The best shooters focusing on co-op and PvE
After presenting you with a whole range of PvP shooters, we want to showcase the best PvE shooters available on various platforms in 2025. At the end, there will also be a few honorable mentions.
Borderlands 3
What makes the game special? Borderlands 3 is a wacky loot shooter with colorful and quirky comic design. You have the choice of four characters with different talents, which allows you to create builds later in your journey. The story is linear but offers the opportunity to spend time with side quests due to its open locations.
However, the focus of the game is on the outrageous weapons and items you take from your opponents with plenty of gunfire. According to the developers, there are up to a billion weapons, and each can possess quirky effects. This includes weapons that you can simply throw away after use or those that can even transform into turrets to assist you in battle.
Once you have completed the story, there are additionally inhuman difficulty levels that will test your skills. You will fight against bosses who will shower you with so much loot that you could build a house with it.
Who is the game interesting for? Borderlands is suitable for those of you who are eager to shoot a lot and loot.
The humor is also a big theme of the game, as many conversations and battles do not shy away from bluntness. The characters throw insults and jokes at you, which can quickly become annoying if you don’t find the humor funny.
If you are a loot vulture and love to build extravagant builds, Borderlands 3 with its fun story and brutal humor is perfect for you.
Deep Rock Galactic
What makes the game special? In Deep Rock Galactic, you take on the role of heavily armed dwarves fulfilling missions for the mining company “Deep Rock Galactic”.
Cooperatively with up to 4 players, you will venture into procedurally generated caves, collect resources, and slay hordes of aliens. To easily take down the alien hordes, the game provides you with 4 classes and various “tools” like flamethrowers and gatling guns.
Who is the game interesting for? Deep Rock Galactic has a simple gameplay principle where you mindlessly crush hordes of enemies with heavy weapons and repeatedly venture into procedurally generated caves with friends.
There is no pay-to-win, but hard-working dwarves. If you are looking for a coop shooter with humor and replay value, you will enjoy the dwarven adventure.
Destiny 2
What kind of game is this? Destiny 2 is a loot shooter by Bungie set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting. You choose one of three classes – Hunter, Warlock, or Titan – and fight against various alien foes.
Over the years, the shooter has received a variety of DLCs and seasonal content, offering various missions, raids, and dungeons that you can play and use to farm loot.
Additionally, Destiny 2 features PvP modes where you can compete against other players if you want a break from fighting NPCs.
Who is this game for? Destiny 2 is aimed at players who enjoy lengthy and intense grinding. You will likely replay certain missions countless times until you get the loot you want or need for upgrading your gear.
Moreover, you should have an affinity for sci-fi games, as you travel through space and fight against aliens and machines.
If you’re looking for a realistic shooter without much grinding, Destiny is not the right place for you.
GTFO
What kind of game is this? GTFO is a co-op shooter set in a dark horror environment, known for its outstanding difficulty. In GTFO, you must complete expeditions and missions with up to 4 players.
The game does not have a proper story and no open world. Instead, you play individual missions and encounter various creatures that are out to get you.
In GTFO, you must absolutely cooperate and precisely coordinate your approach. One oversight or poor timing, and you will have more monsters on your tail than you have ammunition.
Who is the game interesting for? The game works by constantly taking control away from you, and it is your task to regain it as a team. Also, the horror setting along with the dark atmosphere and corresponding sound design should not deter you.
GTFO is especially interesting for players who want to sit down with up to three friends for 40 minutes and play a mission with the highest coordination, planning every step and timing every attack perfectly. Careful and patient approaches are also important.
If you get irritated quickly or give up when you fail, then GTFO may strain your nerves. The game wants you to fail, and especially if you are incomplete and only have 1-2 players, you will fail – very often. The same applies to players who recklessly charge in and expect to blast hordes of monsters like in Doom. That won’t work.
Helldivers 2
What kind of game is this? Helldivers 2 is a coop-shooter that just released in February 2024 for PC and PS5, and it has already secured a spot on our list of the best shooters.
The game stands out for its humor, repeatedly telling you: You bring peace and democracy to the galaxy – with grenades and guided missiles. This humor is combined with a rather serious setting, a war against various factions.
The 9 different difficulty levels offer the right challenge for almost every player, and the developers aim to ensure that you have fun with the shooter for a long time with content updates. For example, the new mechs were introduced after players successfully saved a planet from evil bugs.
Who is the game interesting for? If you are looking for a shooter that offers continuous action, Helldivers 2 is perfect for you. You will face numerous waves of enemies and must keep a cool head even in stressful situations.
The shooter plays best in coop with up to three friends. This not only helps in completing missions but also leads to countless funny moments. Helldivers 2 features Friendly Fire. This means that an air strike you call can and will hit your teammates if you are not careful.
Overall, the shooter thrives on its humor and situational comedy. If you are looking for a challenging and action-packed coop shooter that still does not shy away from humor, you should definitely give Helldivers 2 a chance.
Outriders
What kind of game is this? Outriders is a loot shooter in third-person perspective, where you fight through a campaign lasting about 20 hours to save humanity. Along the way, you will also find side missions that promise additional loot.
Gameplay primarily focuses on the supernatural abilities of the Outriders, which allow you to create fire or ice, for example. Overall, you can choose between three classes and within these classes decide which branch of the skill tree fits you best.
The gunplay is comparable to The Division. There are different types of weapons that you fire in third-person perspective. Movement is rather secondary; it is important to use various cover. Outriders is a cover shooter.
Outriders has also received a small DLC, here you can see the related launch trailer:
Who is this game interesting for? Outriders is interesting for fans of loot and cover shooters who find The Division too close to reality. Instead of handling grenades and heavy weapons, you generate fire waves, freeze enemies, or create areas where projectiles fly in slow motion.
Since Outriders has only a limited amount of content, it primarily targets players who do not expect an endless grind like in Warframe or Destiny. You play through the campaign, the side missions, and for a few hours the limited endgame content, and you’re done.
Instead of trying to farm the perfect build for thousands of hours, you can play through each of the four classes. If you are looking for endless endgame, a long grind, or fast movement, then Outriders is probably less interesting for you.
Payday 2
What kind of game is this? In Payday 2, you play various scenarios where you take on the role of criminals. With up to four players, you rob banks or engage in other illegal activities with the goal of making big money.
How you proceed in the individual missions of the shooter is to some extent up to you. The equipment you choose determines whether you want to proceed quietly and stealthily or loud and aggressively.
This freedom of choice in the individual missions is something that many players appreciate and is the reason we recommend Payday 2 over its successor Payday 3. The latter was released in 2023 to much criticism.
Who is the game interesting for? Payday is perfect for players who enjoy movies with bank robbery scenarios like Heat or Reservoir Dogs. You are the gangsters, trying by all means to get rich – and countless police officers stand in your way.
Especially in coop mode, a truly cinematic feeling arises, as there is almost always a player in the group who somehow ruins the actual plan, forcing the group to deal with the ensuing chaos.
Payday is comparatively beginner-friendly compared to other coop games on this list like Remnant 2 or Ready or Not and can be played casually for 1-2 hours in the evening without having to get familiar with the mechanics beforehand.
Ready or Not
What kind of game is this? Ready or Not is a hardcore shooter and a realistic police simulation that depicts operations of a police special unit. You can either play the different missions solo or in co-op with other players. There is no PvP in Ready or Not.
In the various levels, you need to secure buildings from different danger situations. Tactical approach and vigilance are always required. Not everyone in a building is a bad guy. If you pull the trigger too quickly, you might hit a hostage or other civilians – and that results in point deduction.
Since the game focuses on realistic actions, you cannot run through rooms and shoot at everything that moves like in Call of Duty. You need to open doors carefully, scout rooms, and eliminate enemies purposefully. The game provides you with various gadgets such as flashbangs that you can carry during mission planning.
Who is this game interesting for? Ready or Not is a simulation and is therefore interesting for players who enjoy realistic gameplay.
This means: You cannot withstand much and die quickly. The recoil of the weapons is modeled after real counterparts, and you must always be attentive, so you are not caught off guard by opponents – or suddenly have a civilian on your conscience.
The missions of Ready or Not are challenging due to the realistic gameplay. If you are impatient and want to shoot around like in an action movie, it can quickly backfire.
Remnant 2
What kind of game is this? Remnant 2 is a PvE shooter that can be cooperatively played by up to 3 players. The title features a darkly designed game world with a fitting atmosphere.
As with its predecessor Remnant: From the Ashes, Remnant 2 offers very tough gameplay and combines shooter elements with the challenging style of a Souls-like.
In addition to the various playable classes (the archetypes) and freely combinable traits, there are countless secrets to discover – including a class that was found only through data mining.
Who is the game interesting for? Remnant 2 is a game for anyone who enjoys constantly discovering something new. Every run is different and offers new secrets to uncover. However, those who are not interested in puzzles may quickly become annoyed.
Especially in cooperative mode, the shooter unleashes its true strength and can entertain you with quirky moments for many hours. As the difficulty level of the game is quite challenging, it is generally advantageous to dive into the various battles with friends.
Warframe
What kind of game is this? Warframe is a SciFi MMO where you embody a so-called Tenno who fights numerous enemies with their Warframe. The game was released in 2013 and has since been regularly updated with new content and improvements to gameplay.
The Warframes you control are biomechanical armors that function similarly to combat suits and have various weapons. A special feature of the Warframes is their high mobility, which gives the MMO’s gameplay a unique style.
Who is the game interesting for? Warframe is especially appealing to players looking for countless hours of gameplay and who are willing to engage in a lengthy grind. You can complete a massive collection of weapons, frames, and companions and build powerful setups.
It doesn’t matter if you are playing story missions, farming items, or engaging in platinum trading; there is something for every player. Once you’ve completed the story, there is an endgame level that provides you with very rare items that push your build to its limits.
Honorable Mentions
“Risk of Rain 2 captivated me for 10 hours, but then my interest in the shooter completely disappeared. I simply didn’t like many things. The graphics, the movement, how the weapons feel in combat – all of it felt much more cohesive in both Outriders and Borderlands.”
With Helldivers 2 also releasing in February 2024, a relatively new cooperative shooter that excites many players, Risk of Rain 2 ended up on the bench.
- Risk of Rain 2 – PvE | Roguelite | 4-player co-op | Third-Person |
- Returnal – PvE | Roguelike | 2-player co-op | Third-Person | Fighting on an alien planet against extraterrestrial beings
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – PvE, PvP | 3-player co-op | Third-Person | You fight as powerful Space Marines against countless bug hordes
Space Marine 2 might soon earn a place on the list and displace Outriders. After the community voiced much criticism about some nerfs in October, we wanted to wait for the further course of the game before we call the new Warhammer game one of the best shooters.
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