Dota 2 is the best online multiplayer game on PC on our rubric: 7 of 7 points, with a 1,291,328 all-time Steam peak, a 697,106 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and a 90 Metascore, and it is free to play. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS also scores 7 and holds the biggest all-time Steam peak at 3,236,027; Apex Legends (6 points, 89) is #3 and Counter-Strike 2 (6 points, 82) is #4.
Players who want a story-driven MMORPG with a big social community
Pick by what you want
Best overall
Dota 2 (PC)
Best battle royale
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
Best tactical shooter
Counter-Strike 2
Best paid game
ARC Raiders
Best MMO
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
The ranking
1
Dota 2 (PC)
Answrs VerdictThe best-reviewed game here and one of only two to score a perfect 7.
Rubric points: 7 of 7Steam players: 1,291,328 all-time peak; 697,106 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 90 Metascore from 33 critic reviews; released July 9, 2013; PCPrice: Free to play on Steam
Dota 2 is Valve’s free-to-play five-versus-five MOBA. It earns 7 of 7 points: a 1,291,328 all-time peak of concurrent Steam players, a 697,106 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026, and a 90 Metascore from 33 critic reviews, the highest score on this list. It released on July 9, 2013, on PC.
Go ifPlayers who want the deepest five-versus-five team strategy game on PC
Skip ifYou want short, casual matches with a gentle learning curve
Why #1 over #2: It ties PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on 7 points and wins the tie-break with a 90 Metascore to 86.
2
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
Answrs VerdictThe record holder for Steam players, tied on 7 points with Dota 2.
Rubric points: 7 of 7Steam players: 3,236,027 all-time peak; 748,154 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 86 Metascore from 46 critic reviews; released December 21, 2017; PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series XPrice: Free to play on Steam
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is the free-to-play battle royale from PUBG Corporation and KRAFTON. It earns 7 of 7 points, with the biggest all-time Steam peak here at 3,236,027 concurrent players, a 748,154 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and an 86 Metascore from 46 critic reviews. It released on December 21, 2017.
Go ifBattle royale fans who want the biggest player peak ever recorded on Steam
Skip ifYou want hero abilities instead of grounded military gunplay
Why #2 over #3: It beats Apex Legends on 7 points to 6, because its all-time Steam peak of 3,236,027 earns the top tier and Apex Legends’ 624,473 does not.
3
Apex Legends
Answrs VerdictThe best-reviewed battle royale on the list.
Rubric points: 6 of 7Steam players: 624,473 all-time peak; 192,342 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 89 Metascore from 28 critic reviews; released February 4, 2019; PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch 2Price: Free to play on Steam
Apex Legends is Respawn’s free-to-play hero battle royale, published by Electronic Arts. It earns 6 of 7 points, with a 624,473 all-time Steam peak, a 192,342 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and an 89 Metascore from 28 critic reviews. It released on February 4, 2019, and is also on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Go ifSquads who want a battle royale built around hero abilities
Skip ifYou prefer slow, tactical rounds over fast movement
Why #3 over #4: It ties Counter-Strike 2 on 6 points and wins the tie-break with an 89 Metascore to 82.
4
Counter-Strike 2
Answrs VerdictThe most-played game on Steam in the last 24 hours, held back by an 82 Metascore.
Rubric points: 6 of 7Steam players: 1,818,368 all-time peak; 1,089,723 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 82 Metascore from 14 critic reviews; released September 27, 2023; PCPrice: Free to play on Steam
Counter-Strike 2 is Valve’s free-to-play five-versus-five tactical shooter. It had the highest 24-hour Steam peak on this list on Nov 3, 2026 at 1,089,723, on top of a 1,818,368 all-time peak. Its 82 Metascore from 14 critic reviews holds it to 6 of 7 points. Metacritic lists its release as September 27, 2023.
Go ifCompetitive five-versus-five tactical shooter players
Skip ifYou want progression, loot or a campaign
Why #4 over #5: It beats ARC Raiders on 6 points to 4, with a 1,818,368 all-time Steam peak to 465,097.
5
ARC Raiders
Answrs VerdictThe best-reviewed paid game and the newest pick.
Rubric points: 4 of 7Steam players: 465,097 all-time peak; 78,412 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 86 Metascore from 57 critic reviews; released October 30, 2025; PC, PS5 and Xbox Series XPrice: $39.99 on Steam
ARC Raiders is Embark Studios’ PvPvE extraction shooter and costs $39.99 on Steam. It earns 4 of 7 points, with a 465,097 all-time Steam peak, a 78,412 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and an 86 Metascore from 57 critic reviews. It released on October 30, 2025, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Go ifPlayers who want a newer PvPvE extraction shooter with high review scores
Skip ifYou do not want to pay up front
Why #5 over #6: It ties Battlefield 6 on 4 points and wins the tie-break with an 86 Metascore to 83.
6
Battlefield 6
Answrs VerdictThe large-scale war shooter, and the priciest game here.
Rubric points: 4 of 7Steam players: 656,067 all-time peak; 37,862 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 83 Metascore from 71 critic reviews; released October 10, 2025; PS5, Xbox Series X and PCPrice: $69.99 on Steam
Battlefield 6 is the large-scale military shooter from Battlefield Studios and Electronic Arts, and at $69.99 on Steam it is the most expensive pick. It earns 4 of 7 points, with a 656,067 all-time Steam peak, a 37,862 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and an 83 Metascore from 71 critic reviews. It released on October 10, 2025.
Go ifFans of big combined-arms battles with tanks, jets and squads
Skip ifYou want a free game; it is the most expensive pick
Why #6 over #7: It ties Lost Ark on 4 points and wins the tie-break with an 83 Metascore to 81.
7
Lost Ark
Answrs VerdictA top-three all-time Steam peak, but the smallest 24-hour peak on the list.
Rubric points: 4 of 7Steam players: 1,324,761 all-time peak; 6,687 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 81 Metascore from 49 critic reviews; released February 11, 2022; PCPrice: Free to play on Steam
Lost Ark is a free-to-play action MMO from Smilegate RPG, published on Steam by Amazon Game Studios. Its 1,324,761 all-time Steam peak earns the top tier, but its 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 was 6,687, the lowest here, so it earns 4 of 7 points with an 81 Metascore from 49 critic reviews. It released on February 11, 2022.
Go ifPlayers who want a free action MMO with raids and PvP
Skip ifYou want a game with a large current player base on Steam
Why #7 over #8: It beats Halo Infinite on 4 points to 3, with a 1,324,761 all-time Steam peak to 256,619.
8
Halo Infinite
Answrs VerdictThe arena shooter, with the most critic reviews behind its 87.
Rubric points: 3 of 7Steam players: 256,619 all-time peak; 1,889 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 87 Metascore from 99 critic reviews; released November 15, 2021; Xbox One, PC and Xbox Series XPrice: Free to play multiplayer on Steam
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is free to play on Steam, from 343 Industries and Xbox Game Studios. It earns 3 of 7 points, with a 256,619 all-time Steam peak, a 1,889 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and an 87 Metascore from 99 critic reviews, the most reviews behind any score on this list. It released on November 15, 2021.
Go ifArena shooter fans who want free Halo multiplayer on PC
Skip ifYou want a busy Steam player base right now
Why #8 over #9: It ties Rust on 3 points and wins the tie-break with an 87 Metascore to 69.
9
Rust
Answrs VerdictThe cheapest paid pick and the busiest after the top four.
Rubric points: 3 of 7Steam players: 259,646 all-time peak; 108,844 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 69 Metascore from 11 critic reviews; released February 8, 2018; PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X and PS5Price: $19.99 on Steam
Rust is Facepunch Studios’ open-world survival game where other players are the main threat, and it costs $19.99 on Steam. It earns 3 of 7 points, with a 259,646 all-time Steam peak and a 108,844 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026, but a 69 Metascore from 11 critic reviews, the lowest here. It released on February 8, 2018.
Go ifPlayers who want open-world survival with raids on other players
Skip ifYou are put off by the lowest Metascore on the list
Why #9 over #10: It beats FINAL FANTASY XIV Online on 3 points to 2, with a 108,844 24-hour Steam peak to 21,022.
10
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Answrs VerdictThe best-reviewed MMO here, with Square Enix reporting over 30 million adventurers.
Rubric points: 2 of 7Steam players: 95,102 all-time peak; 21,022 24-hour peak (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026)Metacritic: 86 Metascore from 35 critic reviews; released April 14, 2014; Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series XPlayers reported: Over 30 million adventurers worldwide (Square Enix)Price: $19.99 on Steam
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is Square Enix’s MMORPG, and its Steam page says over 30 million adventurers play worldwide. On Steam it has a 95,102 all-time peak and a 21,022 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026, so its points come from an 86 Metascore from 35 critic reviews: 2 of 7. It costs $19.99 on Steam, and Metacritic lists a release date of April 14, 2014.
Go ifPlayers who want a story-driven MMORPG with a big social community
Skip ifYou want short competitive matches
How we ranked these
This list covers competitive and social online multiplayer on PC: MOBAs, battle royales, tactical and large-scale shooters, extraction and survival PvP, and MMOs. Co-op games built mainly around fighting computer enemies were left out. Every game had to be available to new players on Steam, because SteamCharts publishes concurrent player counts the same way for every Steam game; games that are not on Steam, such as League of Legends, Valorant and Fortnite, could not be scored on the same scale. We read each game’s SteamCharts page, Steam store page and main Metacritic page on November 3, 2026, and scored every game on the same rubric: all-time Steam peak (3 points for 1,000,000 and up, 2 for 500,000 to 999,999, 1 for 200,000 to 499,999), the 24-hour Steam peak (2 points for 100,000 and up, 1 for 25,000 to 99,999) and the Metascore (2 points for 85 and up, 1 for 80 to 84). Maximum is 7 points; ties go to the higher Metascore. The Metascore is the one on each game’s main Metacritic page, which for multi-platform games may reflect a console version. Grand Theft Auto V was left out because it is mainly a single-player game with an online mode, and Rocket League because its Steam page says it is unlisted on the Steam store at the publisher’s request. Team Fortress 2 and Marvel Rivals, which also scored, are left to our free-to-play Steam games list so this page adds different games. No publisher received any adjustment; player counts change daily and prices are listed store prices that can change. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is the best online multiplayer game on PC in 2027?
Dota 2: it scores 7 of 7 rubric points, with a 1,291,328 all-time Steam peak, a 697,106 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 and a 90 Metascore from 33 critic reviews. It is free to play.
Which PC multiplayer game has the most players on Steam?
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has the highest all-time Steam peak on this list at 3,236,027 concurrent players, while Counter-Strike 2 had the highest 24-hour peak on Nov 3, 2026 at 1,089,723.
Which of these online games are free to play?
Dota 2, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2 and Lost Ark are free to play on Steam, and Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is free to play.
What is the best MMO on this list?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has an 86 Metascore from 35 critic reviews, costs $19.99 on Steam and Square Enix says it has over 30 million adventurers worldwide; Lost Ark is the free-to-play MMO pick.
All-time peak concurrent players on Steam (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026) at a glance
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online95,102 players
Halo Infinite256,619 players
Rust259,646 players
ARC Raiders465,097 players
Apex Legends624,473 players
Battlefield 6656,067 players
Dota 2 (PC)1,291,328 players
Lost Ark1,324,761 players
Counter-Strike 21,818,368 players
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS3,236,027 players
All-time peak concurrent players on Steam (SteamCharts, Nov 3, 2026), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
