Overwatch is one of the most popular first-person shooters on the market. Released back in May 2016 by the always-dependable Blizzard, Overwatch was immediately met with critical acclaim, earning numerous Game of the Year awards and basically revitalizing the FPS genre. In its first year it made over $1 billion in revenue, and reached 40 million unique players over two years. It even overtook League of Legends in South Korea, signifying its place in the annals of online multiplayer titles.
Everyone loves Overwatch. And if you love it as much as we do, then you'll be sure to enjoy these multiplayer titles as well.
10 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
We know that Ubisoft is a sore spot for many gamers, but Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a genuinely good game, and arguably one of the greatest tactical shooters currently on the market.
Like most tactical shooters, Rainbow Six Siege places a large emphasis on co-operation and, well, tactics, and collaboration is absolutely essential for a win. It's a bit more realistic than Overwatch, but those looking for similarly tactical gameplay could do a lot worse than Siege.
9 Paladins
Paladins is about the closest you can get to Overwatch without playing Overwatch. Both are cartoonish first person shooters, both contain an enormous roster of intriguing characters, and both mix traditional FPS gameplay with MOBA features.
However, there are enough differences to help keep Paladins feeling fresh. The game focuses more on individual customization and personality, and the maps are far more expansive than the ones found in Overwatch, allowing for more strategic and slower-paced gameplay. It won't be as big as Overwatch, but it makes for a great free-to-play alternative.
8 Team Fortress 2
Overwatch owes a lot to Team Fortress 2. In fact, you could say that TF 2 was Overwatch before Overwatch was a thing. Team Fortress 2 also contains many memorable characters, each with their own distinctive personality and play style. Some even share similar DNA to their Overwatch counterparts, especially Scout and Tracer and Sniper and Hanzo.
TF 2 also relies heavily on co-operative mechanics, situational awareness, and every team member utilizing their respective character's abilities. It's one of the greatest multiplayer games ever released, and it remains fresh, inventive, and fun to this day. If you haven't played Team Fortress 2, shame on you.
7 Battleborn
Those familiar to Overwatch will know that it absolutely obliterated Battleborn. Battleborn was released a few weeks before Overwatch, and it shares many similarities in its style and gameplay. Like Overwatch, it contains a large roster of unique characters, each with their own distinct play style and unique traits and abilities. It also shares similar MOBA elements, although Battleborn places far more emphasis on those mechanics, resulting in significantly more complex gameplay.
That said, "more complex" doesn't always equate to "better." Once Overwatch was released, interest in Battleborn quickly plummeted, as everyone migrated to the more popular, and more accessible, option. That said, for players still looking for an Overwatch-esque experience, Battleborn is your game.
6 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
The Garden Warfare series took the Plants vs. Zombies gameplay and completely upended it to spectacular results. Whereas Plants vs. Zombies was a more traditional tower defense game, Garden Warfare took the series into the realm of online multiplayer and changed the gameplay into a third person shooter.
In Garden Warfare 2, players can choose between plants and zombies, and each team contains individual classes with their own quirks and abilities. The game also contains both co-op game modes and competitive multiplayer modes, and it also shares a similar cartoon aesthetic to Overwatch. Who knew a simple mobile game like Plants vs. Zombies would turn into such a complex arena shooter?
5 Block N Load
Block N Load is a unique mixture of Overwatch and Minecraft. Players can choose between a wide variety of characters, each (say it with us now) with their own unique traits that allows for both co-operative gameplay and a wide variety of play styles. The concept of the game is build a base with your team to protect yourselves from the OTHER team.
Strategy comes into play when deciding whether to defend or attack. Like Overwatch, it contains wacky characters, fast-paced gameplay, and strategic mechanics, but it also adds the unique base-building mechanic to help distinguish it from the pack. If you like Minecraft, and if you like Overwatch, than Block N Load is your game.
4 Squad
Like Rainbow Six Siege, Squad is not as overtly cartoonish or "fun" as Overwatch, but it shares many similar gameplay traits that makes it worth checking out. Developed and published by Offworld Industries, Squad is a first person tactical shooter centered around squad-based gameplay (you know, as the title suggests).
Each squad contains the traditional classes, including the rifleman, the anti-tank bruiser, and the medic, making it similar in gameplay to both Overwatch and Team Fortress 2. You won't find anything groundbreaking with Squad, but it definitely makes for a fun alternative to the more mainstream titles.
3 Fortnite
Everyone knows Fortnite. If you don't, then what the heck are you even doing on The Gamer? Fortnite admittedly isn't very similar to Overwatch. It focuses more on an individualistic play style than Overwatch's team-based and co-operative mechanics, and it's a battle royale as opposed to a more traditional shooter. That said, it certainly contains a few pieces of Overwatch's DNA, the most obvious of which is the cartoon graphics.
However, it also contains similarly tactical gameplay, as you are forced to rely on your abilities, skill, and traits (in this case, unique items) to accomplish your goals. It also shares the unique building mechanic with Block N Load, as players must build settlements and defenses to protect themselves from other players. Think of Fortnite as Overwatch's cousin - not exactly alike, but they share enough traits and DNA to be related.
2 Gotham City Imposters
Don't worry - Gotham City Imposters is not at all like the more traditional Batman titles. Rather than being an open world action title, Imposters is a six-versus-six first person shooter with fully customizable characters and four different game modes. On one side are Batman fans (dressed as Batman), and on the other are Joker enthusiasts (dressed as the Joker).
Players can customize their appearance, weapons, and gadgets, which include grappling hooks, roller skates, and gliders. It also contains a vivid, colorful, and over-the-top graphical style similar to Overwatch, a far cry from the bleak and dreary Batman games of old. You haven't played a Batman game like this before!
1 Apex Legends
And finally, we have Apex Legends, the hottest free-to-play game of winter 2019. Apex Legends looked to dethrone Fortnite from the battle royale crown thanks to some incredible gameplay, surprisingly great graphics, and some amazing co-operative gameplay. Unlike most battle royales, Apex Legends features teams of three, each of whom play as a character with unique traits.
You've got the tough guy with ballistic missiles, the medic, the fast guy, the tracker, and the one who can create portals, among others. It's probably the most Overwatch-like game since Overwatch, albeit in a battle royale setting instead of a traditional FPS. You've probably already played Apex Legends, especially if you're a fan of Overwatch, but you should definitely check it out if you haven't. Don't let the whole "battle royale" thing scare you off. It's legitimately great.