What are the best competitive FPS games right now? There’s nothing better than dominating lobbies in some of the best competitive FPS games. These games, regardless of whether they’re new or old, ignite a fire in the belly of most players and challenge you to top leaderboards, climb ranks, or sometimes just humiliate opponents.
From old classics like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, to annual staples like Call of Duty, to more recent challengers like Valorant, many of these shooters rank among the best games of all time. Picking the right one, however, can be a fairly challenging task in itself. Luckily for you, we have compiled the best competitive FPS shooters you can grind right now. Warm up those hands, perfect your slide-cancelling, and practice those flick shots because these games will certainly get your blood pumping.
The best competitive FPS games are:
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty Warzone
- CS:GO
- Escape From Tarkov
- Overwatch 2
- PUBG
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Valorant
- XDefiant
- Fortnite
Apex Legends
Respawn Entertainment’s entry into the battle royale genre was met with great reception when it was revealed to the public during the spring of 2019. Since then, the development team has kept Apex Legends fresh with seasonal updates and limited-time modes.
One of the best features of the game is its ranked mode. With dynamic Apex Legends ranks, players can face off against similarly-skilled opponents and climb all the way to Apex Predator.
The gunplay and movement in this game makes it one of the best competitive FPS games out there right now. Plus, with plenty of casual modes as well, there are lots of alternatives you can turn to if the heat of ranked play gets a bit too hot.
Call of Duty: Warzone
We can’t have a best FPS list without a Call of Duty game, can we? Warzone is the standout mode from the franchise in recent years and anyone who’s played it will understand why, especially with the changes that have been made over recent months.
Warzone offers players the chance to play the more tactical battle royale mode and the more fast-paced Resurgence mode on three diverse maps: Al Mazrah, Ashika Island, and Vondel. You can drop in as a squad of up to four players, or head in solo. There is also DMZ mode, the PvPvE extraction shooter experience, to enjoy as well.
Warzone also now has a dedicated ranked mode for a proper competitive experience. Some items are restricted to keep things even more competitive, and you’ll be playing against the best battle royale players out there on your journey to the top of the ranked ladder. Make sure before you head in, you’ve got the best Warzone loadout possible!
CS:GO
Regarded as one of the greatest shooters of all time, Counter-Strike Global Offensive has been the premier tactical shooter since it released all the way back in 2012. With Counter-Strike 2 on the way, there’s even more on the horizon. While there are several casual modes, the real competitive challenge is climbing the CS:GO ranks.
However, you’ll need to have a steady hand if you want to make your way to Global Elite. Aim is what separates some of the top players from the rest in CS:GO, and if you’re not prepared to learn the angles, you’re going to come up short.
Learning plays for online games like this might sound taxing, but when you get it right, there’s really no better feeling. The likelihood of CS:GO or CS2 coming to consoles is low, but we can’t not have a list of the best competitive FPS games without a nod to Valve’s masterpiece.
Escape From Tarkov
Battlestate Games’ Escape From Tarkov isn’t your traditional competitive FPS, but it’ll certainly put your skills to the test. In this hardcore realistic shooter, you’ll be tasked with completing quests and looting, all while coming under fire from other players and AI Scav raiders. It is the genesis of the tactical shooter genre – something many developers now want to cash in on.
While there’s no ranking system in Escape From Tarkov, hardcore players live for the day they can claim their Kappa secure container, a 3×4 pouch that can only be obtained by completing the bulk of the game’s complicated quests. Getting the best loot is the goal you’re chasing.
The game still offers a decent challenge if you can’t be bothered to grind the quest line. If you’re a good shot, you’ll relish the opportunity of thinking on your feet and defeating enemies in exhilarating engagements. Use our Escape From Tarkov beginner’s guide if you’re interested in getting started. Like CS:GO, Tarkov is sadly only on PC for now, but we’ve got our fingers crossed for a console version one day.
Overwatch 2
Blizzard’s foray into the FPS genre with Overwatch certainly caught people by surprise, but for all the right reasons, and its sequel builds on this. Overwatch 2 is a great shooter, but instead of relying on individual skill, it relies on team play and composition.
Players will need to pick one of the Overwatch 2 heroes from three roles: damage, tank, and support, and finding the right blend of these characters is key to victory. As such, players will need to hone their skills with a few select characters to have a real impact in the game.
Once your skills are up to scratch and you’ve got the best Overwatch 2 crosshair settings, make sure to check out the Overwatch 2 competitive ranks. The competitive playlist can, at times, be frustrating, but it you have a good team that knows what they’re doing, it can lead to exciting match ups that’ll have you flexing your skills in no time.
PUBG
PUBG is the ultimate battle royale game. First launched in 2017, the game catapulted the genre into stardom. With third-person and first-person modes, PUBG offers players a chance to experience grisly king of the hill battles across a variety of different maps that’ll test different aspects of your skill set.
The game might have fallen behind newer battle royale games, such as Warzone and Apex Legends, but it still has a loyal following who put their skills to test in PUBG ranked.
While it gets an unfair reputation as an old or outdated game, PUBG is still delivering regular new content and is consistently improving the overall experience.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you love big brain plays, you’ll love Rainbow Six Siege. This tactical shooter rewards strategic thinkers with a penchant for team play and communication. While there are set plays for taking and defending sites, Siege’s offering of dozens of operators, who all have unique abilities, make the game’s multiplayer mode one of the best games out there right now.
From the droning and preparation stage, to blowing up holes in the ceilings and walls, Siege can be played differently with every game.
Sure, Rainbow Six Siege ranked can be a little bit sweaty at times, but if you’ve got a good aim, a microphone, and a desire to learn, you’ll pick things up fast.
Valorant
Right from the word ‘go’, Valorant has been a storming success. Riot Games has used the best bits of CS:GO and Overwatch for this tactical team-based shooter, and it’s something of a masterpiece.
The ultimate test of course comes in the form of climbing the Valorant ranks. Valorant’s ranked mode is one of gaming’s toughest gauntlets, but even if you’re hard-stuck in Silver, you’re gonna have fun with a diverse roster of agents and plenty of different maps to master.
While it’s only on PC at the moment, Riot has been working away at a console port for a while now, so it hopefully won’t be long until a Valorant Xbox and PS5 version arrives.
XDefiant
After a series of beta periods, Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter XDefiant has cemented itself as one of the best competitive FPS games right now. With a strong roster of XDefiant weapons and XDefiant classes, there’s lots of variety when it comes to the XDefiant meta.
Calling back to the so-called glory days of older Call of Duty titles, XDefiant’s gameplay is fast-paced, tactical, yet accessible for newer players. If you’re a fan of frantic FPS games that will put your reflexes and map knowledge to the test, then XDefiant is for you.
Fortnite
Fortnite is a lot of things – a casual hangout with friends, a creative tool for building amazing experiences, or just a massive collection of crossovers and cosmetics. But at it’s roots, it’s one of the best competitive FPS games. “Wait,” we hear you cry, “isn’t Forntite a third-person shooter?”. Yes, it is. However, a first-person mode is coming, so we’re going to cheat a bit here.
As well as offering excellent gameplay, it’s free-to-play with an excellent seasonal structure that means there’s constantly something new and exciting to experience. You really can’t go wrong with Fortnite.
So there you have it, those are are best competitive FPS games in 2023. You also might want to read our guide on the best free shooting games, which’ll give you some options you can enjoy without spending a dime. Have fun!
