With a mix of new releases and updates, 2024 has become one of the most remarkable years for hero shooters. From even the early days ofmultiplayer shooters, players have loved to dive into multiplayer experiences where there is a variety of different classes to experiment with. Different kits, abilities, and skill articulations allow different people to fit into their preferred roles, making hero shooters some of the most intriguingmultiplayerexperiences in gaming.
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It can be daunting to choose the Hero Shooter that’s right for you. But with the variety of Hero Shooters on the market, of which most are also free to play, there’s seemingly a hero shooter out there for anyone. So, as it’sthe year of the hero shooter, we thought it best to run through the best options that gamers have at their disposal in 2024!
Fresh But Needs Some Love
OpenCritic Score:
TBA/Open Beta
Price On Steam:
Launching later this year for $40 and currently open with a pre-purchase beta (or free with PlayStation Plus),Concordhas revealed itself from behind the curtain with a small amount of applause and some boos, already being surpassed greatly in player count byMarvel Rivals. Pessimistic theorizing aside,it’s still a very ambitious, story-focused hero shooter aiming to pick up a piece of this huge genre.
TheGuardians of the Galaxy inspirationoffers this game world depth and character.Additionally, the gunplay and game design are high quality, and if this game can patch up its rougher aspects, it could pick itself back up after a shaky pre-launch period.Sadly, the hype train forConcordisn’t currently, and was never, where the creators had planned it to be, but it may be worth checking out for fans of the hero shooter genre.
One Of Free-To-Play’s Finest
Regarding free-to-play services,Warframeis one of the unique and longest-running games. There are numerous reasons to playWarframe:funcombat, loot collection, the sci-fi cast of playable characters, and steady progression systems.
Unlike many other games on this list,Warframeharnessesco-opand multiplayer PVP functionality, akin to games likeDestiny. So, while many hero shooters have you working on an infinite grind of multiplayer PVP matchmaking,Warframebenefits by giving players a long mission grind to work their way through.Warframeis a hero shooter that’s an easy recommendation forMMOandDestinyfans, with tons of content to dive into.
8Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
COD’s Best Attempt At A Hero Shooter
$59.99 ($14.99 Multiplayer Only)
You may wonder whatBlack Ops 3is doing on this list. Although it feels old, that’s mostly due to the comparisons to the8 Call of Duty gamesthat have been released since. PlayingBlack Ops 3in 2024,you’ll find a heavy community of veterans wall-running and grinding through guns as though the game just came out.
The specialist system allows you to play as many different and unique characters with their own kits, giving this futuristicCall of DutyMultiplayer its shine. Alongside a futuristic movement system, still one of themost playedCall of Duty Zombiemodes, and a huge amount of weapons and unlockables to grind out, even in 2024,Black Ops 3is a great time.
7Rainbow Six Siege
A Tactical Stress-Inducing Title
Since its launch in 2015,Rainbow Six Siegehas amassed a community of skillful and knowledgeable players. By bringing more hardcore and difficult gaming systems to mainstream audiences,Siegehas continued to be one of the most popular tactical 5v5 shooters.
In recent years, streamers like the popularJynxzihave brought even more life to this intriguing shooter, which seemed to have been neglected.Although the game requires immense map, operator,and gameplay knowledge, learning those complex systems brings people back to the rewarding feeling of tactically reading opponents.
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Hero Shooter Meets Counter-Strike
Price From Riot Games:
Valorantholds an interesting place within the hero shooter genre, taking inspiration fromCounter-Strikewith its surgical search-and-destroy gameplay.Valorantholds a strong competitive community, with players perfecting their counter-strafing and map knowledge.While this may makeValoranta scary game to get into, that makes it subsequently rewarding to learn and get good at.
In terms of heroes,Valorantuses them to its advantage to give everyone a competitive edge. So, unlike many other games akin toCounter-Strike, you’ll find everyone holdingdifferent character-centric utilities, which makes the slow, methodical gameplay different from anything else released since then.
5Apex Legends
The Best Battle Royale Hero Shooter
Besides being one of the top free-to-play battle royales on the market,Apex Legendsis also a top hero shooter. Like otherbattle royale games,you’ll have to learn all the locations, the gun system, and, unique toApex, a wider range of unique playable characters.
Then, on top of that, creators at Respawn implemented their incredible movement system used in the relatedTitanfallseries to giveApex Legendsfast-paced gunplay and movement, differentiating it from any other battle royales or hero shooters.
While not the most traditional hero shooter on the market, that only makes it more interesting, especially if you’re coming from battle royales likeWarzoneorFortnite, which have become quite dry for many.Apex Legendsis unique in its different genres, with a strong community that makes it a compelling hero shooter title to check out in 2024.
4Team Fortress 2
The Oldie That’s Still A Goldie
N/A (Not Scored)
There’s not much that hasn’t been said about this now legendary hero shooter.Team Fortress 2is a classic from 2007, and its timeless art style and characters make it a masterpiece. It is tied to Valve’s infamoussource engineand is known for those purchasablehatsthat cost more than a car. In 2024, you’ll still be able to hop in and have fun with this oldie that aged like a fine wine.
Team Fortress 2only has nine playable classes,yet each is significantly unique, with its own range of weapons to customize your playstyle. Sure, through time, there have been community problems, such as the bot fiasco that has plagued servers for years, yet luckily, that issue is currently fixed (all the more reason to hop right now).
Aside from that,the TF2 community has always been strong, special, and welcoming. From rocket jumping to yelling at your teammate to switch off spy, something will always bring us back toTeam Fortress 2.
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But players are still urging others not to buy crates.
2024’s New Hero Shooter For Fast Paced Action
70% Top Critic Average
Price From Ubisoft:
XDefiant, Ubisoft’s response toCall of Duty, was dropped in May of this year and quickly found itself taken in by a supportive community.Despite taking heavyinspiration fromCall of Duty’sboots-on-the-ground combat, the implementation of heroes from Ubisoft IPs, such asWatch DogsandFar Cry,gives it some edge above the competition for many fans of Ubisoft franchises.
XDefiantis a great game if you’re interested inCODweapon grinding, combat, and map design. The multitude of game modes gives this free-to-play shooter a lot of content to explore. Being a solid Hero shooter with enjoyable kits and abilities,XDefianthas something riveting for players in 2024.
2Marvel Rivals
New Multiplayer Super Hero Shooter From Marvel
Marvel Rivalsis one of the new kids on the block, releasing free-to-play this year andcurrently in a limited beta. It sparked everyone’s interest in a newMarvelmultiplayer game and kept everyone watching with its fun and entertaining gameplay.
While taking a lot of inspiration from its peers,primarily Overwatch, it’s also a third-person shooter showcase ofMarveland its characters that works exceptionally well as a hero shooter.
With fan favorites like Spider-Man and lesser-known heroes likeJeff the Land Shark,Rivalshas a solid roster of 23 heroes and villains. While it is hard to say what type oflasting impactthis game will have at launch and over the coming years, it’s certain that in 2024,Rivalswill be one of the top hero shooters in the market.
1Overwatch 2
A Reining Champion Of Hero Shooters
Since its first release in 2016, theOverwatchfranchise has been a leading name in hero shooters. Winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards in 2016, it’s unsurprising that this has remained one of the most recognizable titles in the genre.
By combining Blizzard’stalent for character designand storytelling with a first-person perspective, we were given a game with an interesting premise, great combat, and, most importantly, very distinctive heroes to play as.
Despite theissues surroundingOverwatch2’s launch, you’ll still find a great, free-to-play, polished experience with one of the largest multiplayer fanbases in gaming. WithOverwatch 2gettinglarge updates(and even larger tanks), it’s hard to find a game as charming and entertaining asOverwatch 2.
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