To play or not to play: that is the question that friends ask me when they're thinking of picking up a multiplayer game but hear that it's "dead." The game in question is almost never actually dead, but it's understandable why they thought it was. A still-somewhat-new in our hobby has made it increasingly easy for spectators to glance at a SteamDB graph, see an arrow pointing down, and begin a narrative that a game is dead or dying.
Before such an absolute label became the default vernacular for multiplayer games, we more [[link]] often asked a simpler question: Can you still find a match?
Released 2013 | Last update May 2024 | Daily players 600+
I didn't know there was an online Mechwarrior game until my friends got really into it last year. It's free-to-play with a monetization scheme that's mostly about cosmetics, but my understanding is that paid mechs can have better weapon configurations that ride the line of pay-to-win (similar to World of Tanks). Still, I've had great fun in my free mech wailing on enemies a mile away with LRMs. Expect some lag as players from around the globe often need to share servers.
Released 2017 | Last update September 2024 | Daily players 6,000+
The quintessential game that you probably assumed wasn't constantly getting updates anymore. And yet, the competitive melee fighter is well into its Year 8 roadmap, complete with battle passes, map variations, and the occasional new hero.
Released 2021 | Last update July 2024 | Daily players 3,000+
Chivalry 2 is some of the best fun you can have swinging a sword (or an axe, or a [[link]] severed head) in a videogame and it still draws a crowd. It's a bit unique on this list because, as of July 2024, Torn Banner Studios considers the game "feature complete" after essentially doubling the size of it with years of updates. That means no more major patches are planned, but it still gets little events and regular maintenance.
Released 2023 | Last update October 2024 | Daily players ~100
One of the most unique shooters I've ever played. Deceive Inc. is basically competitive Hitman in first-person, casting a lobby of 8-12 as spies in disguise competing to steal the same treasure. Don't let the small player counts alarm you: finding matches is not a problem, and developer Sweet Bandit studios is still adding new agents, gadgets, and the occasional map.
Released 2017 (early access) | Last update August 2024 | Daily players 3,000+
The most unique and I've ever played, Foxhole simulates a months-long war on a gigantic map between thousands of players. Its popularity has fluctuated over the years, but there's always at least one major war happening in a shared server. If you like the idea of contributing to a team without having to pick up a gun, play this game.
Released 2017 (early access) | Last update September 2024 | Daily players 500+
They say arena shooters are dead, and they mostly are, but not this one. Quake Champions is in its lane and thriving with a core community of FPS enjoyers who like to go very fast and can't be bothered to reload.
Released 2021 | Last update October 2024 | Daily players 6,000+
Halo Infinite caught flak for years for, well, not being very good, but . The Halo game that once struggled to get new maps through the door and keep a handful of playlists functional is now a bastion of variety. It's still getting maps and modes regularly (many made in Forge by fans). You don't hear lots of folks talking about it, and I kind of like it that way. There's a small, somewhat cozy vibe to Halo Infinite that reminds me of a time when fewer people crowded into games.
Released 2023 | Last update December 2023 | Daily players 2,500+
The surprise of 2023 doesn't have a huge audience anymore, but don't let that stop you from hopping into a full server and having a good time. Long gaps between [[link]] updates for this one, but the developers keep in touch about future plans.