FPS games are the cornerstone of the gaming world. While most FPS games require you to pay a one-time fee for access, there are plenty of free FPS games on Steam that are worth your time. These games are also constantly updated by the developers, who add new content to keep the users engaged.
Some of these games may have microtransactions or DLCs that can be accessed only by paying. However, it does not change the fact that the base games are free and can be played by anyone who has a powerful enough gaming rig. So, let’s dive right into the list of these free FPS games!
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is one of the best battle royale PC games because of its broad cast of characters and outstanding storyline. If you still need to get a chance to play Apex Legends, now is the moment.
As part of the Titanfall universe, this game boasts some of the most in-depth tales for a battle royale game. The plot isn’t the only thing that keeps fans returning; the gameplay and several legends with distinct skills distinguish this game.
Each season brings new characters, weapons, and a battle pass with season-exclusive cosmetics. This game can be played at both a rapid and leisurely speed, but the powers of the Legends allow for some exciting battles.
Developer – Respawn Entertainment
Publisher – Electronic Arts
Release Date – November 5, 2020
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Black Squad
Sometimes, you just want to go down to the basics of first-person shooters: the shooting. NS Studio has crafted a fiercely twitchy and precise multiplayer experience with Black Squad that should feel right at home for fans of previous Call of Duty titles and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The game provides enough variation for players of various skill levels and types to feel like they’re progressing and contributing to their squad. A kill results in a magnificently over-the-top sound effect and a large splash of blood on neighboring walls, so there’s no mistake whether your target is dead.
Black Squad claims no “pay to win” mechanisms or gameplay-focused microtransactions. Instead, you may acquire everything in-game or spend additional money to get specific cosmetic items, such as weapon skins, ahead of other players.
Developer – VALOFE, NS STUDIO
Publisher – VALOFE
Release Date – June 26, 2019
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone takes a very different approach than most previous battle royales. Death is an inconvenience rather than the final straw; top-tier weapons are routinely simple to obtain, and talent will only carry you so far when there are no more armor plates to acquire.
While this means it succeeds at being accessible and simple to take up, it comes at a hefty cost in terms of depth. Solos can obtain all the benefits without much of the negative from these trade-offs, but squads cannot.
Even if it lacks the genre’s high stakes and unlimited diversity, the astounding 150-player count, tried and true Modern Warfare armament, and well-crafted, large map constantly build superb firefights. This is one of the best eSports games today, being featured on streaming platforms all over the world!
Developer – Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and others
Publisher – Activision
Release Date – March 10, 2020
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, often known by everyone and their granny, has entered its 2.0 phase with the sequel, Counter-Strike 2. This FPS game appeals to the genre’s most ardent enthusiasts; players must be as cautious as possible while coordinating with their four colleagues to conquer the competition through nine modes of play.
These free FPS game modes include “Classic Casual“, “Classic Competitive“, “Deathmatch“, “Bomb Scenario“, “Hostage Scenario“, “Wingman“, as well as “Premier Competitive“. You’ll find your next competitive multiplayer PC game addiction once you’ve mastered the intricacies of this brutal FPS.
Developer – Valve
Publisher – Valve
Release Date – August 21, 2012
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Destiny 2
Destiny is a name that you’ve probably heard of. If you haven’t already, this is a fantastic MMO FPS game. The rich setting and plot of Destiny 2 make it a genuinely entertaining game. There is enough to do in the main plot, such as leveling up your character’s class, armor, and weaponry.
There are many interesting puzzles and tasks to perform solo or with others, as well as multiplayer options featuring both PvP and PvE, including ranked gaming, if you’re seeking more of a challenge. Destiny also features a slew of expansions that expand to the tale, but you have to pay to get them. Nonetheless, expansions like the Shadowkeep DLC, with the Symphony of Death quest, ensure that the paid expansions are worth the hype!
Developer – Bungie
Publisher – Bungie
Release Date – October 1, 2019
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
DOOM Eternal
Doom Eternal is one of the best first-person shooter campaigns you’ve seen in a long time. It has lost part of its originality as the second game of its sort, but not the delight of its fierce and violent battle style.
This superb improvement of the already excellent 2016 relaunch forms an unwritten agreement: if you can stay up with it, it will keep up with you. It constantly teaches you how to play quicker, smarter, and more efficiently, with plenty of choices to adapt fights to your preferred slaying style at every step of the way, and it’s an enormous pleasure along the way.
Doom Eternal is a game that requires and respects player talent. Although Battlemode doesn’t enable you to put it to the ultimate test on a typical level playing field, it is still a brilliant mode that’s a lot of fun if you’re willing to give it a shot and learn its complexities.
Developer – id Software
Publisher – Bethesda Softworks
Release Date – March 20, 2020
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Halo Infinite
When it comes to fantastic and nostalgic FPS games, Halo is unquestionably one of them. Halo Infinite had a campaign as well as a free-to-play multiplayer game. This free-to-play game immerses you in the Halo universe with various features.
Like other multiplayer games, a battle pass unlocks seasonal prizes, unique events, new and varied maps, and a new weapon. It is a wonderful way to start if you have never played a Halo game.
Developer – 343 Industries
Publisher – Xbox Game Studios
Release Date – November 15, 2021
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 is a considerably more complete game than the original and is unquestionably the superior product. It doesn’t get any better than this if you still want to get together with your pals and slaughter groups of ravenous zombies.
However, if you need more than the Left 4 Dead gameplay concept, you may need more than the sequel to justify a purchase, no matter how amazing it is. This PC zombie game is a title that focuses on improving and expanding on current elements rather than introducing anything completely new.
Developer – Valve
Publisher – Valve
Release Date – November 17, 2009
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Paladins
Overwatch 2 remains the undisputed king of the “hero shooter” multiplayer genre. However, Hi-Rez Studios’ Paladins: Champions of the Realm is an excellent option for those who want to spend less than $40 before they’ve even started playing.
Like Overwatch, you may choose from hundreds of characters from various classes, such as damage, flanker, support, and front line, each with a unique style of play that can help your side win.
For example, the tree-like Grover can deliver massive damage with his ax while simultaneously healing surrounding teammates, while the cunning Pip uses explosive potions to catch adversaries off guard. Unlike Overwatch’s fixed classes and abilities, Paladins lets you personalize your heroes through a deck-building system.
There are also pre-built deck load-outs for those who want to hop into a match with a good chance of contributing, and with three distinct modes to choose from — Siege, Onslaught, and Team Deathmatch — you’ll have plenty of opportunity to test out the skills.
Developer – Evil Mojo Games
Publisher – Hi-Rez Studios
Release Date – May 8, 2018
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Team Fortress 2
Do you know what a mental trip is? This classic multiplayer shooter began as the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 version, Team Fortress Classic. It’s also incredible how this game has inspired the development of several fan-made comedy videos that non-players have seen.
Jumping into Team Fortress 2 to see what all the fuss is about is worthwhile. The name of the game here is “teamwork” – go with either the RED or BLU side, choose your preferred character class, and try to drive your squad to victory over “King of the Hill”, “Capture the Flag”, “Control Point” & more.
Developer – Valve
Publisher – Valve
Release Date – October 10, 2007
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege is an advanced version of the deathmatch shooter that can strengthen or shatter fortifications. With teamwork, however, Siege becomes a game to brace or smash walls and mini transient links—more dating sim over Twitch assessment and this unique social element, combined with massive tactical depth, makes Siege one of the best competitive shooters you have played.
The main mode of Rainbow Six Siege is five-on-five objective-based multiplayer, with each team defending or attacking an objective. But you don’t simply be tossed in and start shooting at each other. Every round begins with a planning phase in which the defensive side employs character skills and resources to hinder, confuse, or disrupt the opponent team’s infiltration.
Siege is the only shooter fostering such tactical intricacy, individual expression, and innovative team play in a game with many branches of complexity and promise. It’s a game that gets right to the primal, creative, social, and everything root of what makes competition enjoyable.
Developer – Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher – Ubisoft
Release Date – December 1, 2015
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
Valorant
Riot Games is no stranger to the free-to-play genre, having spent most of its existence with League of Legends before branching out to various mobile games. Valorant is the studio’s most recent endeavor, and although it retains the studio’s MOBA roots, it now incorporates first-person action.
The hybrid MOBA-FPS is only getting started, with its second competitive season just opening a few days ago, introducing a deathmatch mode and other features to the game. Valorant has more in common with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch than Apex Legends or PUBG.
Valorant’s hero-based gameplay keeps each match exciting by allowing you to unleash new skills to help you win. Valorant doesn’t provide many new concepts, but it’s a good free-to-play FPS that isn’t a battle royale. Plus, whether you’re exploring the various Valorant agents or Valorant’s lore, you won’t be disappointed in terms of depth.
Developer – Riot Games
Publisher – Riot Games
Release Date – June 2, 2020
Warface: Clutch
MY.GAMES, an indie game developer and publisher, has renamed their first-person shooter Warface: Clutch. Warface is a free FPS game on Steam that not only weighs some of the biggest in the business behind it but also has a co-op option in addition to the typical competitive stuff.
It implies you may practice in a safer setting if you’re new to PC shooters. This free indie game is also a visually appealing title that will reward whatever work you put in.
Developer – MY.GAMES
Publisher – MY.GAMES
Release Date – July 1, 2014
➡️ Check it out on Steam.
While you’ve browsed our selections of the best free FPS games on Steam, I’m sure that you’ve also noticed the fact that some of these games are possibly the most popular ones today. Games like Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, and Apex Legends are constantly being featured on every major gaming platform.
And why is that?
Why Are Free FPS Games Highly Popular?
A few years ago, finding fantastic free-to-play games that weren’t MMORPGs was difficult, and solid free first-person shooter (FPS) titles were nearly nonexistent. The available ones frequently came from less-than-trustworthy sources with many faults and connection concerns.
However, with battle royale games providing a boon to the free-to-play model, AAA firms have begun to release high-quality, free FPS games. Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 were made possible by games like Warframe.
Regarding the greatest free FPS games, gamers now have nearly too many options, with selections available on Android, iOS, Xbox, PC, and PlayStation consoles.
Most gamers are drawn to first-person shooters because of their basic game mechanics and native control via mouse and keyboard or controller. Various FPS games are appropriate for novice players & challenging for experienced gamers.
FPS is one of the most popular genres on the market due to the ability to play multiplayer mode with or against other people. What else? The FPS games are a lot more competitive! It appears as simple as clicking around with the mouse and navigating through corridors or the wide environment.
Anyone who has played a first-person shooter game for a while knows that abilities can still be improved even after hundreds of thousands of hours of play. Like in traditional sports, such as basketball, where the actual game appears to be extremely simple, you build an undying love for the NBA players’ performance. It’s similar to professional FPS gamers.
In a first-person shooter, you can tell a high-killer from a casual player by their impeccable timing, precision targeting, fantastic game sense, etc. Also, FPS games, in particular, highly value team interaction.
As a result, forming a team of two, four, or five people and winning a mission or a match together has become the norm. As a first-person shooter player, you have no choice but to engage with other players – friends or strangers – in your native or foreign language. In the end, the social aspect of this genre is highly significant, which leads to its rising popularity.
Final Words
We understand that many competitive people are looking for first-person shooter thrills. And we also understand that a substantial portion of that group desires thrills for free ninety-nine. Fortunately for you, there are a plethora of completely free and free-to-play FPS games that provide the best-in-class competitive shooter experiences.
Here’s the best list to start your adventure. So, why not try something new and push yourself beyond your comfort zone? It will cost you nothing.
And, if you just can’t stay away from freebies, you need to check out our selection of the best free Steam games as well!
