The emergence of the free-to-play online game is one of the best developments for gamers since the release of the home console. If someone likes the game, they can then decide if they want to spend money on in-game gear or battle passes, but generally, these games feature even playing fields for all skill levels regardless of if you’re level 100 or spent $60.
Here are some of the best competitive options following the success of Fortnite and PUBG.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Image Source: Activision
Released in March, Warzone is a huge cross-platform multiplayer game where 150-200 players battle it out to be the last team, or player, standing.
It has two main modes: Plunder and Battle Royale. A variety of limited-time variants including zombies and deathmatch keep the experience fresh.
In Plunder, teams loot for cash in a race to get $1 million. Once the money is accumulated, cash gains are multiplied. The team with the most at the end wins. Players also respawn automatically, unlike in Battle Royale.
In Battle Royale, the map gets smaller and smaller as players vie to be the last soldier alive. When a player dies, they’re sent to the “gulag,” where they have to kill another player in one-on-one combat to reenter the game. Players can also purchase respawn tokens to bring back fallen teammates.
Brawlhalla
Image Source: Blue Mammoth Games
Brawlhalla is a 2D platform fighter with a cartoon art style and knock-out game mechanics. What looks like a simple Smash Bros. clone at a glance turns out to be a game with surprising depth and intricate gameplay.
Like Smash, the goal is to increase an opponent's damage meter so they can be knocked off the stage. The meter goes from black to red, red being the highest level of sustained damage. Players in red fly farther when hit, increasing their chances of blasting off-screen or into the abyss below.
There are more than 50 characters, 8 of which are free-to-play in rotation. The fast-paced action includes weapons, items, and special moves. Players can also hang on to the ledges at the side of every stage.
Special surprise characters from other franchises increase the Ubisoft fighter’s appeal. Play as The Rock, Shovel Knight, Finn from Adventure Time, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, and many more recognizable faces.
Apex Legends
Image Source: Electronic Arts
Apex Legends is another battle royale game on a giant island that slowly shrinks at the whim of a dangerous circle. Each round is played between either 20 squads of three people or 30 squads of two people. As always, the last team standing wins.
The game is set in the Titanfall universe, which adds to the charm of the character designs and lore. Every character has different strengths – some are better for defense, others for mobility, support, etc. Pick one with your favorite ability or aesthetic.
Each match begins with no weapons or armor. Players become more formidable over time as they collect stronger weapons and items scattered around the map. Players can be revived if they are “knocked down.” Eliminated players can come back if you’re able to collect their “respawn banner” and take it to a beacon for revival.
The ping system is another widely praised mechanic. Mark enemies, weapons, or anything to communicate with teammates. You know it is a good feature when Fortnite adopts a similar function around the same time Apex exploded in popularity.
Apex is a popular esport and continues to grow season after season. The Apex Legends Global Series in December 2019 featured a prize pool of more than $3 million.
Warframe
Image Source: Digital Extremes
Warframe is a third-person co-op shooting and looting game. It’s hard to categorize because it also has stealth and RPG elements. The player controls a character with armor called a Warframe, which bestows them with special abilities. The game boasts more than 50 million players, so don’t worry about struggling to find matches.
Players can journey solo or in groups and explore massive open worlds with lots of quick combat. Part of the fun is the gameplay variety – play it as a shooter, a beat ‘em up, or as a stealth game. Plus you get to encounter space ninjas. What’s not to love about that?
Hyper Scape
Image Source: Ubisoft
Released earlier this year, Hyper Scape is a battle royale FPS, featuring 100 players on the genre staple slowly shrinking map. Instead of a shrinking circle though, random sections of the map disappear. When the last sector closes, a crown appears, and the player that holds it for a minute or longer wins. Players can also win the traditional last one standing method.
Hyper Scape features special “hacks,” like invisibility, which players can swap in and out. Killed players become an echo and can alert other team members to stay in the action. If their team does well enough, they can even return to the action.
One of the game’s most compelling mechanics is audience participation. Twitch Viewers can vote on gameplay twists like no gravity or infinite ammo to affect the outcome.