The best multiplayer games you should be playing right now | CNN Underscored (2024)

Fortnite is one of the definitive games of the last decade. Chock-full of modes, skins and pop culture references, Fortnite’s so much more than a game — but don’t let its popularity and library-like status distract you from the game itself. Not only are its flagship battle royale modes undeniably fun and impossible to put down, but its player-created modes offer nearly endless loads of content to play and jump into. And with top-of-the-line production value, it’s an absolute bargain for a free-to-play game.

Helldivers 2 has taken the world by storm. This smash-hit PS5 and PC shooter blends a violent, slapstick and satirical sense of humor with fun and satisfying shooting mechanics. Customize your Helldiver, squad up with friends or random players and jump into the chaos. You can call in support like airstrikes, special weapons, placeable turrets and other kinds of ordinance to aid you in battle. Thanks to this game’s runaway success, it’s all but a given that it’ll see support for a while to come.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wears its title well. The pinnacle of this beloved crossover fighting series that’s been around for nearly 25 years, it boasts a staggeringly large roster, full of lovingly-crafted characters. Icons of gaming like Mario, Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog and Cloud Strife battle it out in a variety of modes and challenges. This is the perfect game to play casually with a group of friends, or take seriously and compete in. And with all of the game’s downloadable content out, there’s never been a better time to jump into the fray.

It’s one of the best-selling video games of all-time for a reason. Packed with the most amount of content a Mario Kart game has ever seen, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best local multiplayer experiences out there — and one of the best Nintendo Switch games, period. Approachable but still complex and interesting, this game is perfectly designed to pick up and play for any skill level making it a great pick for a family game night. It also feels incredibly smooth, with a great sense of speed and momentum.

Grand Theft Auto VI is understandably the talk of the town. Shouldering lofty expectations as a potentially industry-shifting juggernaut, it looks amazing. But its predecessor is still going strong. Whether you want to roleplay in a fictional online world, run a criminal empire with your friends or just mess around in a massive sandbox with other players, GTA V: Online has been the place to be for over ten years.

It’s rare to see a spinoff of a beloved franchise eclipse its original series so quickly. Not only has Apex Legends dwarfed the Titanfall series as one of the most popular first-person shooters on the market, but it’s carved out its own path to success thanks to its clever twists on the genre. With dozens of operators, each with their unique abilities, there’s a playstyle for everyone here. It’s also free-to-play, though it’s much easier to unlock operators through in-game purchases.

When we reviewed Tekken 8 earlier this year, we praised it for its intense fisticuffs, rewarding skilled, experienced players all while welcoming new players into the fold with a variety of helpful tools. Layering some of the best, smoothest online play ever in a fighting game and Tekken 8 props itself up for success.

Arguably one of the greatest comeback stories of all-time, Final Fantasy XIV has gone on to win over mass acclaim from its fans. Not only has Square Enix loaded it with handfuls of beloved stories and expansions, but the game has also earned a name for itself by fostering a healthy and engaged community. But if you balk at its paid point of entry, don’t worry; this critically-acclaimed MMORPG features an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime.

League of Legends has defined and re-defined multiplayer gaming since its emergence on the scene in 2009. And since the emergence of this multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game nearly fifteen years ago, League has maintained a foothold in the pantheon of multiplayer gaming as a juggernaut in the space. It’s both highly competitive and deeply strategic. And while its community is notorious for being a bit over-competitive, it’s still a great time from a casual standpoint. It’s especially fun to hop into with four other friends and shoot the breeze as you farm minions and try to take the enemy team’s nexus.

This is Riot’s other competitive smash hit. Combining Overwatch’s hero and role-based team mechanics and Counter Strike’s tight time-to-kill and lane-centric map design, Valorant infuses intensity and tension into the first-person shooter genre while adding more color and lively flourish to the genre at the same time. This is another game with a community whose eyes are often on the prize, and for good reason; wins often feel earned and rewarding, while losses provide a good opportunity to learn and improve your game.

It’s no secret that Halo Infinite had kind of a rough start. While its free-to-play multiplayer was undeniably fun, it felt lacking at launch. Now, with a few years of extra time to bake, it’s become one of the best arena shooters in the game. The guns feel satisfying and crunchy, the maps are well-designed to foster sniping shootouts and shotgun showdowns, and it offers a wealth of modes and events for players to play through. And with a highly flexible battle pass system, this is one of the easiest free-to-play games to recommend.

There was a time when Among Us was inescapable. This social deception game first caught hold thanks to Twitch streamers playing it with each other, showing just how fun, tense and goofy this game can get. In adding multiple incentives and ways for both teams to win across a handful of distinct maps, Among Us injected the genre with a heightened level of interactivity and play. And to sweeten the deal, it’s on just about every platform imaginable, making it easier than nearly any other game on this list to get a group together and play.

It’s rare for a free-to-play card game to be so inclusive of non-paying players. While you’ll have a much easier time getting the cards and flashy variants you want by paying for bundles and Snap’s season pass, you can easily build a competitive deck without spending a dime. Beyond its approachability, this competitive card game is shockingly detailed, with a variety of card effects and abilities, all of which cleverly translate their character’s in-comic strengths into in-game abilities.

There’s no arguing that Minecraft is a stellar single-player game. And while its survival and creative modes are great to play with others, its dedicated and highly active community has added a staggering amount of player-created content. Games within games populate some of Minecraft’s most popular servers, with battle royale, survival, speedrunning, shooting and dozens of other kinds of games packed into this blocky package — usually for free.