30 Best Online Games for PC You Can Play (Free and Paid)
Apr. 6, 20181. Valorant
Throughout the game, there areagents to unlock,with new ones joining in each new in-game season,a paid battle passfor players who enjoy grinding them, andshiny paid skinsfor each of the available weapons in the game. However, the best part is that the majority of the experience is completely free for everyone, and skins are just optional purchases.
If you’re looking for a challenging online game for your PC, Escape from Tarkov pretty much guaranteeseverything from adrenaline rushes to that sinking feeling that someone is following youwhile you try to, well, escape from the map. Though the game offers plenty of fun when played alone, especially if you’re able to put in the time to get accustomed to the game’s mechanics, it’s a lot more fun when you play with your friends.
Escape from Tarkov is an online RPG/simulator with some MMO features, and it has plenty of excitement to offer. Although the game isn’t technically released yet, the developers are running aclosed beta that you will get entry to if you pre-order the game, which sounds pretty much the same as buying a game and using it, right? Furthermore, the game does frequent wipes, so newcomers have an even playing field if they want to experience the harsh world of Tarkov.
Earlier known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, PUBG: Battlegrounds isthepioneer of the popular Battle Royale genre we all know and love. While the game has changed over the years in its pricing model and the way you play it, the core gameplay is still the same. This game focuses entirely on large-scale survival gameplay. You are stranded on a large island where you must start searching for loot.
This includes clothes, shelter, weapons, etc. You can form alliances on the island, but beware anyone can kill you and loot your resources. So, go around searching for loot and start killing people that aren’t friendly with you. It’s all about survival in this exciting game. PUBG Battlegrounds is entirely free unless players want to experience the competitive aspect of it at Ranked matches, in which case they have to pay up $12 in-game. Either way, if someone wants a gritty battle royale experience, PUBG: Battlegrounds is the one they should try out.
If Battle Royale games are your jam, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is the best online PC game that you should check out. A sequel to the well-known Call of Duty: Warzone, it offers a play style similar to what you’d expect from Call of Duty games, with some overhauls such as the inventory system, introduction of Nukes, a new map called Al Mazrah, replacing the original Caldera, and more. There areplenty of weapons, and the mechanics are similar to most battle royale games. Drop in, loot up, and eliminate all your enemies to remain the last man (or squad) standing.
Warzone 2.0 is a free-to-play battle royale game for PC, which makes it even more attractive for anyone looking to play online games on their computers without paying a dime. That said, you can spend money tobuy cosmetic items, and get the season passwhich will give you rewards for completing tasks. All things considered, Warzone 2.0 is a PC game to check out.
It is astonishing to see how far Epic Games’ Fortnite has come. Starting as a base-building survival game that quickly evolved into one of the biggest online games for PC and consoles, Fortnite constantly keeps growing. Each new season brings in new map regions, new quests for players to perform, new battle-pass, new crossover skins with popular pop culture media, and more.
As of writing this, the game has already introduced rideable motorbikes, a third-person zero-build battle-royale mode, and a crossover with Dragonball Z, and it keeps growing in popularity. Furthermore, the custom mode allows players to create their maps, with players getting a chance to play through them. If a player enjoys the thrill of battle royals and wants a light-hearted experience, Fortnite is the perfect game to try out.
The sequel to the widely popular hero shooter, Overwatch 2 brought in the familiar gameplay with some changes. For starters, the new title is completely free-to-play, with a paid PvE experience releasing sometime this year. On top of that, the game features reworked heroes and new game modes in addition to the popular existing ones. Furthermore, Overwatch 2 also brings in new heroes each season, alongside new maps, cross-play, and progression with consoles.
Overwatch 2 is agreat mix of shooters and MOBAsthat brings the best of both worlds together. You get the fast-paced gameplay of a shooter mixed with the elements from a MOBA where you get different abilities and powerful heroics to overpower your enemies.In a 5v5 match, your goal is to kill all your enemies, play your role accordingly, and complete the required objective of the game. It’s a fast-paced shooter that’s worth a try.
This is one of the most popular online PC games of all time. DoTA 2 is the sequel to the popular DoTA mod for Warcraft 3 and it’s regarded as one of the most popular MOBAs out there. DoTA 2 incorporates a deep strategic gameplay that might be a bit complex for beginners, however, the game also offers in-game tutorials and guides to help newbies. The game contains over one hundred heroes to try out, across various roles.
It’s a simple MOBA where you engage in a battle as a team of 5 against another team of 5. The main objective is to destroy the enemy team’s Ancient. However, it’s easier said than done. You must carry out team-based plays and strategies to even get a shot at winning. Try out DoTA 2 as it’s entirely free. Plus, if you want you can check out some othergames like DOTA 2as well.
Counter-Strike has been one of the most popular first-person shooter games on PC. It started as a mod for Half-Life back in the day but quickly grew big enough to become a standalone game. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the current incarnation of the game and carries a massive fan following. This game is highly competitive with a very big eSports scene backing it up. Counter-Strike: GO isa traditional shooter where you get to join either the terrorists or counter-terrorists.
The terrorists have a bomb that they must plant in any one of the specific locations available on the map and the CT must try to either disable the planted bomb or keep the terrorists from planting it. It’s a battle of strategy and wits, and also quick aim. While the game is now available to play for free, if you’re thinking of playing competitive games, you should purchase the prime status to get matched with non-hacking, hopefully, non-toxic players.
If you mix an exciting racing game with some soccer then you getan adrenaline-pumping game that caters to both racing and soccer fans. Rocket League is an exciting game that’s highly addictive and fun. You get to team up with 1 or 2 other players and take on other players from around the world.
You can also play alongside your friend in a split-screen multiplayer match and also enjoy the split-screen mode when playing online. Customize your little toy cars and carry out some jaw-dropping, physics-defying moves in this exciting game. Score some screamers and take on the world in Rocket League.
The PvE mode follows the Guardian through the storyline of Destiny, which has evolved so much over the years that old players who took a break might find it difficult to catch up. However, the core gameplay stays the same – team up or play solo to finish story missions, random encounters on maps, or raids. Completing encounters rewards players with gears and weapons, which they can use to improve their damage output.
The PvP experience sees a team of players going up against each other across various maps. The gameplay is similar to the competitive shooters and features skill-based matchmaking, which gets updated in each game, based on the players’ performance. Destiny 2 demands some amount of active engagement from players, but it also ensures that a dedicated player is rewarded with a grand sci-fi experience. With the new expansion Lightfall currently out for all platforms, it is a great time for new players to drop into the world of Destiny 2.
The recent update has added many new changes to the game, such as a brand-new class system, Team Deathmatch, new weapons, new characters, and much more. The game is completely free-to-play, and the monetization comes in the form of skins, battle-pass, and early character unlocks.
Other than that, Apex Legends is set in Titanfall’s sci-fi universe. Hence, if you have played the critically-acclaimed second game, then you would find many commonalities between the two games. If you love playing battle royale and want a fast-paced experience, then definitely try Apex Legends.
One of the longest-running MMORPGs in existence, World of Warcraft is an always-online RPG that takes place in Blizzard’s Warcraft universe. It features two different factions – alliance and horde, that players can become a part of and roles with various kinds of jobs. Since it is an MMO, players can party up together to finish questlines, take part in long-drawn battles, complete unique missions called Raids, and much more.
Final Fantasy 14 Online is the fourteenth numbered mainline entry in the long-running RPG series by Square Enix, and the second online-only title in the series, succeeded by Final Fantasy 8 Online. The story of the development of the title is a great redemption arc in itself, where a new team came together to relaunch the title with a far-better gameplay system and storyline. The rest is history.
Final Fantasy 14 features some expansions that continue the long-running storyline of the game, each of which is lauded for its spectacular storytelling. The gameplay follows the MMORPG formula introduced by World of Warcraft, with a coat of Final Fantasy on top of it. Furthermore, the developers offer interested newcomers a free trial, that includes the entirety of the base game, called A Realm Reborn, and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free without any playtime restriction.
Final Fantasy 14 Online is a great game for players who enjoy MMOs, a robust character creator, and a memorable storyline.
Borderlands 3 is a clown fiesta that’s filled with extremely fun and exciting elements that make it a unique shooter. The gamefocuses on loot and grindsso much as if it were almost an MMORPG, but fortunately, it isn’t. Borderlands 3 brings all the amazing and exciting elements from the original game and polishes them up for even more excitement. You get access to a plethora of weird and hilarious weapons that are funny yet also powerful. Thanks to the various DLCs at launch, the experience got even more solid, giving players more guns, and content. Give Borderlands 3 a go if players fancy teaming up with players to take down enemies and item looting.
Another Ubisoft game that got better over time, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 picks players up from the freezing streets of New York and brings them to the sunny Capitol Hills of Washington DC. The setting still follows a post-apocalyptic world where lawlessness runs amok, and players fill the shoes of a sleeper agent from the US SHD, also known as Division.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Hunt: Showdown is a PvE first-person shooter, that puts players in the shoes of hunters, tasked with tracking down monsters in the Bayou and taking them out. Each hunter comes with a unique skill, with legendary hunters launched frequently for players.
The goal of the game is simple: twelve players enter a map, with the same bounty to fulfill, and the person who collects the bounty and escapes the map wins. To fulfill the goal of the game, players need to search for clues that track the bounty down, hunt other players who are after the same goal, and finally, kill the bounty. The game features impressive sound design and guns inspired by spaghetti western movies. Hunt: Shodown is a great online PC game that does not demand long play sessions, and is even more fun when played with a friend.
Asynchronous multiplayer games were not popular back in the days until Dead By Daylight came in and popularized the genre. It is a 4v1 survival horror game, with one player playing as a killer, trying to stop the four players from escaping the map. The other four players need to team up and work together to fix engines, which opens up the escape gate. However, every time an engine gets fixed, the killer is notified, essentially turning the game into hide-and-seek.
Players and killers on successful level-ups get the option to unlock perks, which help them to reach their goals. What makes the game unique is its tie-up with popular horror movies from Hollywood and other horror video games, adding those characters in the form of DLCs. A must-try for its interesting concept.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is an online PC game that, at first glance, feels similar to Counter-Strike. However, the game places far higher importance on strategy and teamwork than most other online shooters you might have played. If you play this game with a squad of friends, it can be highly interesting since map knowledge and team coordination are an absolute necessity for success.
Are you a lover of tank fights? If so, World of Tanks is the perfect free online PC game for you. World of Tanks is an MMO war game that features 20th-century armored vehicles including light armored vehicles, heavy tanks, and self-propelled guns.
While World of Tanks features tank-based combat, War Thunder goes all-in when it comes to warfare simulation games. Developed by Gaijin Entertainment, Warthunder is a PvP military vehicle simulation, featuring realistic vehicle damage and team-based gameplay matches. Players can choose from Tanks, Airplanes, and Naval Ships, based on real-life counterparts, and vehicles from the World War era to the modern era.
Players can queue up for three different game modes – arcade mode, which is a fast-paced match, the realistic mode, featuring a realistic vehicle damage system, and simulation mode, featuring real-world vehicle controls. With an ever-growing community of passionate gamers, who might be a bit too passionate about realism, War Thunder is the perfect game for players who enjoy vehicular combat. The only real downside is that while the base game is completely free-to-play, it has in-game monetization, turning the base game into an unfortunate grind. However, that does not change the fact that this is currently one of the best free-to-play online games available on PC and consoles.
One of the biggest video games of all time, Minecraft is a survival title, where players have the liberty of doing whatever they want in the vast sandbox. The game currently has two versions for players to try out – the original Java version that allows custom modding by the community, and the paid Bedrock Edition that is available on PC and Consoles.
Regardless of what version the player tries, both of them have the same goal – survive the world, build extravagant structures, explore the vast sandbox, dig for minerals, and defeat the Ender Dragon. The game allows players to do all of this at their own pace, and how intense of an experience they want out of the game lies on the players.
League of Legends is anotherone of the top MOBAs out thereand it’s a direct competitor to DoTA 2. It’s a much less complex MOBA when compared to DoTA 2. League of Legends is another highly played game and has a very large esports scene backing it up which makes it another exciting game.
This game incorporates a lot of new and unique features to the MOBA genre that makes it a bit more unique than DoTA 2 and changes the whole gameplay a little. If you want a less complex and fast-paced MOBA then League of Legends is the perfect one for you. It’s pretty simple once you complete the tutorial.
We cannot recommend Stardew Valley enough for its mesmerizing pixel art, cozy gameplay, and memorable cast of characters. After a long day at work, nothing hits hard like some hours of Stardew Valley, especially if played with a friend.
Ever wanted to be a part of an ever-changing war across various sections of maps? Foxhole is the answer to that. A massively multiplayer online game, Foxhole throws thousands of players in a persistent world where they shape and decide the outcome of the online war. Players can join either of the two factions and then accept roles to help their team. These can range from being a medic, an engineer, a sniper, a front-line soldier, and more. Teamplay and communication take a key role, as one single mistake can result in a faction losing a particular section of the map.
The best part about Foxhole is that situations can turn in anyone’s favor at any moment, thanks to the player-driven online nature of the game. Additionally, with active support from the developers, this is undoubtedly one of the best online PC games for players who want to be part of the sandbox war game and experience a storyline shaped by their decisions.
This is yet another game that you should check out if you’re looking for an online PC game. Warframe is one of those titles that, even though old, have consistently received updates and new content to keep the game fresh and exciting for both newcomers and veteran players alike. In Warframe, you control the members of a clan that has woken up from cryosleep to find themselves at war with multiple space clans.
It’s a free-to-play game that offers micro-transactions to get access to various in-game items. However, you can also unlock those items by playing the game and grinding. The game has received several updates that have completely overhauled it. Plus, if you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, Warframe is on the Switch as well, so you can play it on the go.
Terraria is aperfect mix of everything, be it survival, crafting, mining, or platformers. It’s like a 2D take on Minecraft that adds extra interactivity to the gameplay. The retro graphics make it even more interesting and the game lets you mine, craft, build, and fight your way through levels in search of treasures and loot.It mixes greatRPG elements with Minecraft’s unique gameplay featuresand brings you a fresh new take on the genre. You get to explore danger-filled caverns for rare loot and treasures.
However, the game focuses mainly on the building and crafting part while the action and adventure part is just on the side of it all. If you like a great platformer mixed with RPG and survival elements then Terraria is the perfect game for you.
Ever wanted to live the fantasy of pulling a grand heist with your friends, just like in the Hollywood movie Oceans Eleven? Starbreeze’s Payday 2 aims to achieve that. An over-the-top co-op shooter where players can play one of the four masked individuals, accepting jobs from the eponymous CrimeNet which includes robbing banks, stealing a sports car, stealing a virus that can cause catastrophic disasters, and much more. You even help out Tony Montana from Scarface and John Wick. The players get various ways to approach a heist, where they can either go guns blazing or stealthily. Furthermore, the game features different difficulty levels, giving options to the players on how easy or hard they want their heists.
Payday 2 has got years worth of support from its developers in the form of DLCs, which add new skill cards for players, new playable characters, new heists, new masks, and much more. With the next game currently in development, this is a great co-op online game on PC and consoles that a player should try out. After all, paydays are the best days of the month!
Who hasn’t played Grand Theft Auto? We’re fairly certain we’ve all been in the shoes of Tommy Vercetti, running around through Vice City, and we’ve hung out with CJ and the crew in Grove Street. Well, with GTA V, we areback in the world of San Andreas, and what better way to fully embrace the chaos that is GTA, other than playing it online with loads of other people doing everything you can do in the game?
There’s a lot of fun to be had in GTA Online, even if you don’t rent to do anything of actual value within the game. GTA Online has become the playground of sorts for anyone on the internet to just go crazy, pretty much. People have used the game to host retellings of famous Shakespeare plays, and a lot more. It’s defun game to try out on your PC, and it’s one of the best online open-world games for PC that you can play right now that keeps getting better with continued content support from Rockstar Games, so definitely give it a shot.
Rounding off the list is one of my favorite online games, Sea of Thieves. Developed by Rare, who are well-known for their works in Donkey Kong Country, and GoldenEye 007, Sea of Thieves is an online PvPvE title. Up to four players can team up together to venture the vast seas as a pirate in search of riches. However, at every corner of the sea lies ghost ships, islands with skeletons, and the risk of sabotage from potential players.
Over the years, the game has received many free updates, that have not only added more content but also improved the gameplay. Furthermore, recently the game had a collaboration with Pirates of The Caribbean, bringing in a brand-new storyline for players to complete. Sea of Thieves is by all rights a great experience in its current state, and the developers have gone on record to confirm future updates for the title.
Hopefully, you will enjoy each game on this list. There are numerous other online games for PC out there, but these are the ones that interested us. You can also suggest some other games in the comments below because we’re always looking forward to trying out something new.
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