Lock in with your team and prepare to strategize your way to victory. The battlegrounds here are not won by sheer force. You get a new set of rules to play with when it comes to hero shooters, all while you attempt to gun down the competition. Each player brings a unique ingredient to the recipe. From massive tank-like characters to healers, expect off-the-wall battles filled with enough adrenaline to keep you plugged in until the match concludes.
This list will focus on some of the best hero shooters we’ve played. Of course, we’re going to be focusing on games that you can also play right now. Even if you don’t necessarily agree with our rankings, hopefully you’ll find a new hero shooter here to scratch that itch.
#11 Gigantic: Rampage Edition
Platforms: PS5, PS4, XBO, X/S, PC
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
We’re starting out with a MOBA because there have been plenty of them over the years that have tried to take supremacy away from Riot Games…and have failed miserably. Just saying. Anyway, Gigantic: Rampage Edition is the “definitive version” of the original 5v5 MOBA, and it has plenty of things for you to do inside.
Aside from picking from a classic yet varied lineup of “epic heroes,” your goal isn’t just to take the enemy team down but to take down the massive Guardian that’s protecting their base! If you can do that before the rival team takes down yours, you’ll win!
Pick the right hero for you, upgrade their skills over time and have at it!
#10 Strinova
Platforms: PC
Release Date: November 21, 2024
Sometimes, you need a simple mechanic to make a game pop, and Strinova figured that out while also nailing the visual aesthetic it wants to be. As you can tell, the game is anime-styled, which means that the characters you’ll have in the roster will feature a certain “feel” to them. However, the twist is that these characters can change their “spatial dimensions” to go from 3D to 2D! Yes, this is real.
That means that the combat mechanics and traversal abilities of your characters will be more fluid and prominent, and you’ll want to use them in good balance to get to new locations, dodge attacks, and more.
#9 SUPERVIVE
Platforms: PC
Release Date: November 20, 2024
MOBA titles are one of the pillars of the “hero shooter” community because they offer you the chance to team up in squads and take on other squads while also unleashing special abilities and completing tasks assigned to you. SUPERVIVE comes from a veteran team, and they’ve built a game that is about skill and using your squad’s abilities to the fullest.
With 16 heroes to play, you will have options on how to take on foes. Speed and precision are key here, but you’ll also have the option to go full force on them to see just how much your enemies can take!
#8 Farlight 84
Platforms: PC
Release Date: September 21, 2023
You’ll find that many of these titles try to “spice things up” in ways that make them stand out from the other games we’ll list. Farlight 84 does that in multiple ways, including offering pets on the battlefield that you can summon to help you out and defeat foes with ease. Oh, and that’s just one of the things that helps set the game apart.
For example, are you tired of being exposed in an open area while you try to figure things out? You can open a portable bunker to help you out! Plus, there’s the Jetslide feature and more! So, try out this battle royale and see how it goes for you.
#7 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Platforms: PS4, PS5, XBO, X/S, PC
Release Date: December 1, 2015
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
Some of you might confused that we’re saying Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is a “hero shooter.” However, it’s not specifically us saying that. Many other people have said that over the years, and when you think about it, the “Operators” that continually get added to the game are just like the “heroes” from these other titles. Plus, like certain other games on this list, it’s all about teamwork and tactical strategies to get the job done and defeat your opponent.
Ubisoft has been updating the game for nearly a decade now, and it remains one of the best tactical shooters on the market.
#6 Paladins
Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
After a certain game, that we’ll talk about later came out and rocked the team shooter/hero shooter world, many other titles soon popped up to try and “steal its thunder.” Or, more accurately, steal players so they would play this title instead of that one. Paladins was one such game, and you can very easily see the inspirations that it took from that “other game.”
However, to its credit, it has managed to carve out a place in the shooter world, including having a massive roster of 50 character to play as and see what one fits you the best.
Add that to fun customization elements, and this is more than just a “simple clone.”
#5 Team Fortress 2
Platforms: PC, 360, PS3
Release Date: October 10, 2007
When a title has been around for almost 20 years and is still fun to play? You know the team has done something right. Valve always does right by its games, and Team Fortress 2 is the pinnacle of that in many players’ minds. The title is hilarious, action-packed, and dumb in all the best ways, but fans truly can’t get enough.
The game is simple: you play as a mercenary on one of two teams and attempt to take out the other side so you can get the victory. While many are sad that we’ll never get a third entry to take things up to the next level, many more are glad this one continues to live on.
#4 Quake Champions
Platforms: PC
Release Date: August 18, 2022
Ah, yes, another one of the OGs that you can’t help but love. Quake Champions is a game that was technically released in 2022, but it was based on past titles and the gameplay that helped solidify online gameplay as a whole. Plus, all they did was just add champion characters to the mix to make things feel “fresh.” Thus, it’s a mix of old and new, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Once you dive into a matchup, you’ll be moving fast and hoping to keep up with everything else going on around you. So, use your jumps as well as your shots. You’ll need them.
#3 Valorant
Platforms: PC, PS5, X/S
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Epic | PlayStation | Xbox
What separates the best games on this list from the lesser ones is not just quality but focus. It’s really easy to make a generic team shooter or hero shooter, but for titles like Valorant, it specializes in making gameplay fun and anything but predictable. In the game, tactics matter just as much as your heroes, as you’ll play 13 rounds against enemy opposition and have to mind your position and status as you attempt to attack the enemy’s base while defending yours.
As the rounds tick on, your tactics must become more refined so you can handle everything that comes at you and come out on top. If that sounds fun, load up and jump in!
#2 Apex Legends
Platforms: PS4, PC, XBO, NS, PS5, X/S
Release Date: February 4, 2019
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo
It’s honestly a little hard to believe that Apex Legends has been around since 2019 and hasn’t lost its stride yet. Remember, this was a title that was literally shadow-dropped on gamers and somehow rose to heights that no one could’ve anticipated.
So, why has it done so well? Part of it is because of the fun that was put in it by its dev team and the constant seasons and shifts that make gameplay anything but dull. There’s a true quality here, and since it’s free to play anywhere, even on your phone, fans can’t get enough of it and won’t get enough so long as things keep rolling out.
#1 Marvel Rivals
Platforms: PC, PS5, X/S
Release Date: December 6, 2024
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
Behold…the current GOAT. Yes, nothing tops Marvel Rivals right now, and it’s a beautiful thing. Sure, there are still microtransactions galore in the title, but you don’t NEED them to play or to win, just to look good…or to see certain female heroes in, um, “classy attire.” Yeah, let’s go with that.
The beautiful thing about the title is its simplicity. There are no queue lines or being forced to play someone you don’t want to. Be who you want to be from the Marvel universe, and go nuts!
Plus, the team at NetEase listens to their fans and is providing constant updates and DLC characters! So enjoy this and be ready for what’s coming next!
Bonus Picks
Of course, we noted that the list would focus on games you can play today. But we would feel amiss not to mention a couple that has since been closed down.
Lawbreakers
The first of the “Gone but Not Forgotten” titles is actually one you might have forgotten about: Lawbreakers. This was the title that Cliffy B. himself did, and he wanted to “change the FPS game” by making it one where gravity was just an “optional” thing. In practice, it was actually kind of fun to fly around and shoot at players from all angles, and a lot of people agreed with that sentiment.
The catch? Well, the game didn’t sell that well. Like, at all. The game lasted just one year before being shut down. It may have been “doomed from the start” in some ways, but we appreciate the effort.
Overwatch
Heh. Yeah, we’re talking about Overwatch because how could we NOT talk about this game and the freefall that it’s been in since Activision Blizzard decided to do a sequel instead of just continuing to let the game run ad nauseam?
This was the game that was actually supposed to be Blizzard’s next big MMO, got scrapped, turned into a team shooter, and became the biggest thing in gaming for YEARS! It won Game of the Year, several characters became iconic in the pop culture sphere, and the game was really fun to play!
Then, the sequel came along and everything was so terrible that when Marvel came in with its title, fans screamed “Hallelujah.”
