What are the best FPS games? The first-person shooter genre continues to grow rapidly but putting together a list of its best titles is no easy task. With some leading the way even after more than decade, others we have chosen are new to the scene but are no less impactful. From hardcore tactical shooters like Valorant to behemoths like Call of Duty Warzone, this is our list of the best FPS games in July 2023.
Nailing an FPS game is no easy task, and the developers behind these games are experts in their craft. While the best PS5 FPS games and the best Xbox FPS games are often criticized for being samey or looking generic, we couldn’t disagree more, and this list proves it. We’d even rank some of them among the best games of all time. Here are our favorite shooters on Xbox, PS5, and PC right now.
The best FPS games are:
- Valorant
- Overwatch 2
- Halo Infinite
- Apex Legends
- Doom Eternal
- Destiny 2
- Call of Duty Warzone
- Escape From Tarkov
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Rainbow Six Siege
- XDefiant
1. Valorant
Released in 2020, Riot Games’ Valorant is a competitive 5v5 character-based FPS where players combine precise gunplay with their agent’s unique abilities. With the choice of more than 20 agents, split across four roles, team composition makes all the difference. You’ll need to choose your agent carefully, but if you’re new to the game, we recommend taking a look at our Valorant tier list first.
With the average unrated or Valorant ranked match lasting around 40 minutes, the game also offers various other modes such as Swiftplay and Spike Rush if you want a quicker experience.
With new content being released each season – whether that is a new map or new agent – Valorant is one of the best competitive FPS games while also being perfect for new players.
Valorant is currently only available on PC, but a Valorant Xbox and PS5 port has been bubbling away in the background at Riot for some time now.
2. Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is one of the most popular free shooting games on the market right now, largely due to the way the original game shaped the hero shooter genre all those years ago.
Despite it being another game where you pick heroes who combine gunplay and abilities to their advantage, Overwatch 2 relies on teamwork and team composition in its now 5v5 layout. With more than 30 heroes split into tank, DPS, and support roles, players can adapt their team’s line-up to counter their enemies. Our Overwatch 2 tier list explains more.
Whether you decide to take on the Overwatch 2 ranks or play casually in Quick Play or Arcade, the game offers a unique gaming experience for fans of the FPS genre.
Overwatch 2 is available on all major platforms.
3. Halo Infinite
Despite the first instalment of the Halo franchise, Halo: Combat Evolved being released in 2001, the series has stood the test of time for the FPS genre. Since then, the franchise has evolved with eight additional games being released over the past twenty years, including Halo Infinite.
This 2021 game includes a sprawling open world for you to enjoy, as well as new gadgets to try out and a range of vehicles that you can pilot. The game’s campaign is stunning (something you can read more about in our Halo Infinite review) and will keep you entertained for hours.
The multiplayer is free-to-play and features dozens of popular game modes, as well as Forge. There’s certainly a lot to sink your teeth into, especially with new seasonal content to keep up with.
Halo Infinite is available on PC and Xbox.
4. Apex Legends
With perhaps the most diverse cast of characters in the FPS genre, Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale which traditionally pits teams of three against each other.
Like other hero-based shooters on this list, Apex features over 20 legends, all of which have their own abilities and ultimates. While all are viable while climbing the Apex Legends ranks, newcomers might want to pick the ones from the top of the Apex Legends tier list to get the best out of their games.
The game is regularly updated and features a whole host of extras, from limited time game modes, cosmetics, and events. It is undoubtedly one of the best battle royale games on the market and one you should try.
Apex Legends is available on all major platforms.
5. Doom Eternal
We can’t have a best FPS games list without a Doom title, can we? Doom Eternal takes everything we loved from the 1993 original and improves on it, giving the series a sleek new finish.
You’ll still need to shoot everything in sight with metal music blasting away in the background, but this time you’ll be able to cycle through a wide range of weapons and travel across multiple different environments.
As well as an exhilarating single-player campaign, Doom Eternal also features a multiplayer mode called Doom Slayer. It’s a must play for anyone who loves old school FPS games.
Doom Eternal is available on all major platforms.
6. Destiny 2
Bungie’s hit FPS game is perfect for fans of space, gunplay, and a whole lot of lore. With a narrative that is still evolving from the original game, there is a lot to wrap your head around in Destiny 2. But, once you are up to date, it is an excellent story-driven game.
If that’s not your thing, then don’t worry. Destiny 2 offers great gunplay, puzzles, and secrets, as well as a solid PvP mode that you can test your skills in.
New starters will want to check out our best Destiny 2 warlock build, Destiny 2 titan build, and Destiny 2 hunter build before they enter their first raid, though.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, Xbox, and PS4/5.
7. Call of Duty: Warzone
A list for the best FPS games would not be complete without a Call of Duty game, so we’ve opted for Warzone, a free-to-play battle royale. Here, 150 players drop into a sprawling map – Al Mazrah, Ashika Island, or Vondel – in an attempt to be crowned the last one standing.
With a second chance feature offered by the gulag – a 1v1 arena – and events like jailbreak, which bring all dead players back into the game, you have multiple chances at success. Loadout drops allow you to gather your resources and pick up the best Warzone guns, and supply crates will let you pick up things like ammunition and killstreaks.
Warzone is a fast paced battle royale with realistic gunplay and an ever-changing Warzone meta. It’s arguably one of the most popular battle royale games out there and one of the best to play with friends.
You can play Warzone 2 on all major platforms.
8. Escape from Tarkov
Set in a world where a war is taking place between two private military companies, Escape from Tarkov is a tactical FPS game where survival is key.
You’ll chose to enter one of many Escape From Tarkov maps in a single raid and have to loot your way to victory. Loot is a vital component in this hardcore extraction shooter, but when you’re fighting over resources with other players and AI, you’ll quickly discover that the lands of Tarkov are very dangerous indeed.
Escape From Tarkov is perfect for FPS players who like to think about strategy. Whether you’re playing in a team or by alone, you’ll need to stay one step ahead of your opponents in order to stay alive and extract. You can hone your skills playing as a Scav, which also allows you to build up your stash of equipment to use with your main characters, but be aware that the game, regardless of how you play it, is difficult.
Escape From Tarkov is only available on PC, although a spin-off title set to satisfy the desire of competitive players will be launched soon. You can find out more about this in our Escape From Tarkov Arena release date guide.
9. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS:GO is one of the oldest FPS games on this list, but that’s not slowed it down at all, especially with Counter-Strike 2 release date on the horizon. A hugely popular competitive title, CS:GO is a 5v5 tactical FPS where players, split into either Counter-Terrorists or Terrorists have to plant a bomb or defend a site to gain the upper hand.
Teamplay and communication is important here, as each team will need to work together to attack one of two sites, call out the location of enemy players, and split their in-game money earned over the course of 30 rounds to buy better guns.
While the game can be played casually, most players play competitively to work their way up the CS:GO ranks, putting them in more difficult matches as time goes on.
CS:GO is only available on PC.
10. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
This online tactical FPS allows players to choose from a variety of operators (all with unique weapons and gadgets) in this 5v5 competitive game. You’ll need to work together as a team to both attack and defend set areas in order to win rounds in Rainbow Six Siege.
While this sounds a little like CS:GO, in Siege you’ll have several different abilities at your disposal, and the defending team can fortify their sites to make the attacking team’s position more difficult.
This, of course, puts an emphasis on destruction, so you’ll need to watch your six if you’re looking to stay alive. The added elements of droning and rappelling keeps you on your toes, especially when enemies are using the best Rainbow Six Siege operators in-game.
11. XDefiant
Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter XDefiant has already cemented itself as one of the best FPS games you can play right now if you’re looking for some fast-paced PvP action. With an already stellar roster of XDefiant weapons and XDefiant classes that’s only going to get bigger as time goes on, there’s a great deal of variety and features to get to grips with.
If you’re a fan of fast-paced FPS games that hearken back to older Call of Duty titles, then XDefiant will certainly be for you. However, with a strong suite of XDefiant game modes, it also comes for a piece of Overwatch’s pie, with more progressive objective modes to boot, like Escort.
So there you have it, our list of the best FPS games currently available to play now. If you’re looking for more recommendations on a specific platform, make sure to check out our list of the best Xbox FPS games, the best PS5 FPS games, and the best Switch FPS games. They all feature a different selection to the ones above, and we all know that variety is the spice of life, right?
