The FPS is once again in transition. It’s a change that’s been percolating for a while, but 2025 was the year a number of developing trends in PC gaming’s favorite genre finally boiled over.
The time of extreme skill ceilings and the pursuit of metallic ranks defining every new multiplayer FPS is behind us. The escalation of gaudy, overpriced cosmetics created a distaste so palpable that Call of Duty had to desperately change its game plan. The two biggest shooters this year cost money, and there were no major free-to-play releases. The theme of this new era, as I see it developing so far, is remembering that shooters can be both casual and thrilling. High fun, low emotional investment.
An old guard of life-consuming live-service games remains a vibrant and popular part of this genre, but they’re once again sharing the space with—and even adopting the attributes of—a more casual breed. Games that don’t mind if you only play them once in a while. Games that let you make your own fun, encourage cooperation, or earn our respect by not bombarding us with ads.
I recently discovered Turbo Overkill, it has some brilliant arcade shooter feel, a great 80s style, and some unique quirks.
I highly enjoyed it.
My favorite FPS is however Unreal Tournament 2004, which I heard will be handed off from Epic Games to a fan community, so the fan community maintains it. I don’t know if that means it will be open source, but it sounds good.
Those early days (Quake, UT, CS). Grab a gun and go. No real levels, buying hats, or special equipment only the richest can afford.
Yeah, I’d get thrashes by good players, but not because they have different equipment or loyalty/grind/pay-to-play items. A level playing field where getting murdered was just. Those were good days.
Turbo Overkill is so extremely underrated. I hope we’ll see that sequel they teased at the end of the game some day. Not sure how well it sold.