulfil the objective. As a result, rounds often only last a few minutes, which encourages intense, tactical gameplay.
06
Call of Duty Multiplayer and Battle Royale
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Price is hot
© Activision
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Call of Duty has also been one of the most popular and biggest shooter franchises for many years. New series instalments and content updates are regularly released, delighting fans and generating new players.
For some years now, the games have been divided into the classic multiplayer part, in which there are various varied game modes to choose from, the co-op mode and the battle royale offshoot Warzone. So there's something for every type of player. And hey: with Black Ops 6, the next spin-off is already coming on 25 October 2024.
07
PUBG: Battlegrounds
The history of PUBG
© PUBG Corp.
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, iPadOS, Android
PUBG: Battlegrounds kicked off the battle royale shooter genre in 2017 and had a lasting impact on the gaming landscape.
The game is still incredibly popular today, especially on PC. There are still up to 300,000 players on the servers every month. This is of course also due to the fact that the game is free to download thanks to the free-to-play model.
The gameplay is all too familiar: You can choose to fight alone or in teams of two or four on a huge, open map until only you (or your team) are left. Equipment, items and the like have to be found and collected over the course of a round.
Yes, there are battle royale games that have refined the gameplay considerably. But sometimes nothing beats the original, right?
08
Destiny 2
Destiny 2
© Activision Blizzard
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Destiny 2 from former Halo developers Bungie was released at almost the same time as PUBG: Battlegrounds, but takes a completely different direction in terms of gameplay. Especially as the game has reinvented itself again and again over the years.
The shooter now boasts a huge selection of game modes and activities. From a classic co-operative campaign to competitive multiplayer modes. Thanks to the unique sci-fi setting and the wonderfully successful gunplay, Destiny 2 is an absolute perennial favourite that will probably still be playing a role in a few years' time.
09
Hunt: Showdown
Dark and brooding, there’s a foreboding feeling to Hunt: Showdown
© Crytek
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbos Series X/S
Hunt: Showdown belongs to the PvPvE shooter genre. In the game, you not only take on other players, but also nasty AI threats.
However, the game's speciality lies in its setting. Set in a fictional western fantasy scenario in the year 1895, the game combines Wild West action with a good dose of fantasy to create a mix that you won't find in any other game.
With Hunt: Showdown 1896, there is now a remastered version with improved technology, new game mechanics and a completely fresh game world - and finally also for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
10
BattleBit Remastered
BattleBit Remastered: This is how good the current Steam hit is
© SgtOkiDoki
- Platforms: PC
Do you remember when the Battlefield games were really good? With Bad Company 2 and all that? Yeah... that was a while ago.
BattleBit Remastered brings back the classic gameplay: huge battles (with up to 254 players) on gigantic maps, lots of vehicles and aeroplanes and a convincing selection of maps, items and gadgets. The gameplay is wonderfully beginner-friendly, so that even genre newcomers get their money's worth.
The title combines all of this with low-poly graphics, which certainly won't win any beauty prizes, but fits the gameplay perfectly. This means that the game also runs on older computers. For just around 15 euros, BattleBit Remastered is definitely worth a look.
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