First-person shooters are the most popular video game genre; it is easy to see why. These games are often fast-paced, high-octane affairs, complete with epic explosions and memorable enemies, with many combining a battle royale or team element into the mix. The rise in popularity of free-to-play titles has opened the door to the first-person shooter genre for millions of gamers worldwide.
Gone are the days when gamers have to spend $60-$100 to enjoy an excellent first-person shooter. Dozens of free-to-play games, usually funded by microtransactions, are available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Choosing which one to play can be daunting, so we have compiled a list of the best free-to-play first-person shooters for consoles. Lock and load, and let’s jump onto the battlefield!
Fortnite Battle Royale
It is a testament to Epic Games’ ability to create amazing games when you consider Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the most played video games today despite its launching in September 2017. Fortnite burst onto the scene, offering a free-to-play battle royale that took the gaming world by storm. Within two years of its release, the most trusted online sportsbooks were taking wagers on the inaugural Fortnite World Cup. Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, then only 17, was crowned the tournament’s champion and took home $3 million.
Don’t be fooled by the cartoon-like graphics; Fortnite players can be deadly serious. The game’s popularity is down to the ever-changing world, the ease of how players can pick it and quickly become proficient, and the unique building elements that add another strategic layer to the gameplay.
The game is a typical battle royale, where 100 players skydive onto the map solo or in teams of up to four players. Players must loot for weapons and materials while remaining inside the decreasing circle of “the Storm.” The last player or team standing wins.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
Warzone 2.0 is the free-to-play battle royale video game from the Call of Duty series. Developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software, Warzone 2.0 sees solo, duo, trios, or four-player squads drop onto the map with the goal of being the last player or team standing.
Like in other battle royale games, players are eventually forced into close combat due to the shrinking circle of gas. Stray outside of the gas, and the player slowly dies.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 stands alone in how each of the dozens of weapons feels different to shoot and handles differently. All weapons can be customized and modified, allowing players to create a build that suits their playstyle rather than being stuck with generic stock weapons.
Warzone 2.0 has suffered due to a high number of PC players deploying cheats and hacks, giving them an unfair advantage. Although the game’s anti-cheat tool, Ricochet, automatically deals with these cheaters, many slip through the gaps. This has led to most console players turning off the game’s cross-play feature, ensuring they only face fellow console players.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is an excellent battle royale game that is free to play on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Respawn Entertainment, the geniuses behind the Titanfall series, developed Apex Legends and launched it in early 2019. Over 25 million players tried the game within the first week of its launch, more than 50 million in the first month, and over 100 million by Apex Legends’ two-year anniversary.
Each match features 20 teams of three-player squads, where each player chooses from one of the 25 playable characters. Each playable character, or legend, falls under one of five unique class styles: assault, controller, recon, skirmisher, and support. Legends have a unique passive ability, plus powerful tactical abilities that can provide invulnerability, increased firepower, or escape routes; tactical abilities come with a cooldown period.
Legends also have an ultimate ability with a much longer cooldown in the region of two to four minutes. Ultimate abilities can change the flow of the game in an instant.
Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is the sequel to the 2016 hero shooter Overwatch. Blizzard Entertainment released Overwatch 2 in August 2023, making it one of the newer free-to-play first-person shooters.
Unlike the other games already mentioned in this article, Overwatch 2 is a hero shooter rather than a battle royale, pitting teams of five players against each other in a player-versus-player fight to the death.
Players can choose from one of 39 heroes, each with unique skills, active, passive, and ultimate abilities. Those heroes are organized into a “damage class,” responsible for offensive tasks; a “tank class,” whose primary responsibility is to create space for their team; and a “support” class, which is tasked with buffing teammates’ attributes and healing them on the battlefield.
The Finals
The Finals is the new kid on the block, launching in December 2023. Embark Studios is the team behind The Finals. The game takes inspiration from The Hunger Games and features several game modes involving three or four teams competing against each other in a free-for-all competition.
Players choose characters based on a Light, Medium, and Heavy scale, each with pros and cons, such as light characters being quick on their feet but unable to take as much damage as “heavier” foes.
The Finals feature varied weather conditions, changing times of day, and destructible environments, opening up many possibilities for attacking opponents.
Underperforming servers during the first few days following The Finals’ release caused the developers to cap the number of players temporarily, but these restrictions have since been lifted.
Conclusion
First-person shooter fans are spoiled for choice regarding free-to-play games. The five games highlighted in this article are worth your time and will provide countless hours of fun, exhilaration, and possibly frustration!
Although Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, and Apex Legends are battle royale games, each offers a different experience. Overwatch 2 does away with the battle royale mode, instead focusing on PVP and doing so brilliantly. Then there’s The Finals, which has limited game modes so far but bags of potential to become one of the best free-to-play FPS games of the current generation of consoles.
