Best FPS Games That You Need to Play This Winter

First-person shooter games are some of the most popular video games of all time, with thousands of gamers playing matches of multiplayer titles like Call of Duty every day.

In the past year or so, many new FPS games have been released both with dedicated multiplayer and enthralling single-player experiences, but there's a treasure trove of new FPS titles that have already been released this year and will soon debut before this winter's end.

Even some relatively old FPS games have gotten expansive and exciting new updates recently to draw back old fans and entice new players alike, while other older FPS titles are expected to receive new content later this year.

Whether gamers are more multiplayer oriented or are more geared towards single-player adventures, there's a ton of FPS titles players should check out this winter season.

10 Fallout 76

Fantastic Fallout Show Tie-Ins

The Fallout franchise is arguably at its most popular state right now, thanks to the incredibly well-received two seasons of Amazon Prime's Fallout show and fans of the show can finally interact with elements and characters from it in the multiplayer RPG Fallout 76.

As the first Fallout multiplayer title released using Fallout 4's single-player designed Creation Engine, Fallout 76 had a rather buggy and overall mixed launch back in 2018, with many complaining about the game's lack of story content and microtransactions.

However, in the near eight years since 76's release, the game has exponentially improved thanks to the launch of numerous expansions that introduced a ton of new story content, areas to explore, and ways to build and customize players and homes.

In December, Bethesda launched its latest expansion, Burning Springs, which not only allowed players to explore an irradiated Ohio but take part in Bounty Hunting missions with Walton Goggins' The Ghoul, with Bethesda later allowing players to roam around in NCR Power Armor by purchasing the Mojave Bundle.

9 Highguard

From the Makers of COD and Titanfall

In the final moments of The Game Awards 2025, a new game was shown that bewildered some and enticed many, with that game being Wildlight Entertainment's debut hero shooter Highguard.

Wildlight Entertainment is made up of many former developers from Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, with several developers having been instrumental in the success of the COD, Titanfall, and Apex Legends franchises and causing many gamers to become intrigued with Highguard's potential.

Similar to Overwatch, Highguard has players control pre-established characters called Wardens and take part in 3v3 or 5v5 PvP matches, but unlike Overwatch, much of Highguard's maps are fairly large, often requiring players to ride mounts like horses and bears to traverse maps and reach enemy bases.

For fans of Respawn and Infinity's prior multiplayer titles and other hero shooters, Highguard will certainly provide players with a fun time, and it's more than worthy of a brief visit at least to support Wildlight Entertainment's emerging ventures.

8 Doom: The Dark Ages

The Doom Slayer's Medieval Crusade

2025 was full of amazing new games, from the launch title Mario Kart World to the frequent Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but there were many great games that were overshadowed by other titles such as Doom: The Dark Ages.

A prequel to 2016's Doom and Doom Eternal, Dark Ages sees the Doom Slayer join forces with King Novik and the Night Sentinels to repel invading forces from Hell in Argent D'Nur and later confront traitors among the Sentinels and the Maykrs.

In terms of gameplay, Dark Ages is a visceral step up from Doom Eternal, thanks in large part to the Doom Slayer's epic new arsenal of weapons and equipment such as the enchanted Shield Saw, the bone-firing Skull Crusher, and the cyborg dragon mount Serrat.

If players missed out on the Dark Ages last year, now is a perfect time to play through it, as id Software not only recently celebrated its 35th anniversary by putting the game, among others, on sale, but the Dark Ages is rumored to be receiving a new story DLC later this year that will better connect the game with its predecessors.

7 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime's Grand Return

Nintendo's Metroid Prime trilogy is often regarded to be not just some of the best FPS games of all time but some of the greatest reinventions seen in all of gaming, as the trilogy perfectly transitioned Metroid from pixelated 2D games to 3D first-person entries.

Following the release of 2007's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, fans longed for a fourth entry in the Prime series, but despite Metroid Prime 4 being first announced in 2017, fans would have to wait over eight years until they could finally get their hands on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

While Beyond brings back much of what made the Prime trilogy great, such as its new, enthralling alien environments and smooth FPS gameplay, it introduces some new mechanics to the series, namely Galactic Federation soldiers who interact with Samus, a Grapple Beam to swing from platforms, and the Vi-O-La motorcycle to traverse a wide open hub world.

Some of these new mechanics may be upsetting to some hoping for a more pure Prime experience, but Beyond is still a great entry point for new Nintendo Switch 2 players diving into the mysterious galaxy of the Metroid series for the first time, and it's one of the best sci-fi games on the new console.

6 Overwatch

Overwatch 2's Ambitious Relaunch

For a time, Overwatch was at the top of the hero shooter subgenre of multiplayer FPS games, but around the time Blizzard Entertainment launched Overwatch 2, the once dominating franchise struggled to recapture its magic and keep players invested, especially after its PvE modes were canceled.

Now, roughly three years after Overwatch 2's debut, Blizzard has relaunched the hero shooter as simply Overwatch alongside a brand-new season 1 titled Conquest, which will see players compete in lore-related missions between Overwatch and the villainous Talon.

On top of this rebranding and new season, 10 new playable heroes will make their debut in Overwatch this year, with five already included in the game, such as Emre, Anran, Jetpack Cat, Mizuki, and Domina.t

With this relaunch and new season, now is the perfect time for new players to dive into the world of Overwatch and for veteran Overwatch fans to return to the game amid the franchise's 10th anniversary.

5 John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

A New Co-Op Zombie Game

John Carpenter is well regarded as one of the greatest action and horror film creators of all time, having directed 1978's Halloween, 1981's Escape from New York, and 1982's The Thing, but on Thursday, March 12th, Carpenter will dive into the world of video game creation for the first time with Toxic Commando.

Written and composed by Carpenter himself, Toxic Commando is an upcoming four-player co-op zombie game similar to Left 4 Dead and Saber Interactive's World War Z where gamers can play as either Walter, Cato, Ruby, or Astrid as they reluctantly help scientists stop a mysterious Sludge God unleashing zombie hordes on the world.

Much like World War Z, Toxic Commando will have players face massive hordes of relentless zombies in semi-open world environments, requiring constant movement, cohesive teamwork, and weapon skills in order to survive.

Unlike the aforementioned zombie titles, however, Toxic Commando features vehicles players can drive, with each vehicle featuring unique perks and abilities, such as an ambulance being able to heal everyone in the van or a military humvee being able to unleash a wave of electricity perfect for crowd control.

4 High on Life 2

Skating Through Alien Worlds

2022's High on Life was a surprise FPS hit as it was the perfect blend of Rick and Morty's raunchy, bizarre comedy and sci-fi designs with gameplay similar to Borderlands and Metroidvanias.

On Friday, February 13th, players will be able to return High on Life's wacky galaxy full of talking guns and knives with High on Life 2 as they once again embody the Bounty Hunter to stop an evil pharmaceutical company turning people into pills.

Essentially, High on Life 2 is High on Life 1 but bigger and better than ever with new Gatilan weapons, more ways to comically interact with NPCs, and three large hub worlds to explore.

In a way, High on Life 2 is more akin to a perfect mixture of High on Life with Skate and Jet Set Radio, as players can now use a sci-fi skateboard to traverse areas and even use it to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.

3 Marathon

Bungie's Return to a 1994 Classic

In March, Bungie, the developer behind the hit FPS franchises Halo and Destiny, will bring players back to their first major FPS franchise with 2026's Marathon.

A reboot of Bungie's original Marathon trilogy from 1994-1996, 2026's Marathon is a PvPvE extraction shooter set on the planet Tau Ceti IV where factions have hired Runners to retrieve valuable items from a mysteriously abandoned colony and fight off rival Runners solo or in teams of three.

Similar to hero shooters, players won't be able to create their own Runner from the ground up but rather customize Runner's and Runner Shells based on pre-established characters, with seven Runner Shells being available at launch and each featuring unique strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.

For players interested in fast-paced gameplay or tight coordination with teammates seen in similar games like ARC Raiders, Marathon will be a game to look out for this winter.

2 Mouse: P.I. For Hire

A 1920's Cartoon-inspired Noir

One of the most unique FPS games and games overall to release this decade is Fumi Games' debut single-player jazz-fueled title, Mouse: P.I. For Hire.

Inspired by rubberhose-style cartoons of the 1920s and 30s similar to Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse, For Hire is an original noir game following the investigations of hardboiled mouse detective Jack Pepper which tend to end in chaotic shootouts and fist fights against criminals.

In terms of direct gameplay, For Hire is fairly similar to classic FPS games like Doom and Wolfenstein, with Pepper having to move fast while shooting to avoid hits while taking down crowds of foes, but some bosses may require more unusual ways of dispatch, such as using a flashlight to weaken a vengeful ghost.

What makes For Hire stand out among other FPS games is its presentation, as every character is 2D and designed to mirror rubberhose-style animalistic cartoon characters in a way that's similar to Cuphead, albeit in a more gritty style.

1 Resident Evil Requiem

Return to Raccoon City

2026 is a year of many great gaming anniversaries and milestones, but one of the most exciting celebrations is Resident Evil's 30th anniversary, which is being highlighted through their latest mainline entry, Resident Evil Requiem.

Requiem sees the debut of new series protagonist Grace Ashcroft, daughter of investigative journalist Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak, as she investigates mysterious deaths at the Wrenwood Hotel and inevitably comes in contact with Leon Kennedy to uncover secrets tied to Raccoon City.

Both Grace and Leon are playable in Requiem, marking the first time Leon has been playable in a new mainline Resident Evil game since the much maligned Resident Evil 6.

While Resident Evil is traditionally a third-person franchise, Requiem allows gamers to play in both first or third-person, though it's recommended that Leon be played in third-person while Grace is played in first-person to highlight Leon's more action-packed gameplay and Grace's more stealthy, fearful nature.