Even in 2024, players are looking for something new to do, but playing unknown games is no fun. You want to immediately change your favorite game to something just as exciting and popular. On Reddit, players share their experiences and offer different free games to each other as an alternative.
Due to the eternal search for “What else is there to play?” we will share a list of the best free games currently popular with players worldwide. Pay attention to the following games: CS2, DOTA2, Apex Legends, Valorant, League of Legends, Fortnite, PUBG, Call of Duty: Warzone, THE FINALS, and Destiny 2.
We based it on player ratings on Steam and Metacritic and feedback on Reddit and other portals.
Contents
Highlights
- TOP-10 best free-to-play online games according to players and blix.gg team opinion
- Advantages and disadvantages of each game
CS2
Counter-Strike 2
- Developer: Valve
- Genre: Tactical FPS
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: September 27, 2023
- Game Score (Metacritic): 82
Counter-Strike 2 is the sequel to one of the most popular first-person shooters ever. The game replaced its predecessor, Counter-Strike:Global Offensive.
We have written an article about How to Play CS:GO After The CS2 Release.
Teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists compete to accomplish various tasks depending on your chosen game mode.
The game has six competitive modes: Competitive, Premier, Wingman, Casual, Deathmatch, and Private matchmaking. The most popular mode is Competitive, but Premier has a new ranking based not on ranks but skill scores.
Unlike previous games, CS2 has moved to the Source 2 engine. This improved the game’s visual flair, as players themselves often talk about it, and improved performance and server architecture.
CS2 is the most popular game on Steam, with a peak online of 1.5 million daily players.
Number of players
DOTA 2
DOTA 2
- Developer: Valve
- Genre: Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: July 9, 2013
- Game Score (Metacritic): 90
In Dota 2, two teams of five players fight each other. Each group defends its base on a comprehensive map, controlling Heroes with unique abilities.
We also present game guides such as How To Play Better In Dota 2? A Complete Guide By Pro.
When Valve brought Dota creator Icefrog to develop Dota 2, it was a considerable risk, as it was supposed to replace the original. But it worked; players received the game very well, and the competitive scene has thrived ever since.
Dota 2 was one of the first games to move to the Source 2 engine and has received constant updates ever since. The full roster and items are free for all players; paid cosmetics and an optional monthly subscription offering bonus features are available.
The MOBA genre has become a popular esport as professional players perfect their strategies for capturing and invading enemy territory. Dota 2 is no exception, with premium tournaments having prize pools in the millions of dollars. Valve holds the biggest tournament for the game, The International, annually.
Dota 2 is the second most popular game on Steam.
Number of players
Apex Legends
Apex Legends
- Developer: Respawn Entertainment
- Genre: Battle royale shooter
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
- Release Date: February 4, 2019
- Game Score (Metacritic): 89
Apex Legends pits up to 60 players in groups of three on a single map – up to twenty teams. The team left last, which will score the most points without getting into unsafe areas, wins.
It features impressive graphics that make it exciting and realistic. The game is compatible with almost all devices, which is one reason for its popularity.
What also sets Apex apart from all the others are the Legends: heroes with their own elaborate sets of powers and abilities, as well as an impressive and exciting life story. A few Legends are free, while others can be unlocked by earning in-game currency or spending real money. You can also spend real money on additional cosmetics, although limited-time events allow you to earn some unique cosmetics for free.
Posted by Respawn
Valorant
Valorant
- Developer: Riot Games
- Genre: Tactical hero shooter
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: June 2, 2020
- Game Score (Metacritic): 80
Although Valorant came out relatively recently, it is considered one of the most popular in the cybersports community.
China has recently joined the game. We wrote about it in the article Everything we know about Chinese VALORANT Esports.
Participants in Valorant battles are divided into two teams of five players. One group defends, and the other attacks. The attackers have to plant a bomb in certain areas, while the defenders have to defuse it. Victory goes to the team that completes the task or manages to destroy all opponents.
Many players mention that Valorant is reminiscent of Counter-Strike, but they must copy the mechanics completely. In Valorant, even the most skillful fighter cannot win alone. The best result can be shown if you play in a team.
In addition, the guns in Valorant have a proximity mode, which allows you to shoot more accurately and activates the weapon’s unique properties.
However, in addition to the ability to shoot accurately, the ability of players to use the tactical skills of their characters correctly and in time is crucial. This feature is a bit like Apex. Recently, a unique character, Clove, appeared in the game. An article about it is: A New Agent Clove Has Been Announced In Valorant.
By the way, Champions Tour 2024: Masters Shanghai is currently taking place, and news about it is regularly trending on Twitter.
League of Legends
League of Legends
- Developer: Riot Games
- Genre: MOBA
- Platforms: PC
- Release Date: October 27, 2009
- Game Score (Metacritic): 78
League of Legends is a game that has been at the beginning of esports since its introduction in 2009.
The main goal is to reach the enemy base and break the main building there, the Nexus. Interfering with your mission will be five enemy champions, three enemy towers on each line, and a couple more at the Nexus itself, as well as enemy minions running out of the enemy base every half a minute.
The primary game mode is Summoner’s Rift, but the game also features an All Random, No Mid mode for more fierce confrontations and a Teamfight Tactics auto-fight mode.
You can play for free using any of the champions in the weekly rotation or pay to unlock them permanently, as well as items, cards, and cosmetics.
We recently had an entertaining article on Lol – All Victorious Skins in LoL: Ranking.
The League of Legends community is huge, and recently, the paradoxical question of why the game is so underrepresented in popular culture has emerged. You can read about it and discuss it on Reddit.
Fortnite
Fortnite
- Developer: Epic Games
- Genre: Battle royale
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
- Release Date: July 25, 2017
- Game Score (Metacritic): 78
At its core, the game is a battle royale shooter, offered with and without the unique building block that defined it in its early days.
But Epic has turned Fortnite into a platform for live events like concerts. It has begun integrating additional standalone games, such as a Rocket League-branded racing game, a Rock Band successor, and even a Lego-based sandbox in the vein of Minecraft.
You can try everything Fortnite offers for free or pay for additional cosmetic upgrades. You can also purchase a regularly updated season pass, which often gives cosmetics based on crossovers with other popular brands and characters from Star Wars, DC, and Marvel comics.
The game recently underwent an update to fix bugs.
PUBG
PUBG
- Developer: KRAFTON, Inc.
- Genre: Battle royale
- Platforms: PC, Mobile, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia
- Release Date: December 21, 2017
- Game Score (Metacritic): 86
In this multiplayer fighting game, everyone fights against each other like a buffet, allowing people to fully experiment with their skills.
PUBG permits a maximum of 100 players to engage in combat, with the final survivor declared victor. Players can also join the game in groups of up to four people.
The game begins with players parachuting from an airplane into a war zone, and the battle begins the moment they land on the ground.
The game can be played in the third or first person. The casual mode only allows the third person.
The game received several nominations for Game of the Year and set seven Guinness World Records, such as being the first game on Steam to be played by over 2 million people simultaneously and making the fastest $100 million profit among all Steam games in Early Access status.
Players on Reddit reminisced about why they started playing PUBG. It’s a nostalgic conversation, and we’ve left you a link.
This game is the third most popular game on Steam! More than 600,000 people peak online in the last 24 hours!
Number of players
Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone
- Developer: Activision
- Genre: Battle royale shooter
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: March 10, 2020
- Game Score (Metacritic): 79
Call of Duty has been a hit for years. Warzone is a lot like other battle royale games, but it carries the look and feel of Call of Duty. Interestingly, Warzone places fallen players in a gulag where they can earn their way back.
If you’re a hardcore player, you can fulfill contracts divided into three types: killing a target, defending a point, and finding supply crates. Fulfilling contracts will speed up the money needed to win a match comfortably.
All cosmetics are integrated with your Call of Duty profile. You can use your skins both in Warzone and in regular competitive multiplayer.
CoD Mobile is very popular right now, and we have various guides for it, such as How to Download COD Mobile on PC.
THE FINALS
THE FINALS
- Developer: Embark Studios
- Genre: First-person shooter
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Release Date: December 7, 2023
- Game Score (Metacritic): 80
Players battle against each other in teams of three. Everyone chooses a character from one of three classes:
- Heavy – slow but strong fighters with the highest health.
- Medium – operatives with medium speed and balanced health stats.
- Light – the fastest soldiers with the lowest health points.
Each class has several active abilities, but only one can be selected before the match. Unlike many other competitive shooters in The Finals, you can’t win by killing opponents only. The main task of a team in a match is to overtake your opponents in terms of money and prevent your competitors from doing the same.
In The Finals, almost all walls and platforms are breakable. Fighters can destroy them with a grenade, a mine, an explosive charge, or a grenade launcher shot. Usually, by the end of a match, no buildings are left intact on the map, but thanks to the destructibility, it’s generally hard to see what’s going on.
In the first days of online release, The Finals on Steam surpassed 200 thousand players. We wrote about the second season of the game in the article: THE FINALS Season 2 Preview and How’s The Game Going.
Destiny 2
Destiny 2
- Developer: Phoenix Labs
- Genre: Action RPG
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
- Release Date: August 28, 2017
- Game Score (Metacritic): 85
This game has only three playable classes: Hunter, Titan, and Warlock. Each has its sub-class skills.
The game has a well-developed story that continues with each add-on release. It boasts enjoyable gameplay, shooting, and many futuristic weapons and equipment.
Destiny 2 features an in-game store with a season Battle Pass where you can get colorful cosmetic items, resources, and weapons.
Players’ opinions about the game are divided, and you can read them here.
Summary
You can also focus on other popular free online games, like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Reddit players also recommend Deep Rock Galactic online or Warframe.
