Overwatch is Blizzard’s answer to first person co-op… and it delivers. It’s frantic and cartoonish, yet well balanced. In 6v6 rounds, utilize over the top weaponry and powers to complete missions or eliminate the opposing team. 

Play as one of twenty-seven unique heroes each with their own roles. Four different classes are determined by your job– offense, defense, tank, or support. But each hero has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. And honing your skills with your favorite hero is one of the most fun aspects of Overwatch. Construct turrets, run behind players as you heal them, lay down ranged fire as a sniper, or protect your team with an oversized force field. Overwatch has something to offer for every style of play.

Overwatch features eight gameplay modes including escort, control, team deathmatch, and classic deathmatch. Play across fantastical versions of real world cities. With only a moderate amount of gore and less mature content, Overwatch is well suited for players of all ages. 

Tracer time: Zip around as hero Tracer with dual pistols.

D.Va dance: Pilot a mech suit as hero D.Va.

7. Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds

Let’s Play PUBG

Battle royale gameplay was brought back to the shooter genre with Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, also known as PUBG. It’s every man for himself or squad-based co-op as you parachute out of a plane onto a gigantic map. Scavenge for weapons, armor, gear, and vehicles as you’re forced to head toward marked zones.

Hide out in desolate buildings as you loot the best items and guns you can find. Avoid red zones that are about to get air striked, and always remain on the move in the direction of the safe zone. There’s an impending sense of dread with every dash into the open. Every new building you head into could be hiding an enemy player. If you take damage, you can find painkillers and other items to heal yourself while you hide.

With such a huge map, knowing where you’re going and how to get there is important. Little things like closing a door behind you or knowing how far away gunfire's coming from are crucial. Landing in a good spot as you parachute down is part luck, part skill. Keeping track of timing to avoid each new blue circle is necessary. PUBG’s rules and features are what make it fun and challenging. Its quick growth in popularity is a testament to gamers’ love of battle royale.

Looking down-range: With such large distances between players, it’s important to keep an eye out on the horizon.

Terminal velocity: Better land in a good spot and loot quick, or face certain death.

6. Fortnite

Let’s Play Fortnite: Battle Royale

Fortnite is the newest sandbox co-op survival game. You build fortifications to defend objectives on teams of up to four players. Fortnite’s battle royale mode is really where the game shines. It’s more about staying alive than racking up kills.

Described as “Minecraft meets Left 4 Dead,” Fortnite focuses on scavenging, crafting, and building in order to take out enemies. Level up and go after loot boxes to unlock new attributes and skills. 

Improving your character’s ‘schematics’ (building plans you find scattered across the maps) is necessary for survival. Scavenge the right resources and you’ll build out better configurations. Place lethal traps, launch pads, sentries, and healing pads anywhere. With procedurally generated maps and loot, every match is a totally unique experience.

The developers have been releasing new game modes every month. Upgrades for the look of your character and schematics are available through challenges and microtransactions. With its constantly expanding choice of game modes, Fortnite has quickly become a popular phenomenon. It’s an instant multiplayer classic.

Stay away from the walls: Enemies may be hiding in fortified buildings as you’re forced into a safe zone.

Going solo: Be the last player or squad alive in Fortnite’s Battle Royale spin-off. 

5. Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Multiplayer Gameplay

Destiny 2 is a strong sequel that improved the story and all around gameplay of the first installment. Anyone who has played Halo will be comfortable in this more RPG heavy, magical, space-opera shooter. It’s an online-only, multiplayer and solo adventure combining co-op and competitive modes. Destiny 2 is full of endless exploration, looting, and non-stop combat.

Warp around maps slicing and shooting aliens, robots, and other players in objective-driven PvE (player vs. environment) and PvP modes. Interplanetary maps are bigger than the original’s– beautiful, dark, and dangerous. Combine overpowered special abilities and brutal melee attacks against live opponents and NPC’s in a variety of game modes including three-player PvE strikes and four-player PvP modes.

The three different player classes are  are back– Warlock, Hunter, and Titan. Each has its own subclasses with unique special abilities– like a devastating arc-strider staff, insane void ball, or a savage shoulder charge. No matter which class you preferfancy, they’re all about dealing heavy damage in their own way. Futuristic weapons and grenades break down into different into new types: kinetic, power, and energy. New content and missions have been released in expansion packs, and special new game modes appear periodically. 

There are a lot of customization options as you level up and collect. Everything from changing the way your jump works to the types of grenades you carry. With so much to explore alongside constant updates, Destiny 2 is a massive universe to conquer.

Wield that shield: The Titan Sentinel uses his void shield to repel an incoming attack.

Enemy territory: NPC enemies encountered in PvE modes are powerful and aggressive.

4. Insurgency Sandstorm

Insurgency Sandstorm new E3 gameplay

The sequel to the successful indie tactical shooter, Insurgency Sandstorm brings realism to the multiplayer scene. The game focuses on realistic weapon behavior and lifelike gameplay in co-op and competitive objective-based modes.

Insurgency is defined by its minimalism. In Sandstorm, your HUD will not display ammo count, health, orand radar. Plus… no crosshairs. Based on alpha footage, Sandstorm feels a lot like the original– intense and visceral. There are new improvements like being able to interact with elements in the environment. Plus a graphics upgrade with Unreal Engine 4. You’ll also be able to choose the voice of your character. Play different roles on the squad. Call in support like air strikes and drones.

In the new Insurgency you’ll be able to use vehicles. Many will have heavy, mounted weapons. With its minimalistic approach, Sandstorm is about learning maps and using strategy instead of a radar to find the enemy. Choose from a ton of real-world, modern weapons. Customize and equip them with sights, tracer rounds, compensators, and flash hiders. With 5 million players enjoying the original, keep an eye out for this hit indie sequel when it drops in September.

Danger close: Air strikes can be called in by squad commanders.

Smoke him: Hop on a mounted machine gun to deal major damage.

3. Battlefield 5

Battlefield 5 multiplayer gameplay

Battlefield 5 will be released late this year, and based on the amount of players in Battlefield 4, we anticipate this being another hit for the franchise. Find yourself back in the middle of World War II torn Europe in frantic new multiplayer game modes. Battlefield 5 introduces ‘Grand Operations,’ a more massive multiplayer campaign that lasts days.

The Battlefield series has always stood out from other military sims. It’s exceptionally designed with well-balanced modes, massive maps, and epic sound effects. Battlefield 5 looks to be no exception, back with new innovative modes, but tougher and less forgiving gameplay. If you’ve played any recent Battlefield title, you’ve felt the thrill of flanking unsuspecting squads or hustling across wide areas unseen to reach objectives. Spotting enemies from a thousand yards and taking them out as you parachute down from the sky.

Ammo is scarcer this time around. But now anyone can revive a teammate. Enemy marking has been eliminated. But flares can be used for a similar purpose. So far it’s been called the biggest game-changer in the Battlefield series.

Watch the world burn: Pushing forward to capture the next objective.

Destructible environments: The developers have taken destruction to the next level.

2. Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Let’s play Star Wars Battlefront 2 multiplayer

Coming in at number two is Star Wars Battlefront 2. It’s easy to love a multiplayer title that brings together your favorite Star Wars heroes and weapons. This time they even featured locations and vehicles from the prequel films.

Playable heroes (and villains) include Yoda, Rey, Boba Fett, and fan favorite Darth Maul. Sound effects are on-point and the action looks beautiful, built on the Frostbite engine. There’s nothing quite like decimating a room full of enemies with a lightsaber. Or flying around with a jetpack and blasting away as Boba Fett.

There are up to nine multiplayer modes including capture the flag and heroes versus villains. One game mode that stands out for its epic space battles is Starfighter Assault. Take control of an assortment of recognizable vehicles. Build up Battle Points to unlock heroes and craft. With well-designed maps and polished gameplay, this entry into the Battlefront franchise is a winner.

Looks familiar: Finally, we get to play maps from the prequel films.

Not without a fight: Darth Maul is a playable villain.  

1. Counterstrike: Global Offensive

CS:GO best pro plays of 2017

Arguably the best multiplayer first person shooter of all time, Counterstrike was revamped in 2012 as Global Offensive. Choose the terrorist or counter-terrorist team in simple bomb or hostage objectives. Perfect in its simplicity and devilishly fun, CS:GO has stayed popular over the years. It remains one of the top competitive eSports games of all time.

With classic maps ranging from a train depot to an urban office, matches are fast and wild. Play on a team or in deathmatch. Load up on nades and buy rifles, sub machine guns, pistols, or heavy weaponry. Snipers love the AWP rifle for its one shot kill. Personally, I’ve always been one for the Steyr AUG. Rush the enemy or stay behind and pick off players. Defend the bomb you just planted or face defusal. 

There's just something so addictive about the pace of this game. Maps are confined and rounds never last too long. Team cooperation is loose but remains important. Colorful weapon skins are available through microtransactions. CS:GO is a game that can be picked up immediately by beginners or mastered over a decade.

Dust II: Possibly the most classic multiplayer map of all time.

Skin dipping: Weapon skins are collectible and colorful.

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