Online multiplayer games are a lot of fun for players of all ages. It's exciting to have people from different places around the world come together and play a game. It's even more fun in team-based games as people from random points in the Earth are now fighting together for the same goal.
These team-based online multiplayer games are among the most played out there. This is helped by people inviting their friends to play along with them. But there are also some online games that are better experienced alone. Whether one enjoys playing with friends or going solo, there are games in the genre for them.
Updated on February 15, 2022, by Chris Birsner: As more video games come out, team-based multiplayer games continue to get more popular. They are also expanding beyond just first-person shooters as there have been more creative ways for players to team up and go to battle. That said, there are also some team-based games that have come out that are worth experiencing alone despite being experiences had with others. In 2021, there was a good handful of games that could fall into either camp so it's worth looking at some of the big hits and deciding what is the best experience for new players to those games.
15 Left 4 Dead 2 (With Friends)
Survival horror games by themselves are pretty cool, but it's even more fun to tag along with friends in fighting back against the infected. Left 4 Dead 2 is a zombie horde game that puts players in a position to do just that.
There are multiple modes within Left 4 Dead 2, specifically the team-based "Versus" mode. In it, the Survivors are one team and the Infected are another. Teams of four are pitted against each other going back and forth between these roles earning points. The team with the most points at the end wins.
14 Halo Infinite (Solo)
Reviving a series that hadn't had a main entry in six years, Halo Infinite gave players the next chapter of Master Chief's journey. For many, it was also the biggest installment of team-based games on the Xbox Series X to date.
There are many different parts of Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode, from deathmatch to capture the flag. These modes are offered as 4-on-4 battles or "Big Team Battles" that expand teams up to 8 or 12 players per team. While it's certainly fun to play with friends, the game offers modes that allow players to go up against bots for practice matches, which makes solo play more intriguing.
13 Witch It (With Friends)
For those looking for a more light-hearted, silly team game to play with friends, Witch It is worth checking out. In the normal game, players are split into two teams: witches and hunters. The job of a witch is to disguise themselves as any item on a map. The hunter is tasked with finding these witches with an arsenal of tools that could help them.
There are other ways of playing Witch It, such as introducing rules that a found witch must join the hunting team or disabling any special abilities on either side. There is even a competitive mode to try, which makes the game worth checking out with a few friends as most of the shenanigans in the game will lead to some fond memories.
12 Rainbow Six Siege (Solo)
The Rainbow Six series rebooted in 2015 as an online-only game called Rainbow Six Siege. It became a big hit for its competitive multiplayer modes that pitted "attackers" against "defenders." The attackers are tasked with rescuing a hostage, defusing a bomb, or some other task while the defenders need to prevent the attackers from achieving their goal.
Rainbow Six Siege is fun to play solo as playing with different people every time enhances the experience. Plus, there is a brief offline campaign mode that those who enjoy playing on their own will enjoy.
11 Splatoon 2 (With Friends)
Nintendo wasn't known for creating shooter multiplayer games until Splatoon hit the market on the Wii U. Its sequel, Splatoon 2, continues to be one of the most frequently played games on the Switch.
The game's primary mode is "Turf War," which pits two teams against each other in a battle to cover the entire arena in ink. The team with the most ink wins. Splatoon 2 is a blast with friends as they aren't always going to be on your team, so the dynamic experience can keep things exciting.
10 Overwatch (Solo)
Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch is one of the biggest team-based multiplayer games in the last decade. Two teams go against each other to capture and defend control points throughout the map.
There's another mode that has one team try to carry a payload across the map while the other must prevent them from doing so. There are over 30 characters to choose from with each of them having unique skill sets. Overwatch is fun with friends, but playing solo can help individuals get better and more comfortable with a character.
9 Splitgate (With Friends)
One of the more unique team-based multiplayer games out there is a first-person shooter with a twist. Splitgate is a fast-paced game that revolves around battle arena combat where the core mechanic is using portals to traverse around the map and try to kill the opponent out of nowhere.
There is a lot of depth in Splitgate having just started its first official season. There are 15 different modes that range from casual to competitive that can be played across 20 different maps. Because of the sheer intrigue around the gameplay, this game is probably best experienced with friends as it'll be fun learning the game together.
8 Titanfall 2 (Solo)
There is no question that Titanfall 2 is one of the best team-based video games of the last decade. Its multiplayer mode is filled with variety, which allows players to take on different experiences while playing others online. Along with a deathmatch and capture the flag mode, there are other variations of team games such as Amped Hardpoint, Attrition, and Titan Brawl.
Titanfall 2 can be a blast with friends, especially with the guild system in place. However, those who enjoy the level progression in multiplayer may find it easier going through matches alone, especially with solid matchmaking that makes waiting for a new match a lot easier.
7 Team Fortress 2 (With Friends)
Speaking of capture-the-flag style games, Team Fortress 2 is one of the all-time best online multiplayer games that still has a strong player base today. Players can choose to represent RED or BLU and pick up to nine different character classes to play as.
There are various game modes in Team Fortress 2, including an "Attack/Defend" mode where BLU tries to capture all of the RED control points and RED needs to stop them within a time limit. The game's humor and simple gameplay make this a perfect game to play along with friends.
6 Smite (Solo)
Multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) are the biggest games in the eSports scene, and it's not entirely close. Smite focuses on various gods and goddesses as they take part in team-based combat.
Smite has multiple modes, but the mode the game is most well known for is Conquest. The mode requires player-controlled mythological creatures to take down the opposing team's "Phoenixes" and a warrior known as the Titan. Friends may be nice to help get acclimated into the game, but playing alone can be rather rewarding in terms of development.
5 Rocket League (With Friends)
Cars playing giant soccer probably seemed like a wild concept a long time ago, but Rocket League has normalized it. The ridiculously fun sports game can pit up to eight players against each other across two teams.
The goal of Rocket League is simple: score more goals than the opponent before regulation time runs out. Meanwhile, players are controlling rocket-boosting cars that can drive super fast and perform tricks in order to play either offense or defense. The game is too much fun to not experience with friends, especially when working together to become soccer superstars.
4 Dota 2 (Solo)
Another MOBA to add to the list, Dota 2 is similar to Smite in that it is best for players to experience on their own. Two teams of five players are pitted against each other to infiltrate the opposing team's base and destroy the "Ancient" structure that resides in the middle of their base.
Players can choose between various heroes that all have unique skills that could have an impact on the playing field. Yes, Dota 2 may be known for its toxic community, but it's worth giving solo a chance because it allows for the opportunity to play various different heroes.
3 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (With Friends)
It's Terrorists versus Counter-Terrorists in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO for short. The game has multiple modes, but the general idea is that each team has an objective they need to reach while all trying to remain alive as the other team tries to kill them.
At the end of each round, team rosters do not change, but the objectives are switched. This allows players to experience both sides instead of being stuck with the same objective repeatedly. The quick and straightforward nature of CS:GO makes it a fun opportunity to play for a team of friends.
2 League Of Legends (Solo)
Probably the most famous MOBA ever made, League of Legends has multiple modes, but its main mode is Summoner's Rift. The goal is to destroy the enemy team's nexus, which can only be done after destroying the turrets that guard it.
Players can choose from many champions that all have their own unique traits. Like Dota 2, playing solo can give a player the opportunity to try different champions. Unfortunately, toxicity is also a massive League of Legends problem, but disabling chat can help make solo gameplay for this team game on PC less stressful and more fun in a heartbeat.
1 Knockout City (With Friends)
Along the same line of the more fun-loving team-based video games, Knockout City takes guns out of players' hands and replaced them with some super dodgeballs. This competitive multiplayer game puts players in unique maps that pit teams against each other as they attempt to reach a certain number of knockouts before anyone else.
Beyond the normal game, there are also modes that include collecting currency that players drop and players becoming the only balls that can be used to knock out the other team. Knockout City is the perfect team-based game for friends because of the hilarity of knocking people out with different kinds of balls. There is also a crew system where up to 32 players can join a single crew.