Why spend money when you can jump into some of the most popular online multiplayer games of 2025 for free? Whether you’re into highly competitive shooters, tactical combat, or chaotic battle royale games, there’s something for everyone. If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve ranked the top ten free-to-play online multiplayer games based on ratings and active player base, so let’s dive in!
Free-to-play online multiplayer games are usually the first choice of play as they are easily accessible to everyone. Most of these games are also a great choice for low-end pc gamers because of their lower graphics requirements. Some of these games have been around for quite a while, but others have just recently entered the world of multiplayer gaming.
1. Counter-Strike 2
Steam Rating: 9/10
Metacritic Score: 82%
A project of Valve, Counter-Strike 2 has been around for almost 1 and a half years. With an active player base of about a million in the last two months, the game was released as an update to its predecessor, CS: GO, on September 27th, 2023. CS 2 is one of the most famous Free-to-Play FPS online multiplayer games, and is widely famous for its fast-paced gameplay style, full of many competitive players across the globe. Several game modes in CS 2 make it an interesting choice for everyone. Counter-Strike 2 is also famous for its worldwide Esports tournaments.
2. Valorant
IGN Rating: 9/10
Metacritic Score: 80%
Riot Games released Valorant on June 2, 2020. The game received a great reception during the COVID-19 pandemic and was promoted by many famous content creators on YouTube and Twitch. Valorant is also one of the top FPS online multiplayer games with animated graphics and tactical combat gameplay. It features multiple game modes and has various characters, each having specific perks and abilities. According to the stats, the game has one of the biggest numbers of active players, with more than 5 million active users every month, and is also one of the top-viewed games on Twitch.
3. Marvel Rivals
Steam Rating: 9/10
IGN Rating: 8/10
Released on December 6, 2024, Marvel Rivals has caught the attention of top streamers like Ninja and Shroud ever since its launch. Created and published by NetEase Games and Marvel Games together, Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 multiplayer game featuring a great number of comical characters from the Marvel ComicVerse. All these characters have special abilities and a team can be made up accordingly to have a better “hero synergy”, a support system that makes the characters assist each other during a fight, making this game interesting and unique at the same time. Marvel Rivals is one of the most trending games of the present time, with more than 200k active players recorded in the last couple of months.
4. Fortnite Battle Royale
IGN Rating: 9.6/10
Metacritic Score: 78%
Launched by Epic Games on September 27, 2017, Fortnite Battle Royale has been a massive hit in the world of battle royale games. The game has been constantly improving, and new modes and features are added with every update. With a third-person shooting experience and exquisite name in the world of online multiplayer games, Fortnite offers a battle pass, which updates every 3 months, keeping the fans engaged in playing. Fortnite is also famous for its diverse character and weapon skins and emotes, which can be bought with the in-game currency, V-Bucks, or unlocked as a part of the battle pass. Fortnite has a daily active player count of almost 1.5 million.
5. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
IGN Rating: 8/10
Metacritic Score: 86%
PUBG Studios initially released the game as a paid game in December 2017, but it later became free to play in January 2022. PUBG received a great reception as one of the most competitive battle royale games, with realistic graphics and multiple maps of different sizes. The game provides both FPS and TPS view experiences that can be switched at any time. It also features a Royale Pass system and a variety of game modes. PUBG has an active player count of more than 300k each month.
6. The Finals
IGN Rating: 8/10
Metacritic Score: 80%
Embark Studio developed “The Finals” on December 7, 2023, as a free-to-play multiplayer game on Steam. According to reports, it received a very warm reception, with a count of over 10 million players within 15 days of its launch. “The Finals” is a fast-paced FPS game where players have to look for vaults to collect cash and save and secure it while fighting the opponent teams. The game provides an immersive tactical shooter experience between multiple teams in a highly interactive environment that can be utilized against the opponents. “The Finals” is not as popular as the other games. It has a very low active player base of only 10k daily.
7. Apex Legends
IGN Rating: 9/10
Metacritic Score: 89%
Developed and released by Respawn Entertainment on February 4, 2019, Apex Legends is one of the most famous Battle Royale games in the world of multiplayer gaming. A free-to-play FPS tactical shooting game, Apex Legends is a versatile video game where you get the chance to play with 25 different characters called “Legends”, each having their distinct abilities and combat style. The game also features some other modes, along with the Battle Royale, making it a great choice for many. Apex Legends has a daily player count of almost 100k.
8. Call of Duty: Warzone
IGN Rating: 8/10
Steam Rating: 6/10
Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play tactical FPS shooter game developed and published by Activision in November 2022. Warzone is famous for its realistic graphics, major maps, and regular updates. Although the game is regarded as one of the best Battle Royale games in the world, many people are still complaining about the game. There are multiple reports of in-game lag, connection issues, and substantial updates every couple of weeks, making it less of an interest for many players. Because of such unresolved issues, Warzone is always under criticism and has a daily player count of only 50k.
9. Destiny 2
IGN Rating: 8.5/10
Steam Rating: 7/10
Destiny 2 was released by Activision on September 6, 2017, as a pay-to-play game. Later, Bungie owned it and made it free-to-play in October 2019. Destiny 2 is an FPS game with a blend of both multiplayer and RPG elements. The game has a story campaign where Guardians protect the world from evil forces of the universe. Destiny 2 offers both PvE and PvP gameplay. You can play multiplayer CO-OP missions with your friends or play against each other in different game modes with a variety of characters. Destiny 2 has a daily active player base of about 40k.
10. Overwatch 2
IGN Rating: 8/10
Metacritic Score: 79%
As a successor to the 2016 “Game of the Year” award winner, Overwatch, the sequel, Overwatch 2, is another one on the list of free-to-play online multiplayer games published by Blizzard Entertainment on August 10, 2023. This game offers 5v5 team battles with multiple modes and a list of more than 40 playable characters, each offering a different play style. Overwatch 2 also has a battle pass system, which updates every two to three months and brings new skins and map layouts to keep the players engaged in its competitive combat experience. The game has a low active player count of almost 25k users daily.
Final Thoughts
2025 is yet another year full of a good number of free-to-play online multiplayer games that can be chosen according to your taste. Be it casual or competitive, we covered all the top-of-the-line video games that you should enjoy playing in our blog. If you have any questions regarding any of these games or want to share your personal experience, feel free to let us know in the comments section.
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