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So you want to know about the best multiplayer games? Sometimes it's not the game itself that shines, but the players. Intricate gameplay and glistening visuals only go so far; it's humans that provide the surprises, the schemes that transform the average FPS game or co-op game into that one experience you'll be talking about until the end of time. That's the secret to a great multiplayer game.Fast and frantic or tense and calculated, the best multiplayer games come in all shapes and sizes. But they're all connected by the simple pleasure of interacting with other humans. Whether it's as a healer or a DPS attempting to solve a finicky flanking manoeuvre in Overwatch, or a tense head-to-head battle tackling terrorists in Rainbow Six Siege, these games wouldn’t be the same without a bunch of real people running around killing, maiming or, occasionally, helping each other.So banish those bots, break out your friends list, put on your most sociable face, and prepare to embrace this list of the best multiplayer games on PC.The best PC multiplayer games are:War ThunderWorld of TanksValheimValorantAmong UsDestiny 2Apex LegendsFortniteDota 2/League of LegendsTeam Fortress 2OverwatchCounter Strike: Global OffensiveWarzoneRocket LeagueRainbow Six SiegeArma 3Don't Starve TogetherGrand Theft Auto OnlineWar ThunderWar Thunder is a free-to-play multiplayer game all about military vehicles knocking seven bells out of one another, whether that’s in aerial dog fights, sprawling tank battles, or naval skirmishes. That pitch might sound familiar, but no free MMO has achieved what War Thunder has in terms of quality, balancing, and the sheer scope of vehicles waiting to be unlocked. While the multiplayer game started out with a humble suite of aircraft and ground vehicles you’ll recognise from WW2 games, its myriad tech trees now encompass the military histories - past and present - of several nations, from global superpowers to smaller nations famed for punching above their weight. Gservers More like this: Here are the best free PC gamesWhat separates this war game from its competitors are its incredibly detailed ballistics modelling and simulation game modes. A 1v1 between two tanks can be affected by countless factors, as armour thickness, armour angle, material, shell size and type, and distance from target can be the difference between a shot ricocheting and dealing no damage, or piercing and wiping out the entire enemy crew. The more you play the more you learn to spot different types of vehicles so you can exploit their weak points and win the fight with a single well-placed shot. It’s an endlessly satisfying loop, and with hundreds of vehicles to earn, it will be a long time before you run out of new content.Play War Thunder for free Play for freeWorld of TanksEven though World of Tanks was released over ten years ago, this free-to-play PvP vehicular combat game just keeps growing and evolving into one of the best multiplayer PC games. With its bustling servers and international playerbase, you’ll never struggle to find a team whenever you get that urge to hop into a tank and blow stuff up.Whether you favour brute force battling, or a more strategic approach, the easy-to-grasp game mechanics lend themselves well to different playstyles. Destroy all of the enemy tanks with powerful artillery fire right off the bat, or, if you’d rather take the subtle approach, you can triumph by finding a way into your opponent’s base and capturing it from within.The more you play, the more vehicles you unlock, with over 600 of the best tanks from around the world to discover and exclusive rewards for those who want to participate in clan battles. Gservers It’s a very moreish game which may seem straightforward at first, but the more you play, the better you’ll get and the more you’ll discover. Trust us - you’ll be in a world of thanks once you’re hooked.Play World of Tanks for free Play for freeLeft to SurviveIn a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world, it’s up to you to gather supplies and build a base for the survivors - but if The Walking Dead taught us anything, it’s that humanity is often a much bigger threat than zombies. In Left to Survive, your fight isn’t just against the hordes of the undead, but also against other players in tournaments, PvP battles, or even helicopter raids.There are two main sides to this zombie game: battling both friends and enemies, and building your base to increase your chances of survival. By expanding and improving your camp, you unlock more features and gain XP and weapons to make your character more powerful.Play Left to Survive for free Play for freeSplitgateHave you ever found yourself playing Portal and thinking about how fun it would be to see the Portal gun mechanics implemented in a competitive FPS game? Well, the developers at 1047 Games had the very same thought, and thus Splitgate: Arena Warfare was born.Though it’s still technically in open beta, the game has proved so popular that the devs have had to delay the full launch. The ability to make portals adds a whole new layer of strategy to the FPS formula. You can create your own vantage point so that you’ve got a good shot at players in a certain area. You can create special escape routes if you find yourself getting cornered. You can find creative new ways to sneak up on your foes. With so many shooter games available to play right now, it’s refreshing to come across this innovative new spin on the genre.Play Splitgate for freeValheimDropped into Viking purgatory in nothing but a loincloth, it’s up to you and nine other friends to survive the Norse wilderness by crafting, building, and ultimately, surviving. You and your Viking pals start out in the meadow, but must slowly progress through different biomes by defeating enemies and discovering crafting materials to build up your armour and weapons.Valheim Valheim Humble $19.99 Buy now Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales.Valheim’s world grows increasingly sinister as skeletons from the swamp attack your base, wolves tail you across mountains, and greydwarves fling rocks at you in the dark forest. Valheim is a glorious multiplayer and you’ll find something for all the party from scavenging for materials, epic battles with Valheim bosses, or building a sturdy base that can withstand the swing of a troll club.ValorantRiot’s ultra-slick tactical team-based shooter is coming for CS:GO’s crown, and it has a lot of shiny new features to set it apart. The gameplay will be familiar to CS:GO players: teams of five players begin the match either attacking or defending, and swap halfway through; players must also purchase weapons at the beginning of each round, earning currency based on their performance in the previous round.Crucially, though, in Valorant players choose from a roster of agents, each with unique abilities which they can purchase each round (and one they get for free). Each Valorant character has their own strategic strengths and weaknesses; some are experts at defending sites, while others set up pushes or secure kills.Although skills play an important role, Valorant still maintains a heavy emphasis on gunplay and balance, to ensure it stands up as an excellent game for high level play - as evidenced by its thriving esports scene.Among UsIf you haven’t heard of Among Us by now, that’s pretty sus. The social deduction game skyrocketed in popularity last year, as its classic formula of multicoloured beans stabbing each other in corridors became a veritable phenomenon. In each lobby, a handful of players are designated Imposters, whose job it is to sabotage and murder the innocent Crewmates without being discovered.Among Us Among Us Humble $4.99 Buy now Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales.The game ends when Imposters outnumber Crewmates, or when Crewmates successfully figure out the Imposters’ identities and vote them off during emergency meetings. This can be initiated by discovering a body or smacking a big red button in the meeting room.Destiny 2Whether you want to squad up for gargantuan PvE raids, duke it out against others in PvP, or even combine elements of both in PvPvE, Destiny 2 ticks all of the boxes when it comes to the best multiplayer games. A few years since launch and Destiny 2 is better than ever, with the Forsaken expansion addressing plenty of foibles and a free-to-play launch on Steam bringing the game to new audiences.Play now Free to play Destiny FPSSpaceMilitaryPlay nowLoot ties all of the multiplayer arms together, so no matter how you’re playing Destiny 2, your goal is always to acquire powerful new weapons and armour like Destiny 2 Exotics. Every mission completed, miniboss slain, and PvP match won contributes by rewarding you with mightier gear, creating an ongoing, near endless power fantasy.Apex LegendsFrom hyper-mobile gameplay that lends itself to flanking manoeuvres to respawn beacons that bring your mates back into the fight after death, Respawn’s nimble shooter boasts all the usual trimmings of the best multiplayer games.Where it truly excels, however, is its ability to bring everyone into the fold with its ping system. Should you feel uncomfortable talking to strangers with your microphone or simply don’t want to, you can still contribute by pinging enemies, locations of interest, and even the best Apex Legends weapons you want or think others may find useful.The post-apocalyptic shooter is also early in its life cycle, meaning that now is an excellent time to jump in and try our Apex Legends tips. There will also be a steady stream of Apex Legends new Legends for players to sink their teeth into, which promises to freshen up the battle royale’s meta every few months. There’s also a very good chance you’ll bump into someone from this office. Be gentle, please.FortniteEpic’s shooter first emerged as an intriguing mix of building, sandbox, and survival elements. The original Fortnite: Save the World mode - in which you construct fortresses to combat a severe zombie threat - has long been eclipsed by the world-conquering Fortnite Battle Royale. Thanks to some phenomenal Fortnite player numbers, and the fact it’s a good deal more polished than PUBG, Epic’s last man standing extravaganza is one of the best multiplayer games on PC.Where you stand on the great Fortnite vs. PUBG debate depends on personal preference. Both are strong battle royale games with devoted communities, but Fortnite’s eye-catching Pixar sheen, accessibility - helped considerably by being free-to-play - and Fortnite building mechanics give it the edge for some over the detailed, deep military sim sensibilities of PUBG. We’re in no doubt, however, that Epic’s cosmetics game is far stronger: the sheer number of Fortnite skins and Fortnite Wraps (weapon and vehicle skins) is mind-boggling.Dota 2/League of LegendsNow before you baulk at the aggregation of these two rival beasts of the MOBA genre into a single entry, we’re intending to recommend one or the other, not both - and let’s face it, while the mechanics, items, lanes, and League of Legends Champions/Dota 2 Heroes offer different gameplay experiences, the multiplayer aspect of both these games is largely the same. Gather four friends and discover how you each cope with blame and failure, or be assigned a team of four strangers who all somehow manage to be much worse than you at the game, even though statistically they are likely to be very close to you in rank.The competitive scene around both of these games is gargantuan - almost four million people watched the LoL Worlds Semifinals simultaneously in November 2019, and back in August 2019 the prize pool for Dota’s The International reached over $34 million, the biggest pool in esports history.League of Legends is Twitch’s most watched game of 2019, and with about eight million concurrent players a day to Dota’s average of 400,000, it’s clear to see which of the two is the most popular. That doesn’t mean LoL is necessarily the better game, but the figures do make sense when you consider how Riot churn out absolute bangers to promote their MOBA.We recommend you try a couple of matches in both games before you decide on the best MOBA for you, but if you’re looking for a game that is a totally different experience every match depending on your draft vs the opponents’ draft, meaning you and your team can enjoy a new challenge night after night - we advise getting into LoL or Dota 2.Team Fortress 2If you were not there when Team Fortress 2 launched, it is difficult to convey what a delirious and unexpected pleasure it was in 2007. Gservers In development longer than Pangaea, TF2 blindsided everyone when it finally arrived in its cheery and lustrous Pixar sheen. Instead of the anticipated amalgamations of biceps and military garb we expected, its cast is a brigade of slapstick comedians whose interplay provoked frequent, spirited, and genuine lols.Each had skills and abilities that interweaved beautifully. Heavy mows down Soldier. Engineer builds sentry to mow down Heavy. Spy saps sentry. Pyro incinerates Spy. Sniper takes out Pyro. Scout bonks Sniper on his noggin and runs off. Demo obliterates Scout with his sticky bombs, then resumes flashing people. No, not like that. Medic watches that Uber gauge, and licks his lips.It’s a very different game today, now absolutely baffling to lapsed players. Still, the rich visual design, the sheer strength of its cast, and the interplay between classes preserve it as one of the best multiplayer games around. An enduring classic… even if the emergence of Fortnite has lead to the biggest Team Fortress 2 player count drop ever.OverwatchBeautifully blending Team Fortress 2 and League of Legends, Overwatch remains a phenomenon and easily one of the best multiplayer games ever made. A class-based multiplayer shooter that owes much to TF2’s art style, payload maps, and asymmetrical combat, Overwatch also owes plenty to LoL’s diverse roster and essential teamplay. As our Overwatch PC review attests, its tantalising recipe for multiplayer grandeur is a mixture of popular styles, ripe with possibilities, which has captured the imaginations and evenings of the masses. That much is apparent from even a cursory visit to the fantastically busy Overwatch Reddit, where you will certainly never go hungry for GIFs.Blizzard is continually updating the game and adding to their impressively diverse and colourful roster with new Overwatch heroes, too. Want to master the best Overwatch characters? Prepare to commit months to the colourful blaster. Somehow, Overwatch gets even better while maintaining a careful competitive balance.Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveCounter-Strike: Global Offensive has an underwhelming origin story. A refresh of Valve’s previous refresh of a Half-Life 1 mod, CS:GO was conceived as nothing more ambitious than a console port; an experiment to see if PlayStation and Xbox gamers would engage with the Counter-Strike name. And, if PC players fancied a go, what’s the harm? As it turns out, we got one of the best multiplayer games on PC.Thanks to regular CS:GO updates, the shooter sensation is consistently one of the most played games on Steam. Its weapon skins support an entire cottage industry of trading sites. It is an ultra-competitive, high prize pool esport. You cannot move on Twitch for CS:GO streams.Back in time: our list of the best World War 2 gamesIts popularity is self-evident, but its quality requires a deeper understanding of its appeal both as a nostalgia trip and a well-supported, pacey shooter with state-of-the-art spectator tools. Valve’s masterpiece is ripe for tactical exploitation, meaning you should check out our CS:GO tips if you want to succeed. Bristling with razor-sharp weapon feedback, this FPS is more comforting than mama’s homemade apple pie.WarzoneCall of Duty’s battle royale game was relatively late to the BR party, arriving in March 2020, but it’s earned itself a massive following. The free-to-play game initially launched as part of Modern Warfare, but when Black Ops: Cold War and Vanguard came out, all the new weapons were integrated into Warzone - the game receives regular big updates, too, resulting in an ever-changing meta.As far as battle royale games go, it’s particularly fast-paced and aggressive, as players can respawn if they win a 1v1 in the Gulag, or be brought back into the fight by their teammates spending cash at a Buy Station. You can also set up your chosen Warzone loadouts and purchase them during the game, so players can customise their guns with assorted unlockable attachments to try and get the edge on their opponents.Rocket LeagueThe moment someone at Psyonix said “how about football… but with cars?” one of the best multiplayer games on PC was born. Despite the failed first attempt, Rocket League’s success is down to its streamlined design: you just push a ball across a pitch with a car. It is hardly something only hardcore petrolheads can understand.More horsepower: The best racing games on PCDo not mistake simplicity for a lack of depth, however. As we point out in our Rocket League PC review, mastering all the key Rocket League tips and successfully passing, shooting, and scoring is a thrilling learning curve. It leads to a career - not just for new musical talent - of a thousand near-misses and ‘almost!’ moments, your body inching forward in your seat as the tension builds. Headshots in shooters are ten-a-penny, but a goal in Rocket League is something special.Rocket League’s exceptionally moreish online games are even better in local split-screen multiplayer. Everyone in the room will be ooh-ing and aahh-ing as the ball zooms from one end of the pitch to the other.Rainbow Six SiegeDespite surface-level similarities to FPS darling CS:GO, Ubisoft have made reinforcing a wall or laying barbed wire as heroic as no-scoping an enemy from two rooftops away. Perhaps more than even the best multiplayer games, Rainbow Six Siege is about planning, communication, and execution of a team-based strategy.Rainbow Six made its name by taking a quieter, more considered approach than the bombastic shooters against which it debuted in the late nineties, and in doing so it made you feel like a highly-trained, goggle-wearing, silenced MP5-toting specialist. The latest series entry evokes that same feeling despite the meta changes presented by a barrage of Rainbow Six Siege operators with more new operators coming in regular post-launch updates. If that sounds intimidating, Ubi do offer a Rainbow Six Siege Starter Edition so you can try it at a lower price.Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Fanatical $19.99 Buy now Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales.Although, of course, there is destruction. Great big chunks of it that can kick up fine concrete dust every round. Just make sure you don’t get it all over your posh new cosmetics. Part of being ‘good’ at Siege is knowing each map intimately, and co-ordinating your team accordingly. The depth, nail-biting tension, and tactical potential of Rainbow Six Siege makes for a memorable cat-and-mouse multiplayer experience. No wonder the future of Siege is bright. As an esport it’s going global, while still allowing inexperienced high school minnows the chance to attain the glory of a major tournament place.Arma 3Arma 3 is about as close to finding yourself on a real battlefield, gibbering unintelligibly as the choppers and tanks go by. The large-scale battles and ultra-realism are not the only intimidating things about Arma 3, either. Populated by a diehard community with expertise levels second to none, the game’s players know things you didn’t know you knew.Where pretend guns are concerned, this is one of the best multiplayer games around - no wonder Arma 3 sales are into the millions. Every battle is an engrossing spectacle, peppered with complex team chat and ingenious tactical manoeuvres (if you’re on a good server). It might still be buggier than the underside of a rotten branch, but it did its bit to bring about PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Enough said.Don’t Starve TogetherDon’t Starve Together is a little different from the other games in our best multiplayer games list. It doesn’t involve taking on an opposing team, but it does require a lot of teamwork, crafting, building, and not dying.In this survival game, you and up to four other players are dropped into a sketchy Tim Burton-esque world filled with violent horrors and terrifying nightmarish creatures. These monsters are the least of your problems as you scramble to survive, keeping fed, warm, dry, and sane. If that wasn’t tricky enough, each night creatures emerge from the shadows ready to snuff out your campfire.In Don’t Starve Together you’ll need to research new equipment to survive the changing seasons and progress through the world, all while collecting resources and trying desperately to, well, not starve.Grand Theft Auto OnlineRockstar’s open-world game is nearly eight years old - shocking, we know - but Los Santos is still a popular destination for online multiplayer. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players create their own budding criminal before connecting to a multiplayer server and teaming up with other players to complete jobs and heists.Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition Fanatical $29.98 Buy now Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales.There’s a wealth of player-created content available, too, including races and deathmatches for you to compete in. On the unofficial side of things, GTA Online roleplay servers are especially popular among content creators on Twitch and YouTube, as players make great use of Los Santos’ bustling metropolis to create wild, improvised stories of their own.So there you have it, the best multiplayer games on PC. Many of the best upcoming PC games also have exciting new multiplayer modes, which means there’s never been a better time to tap into your competitive side.