This is a selected list of multiplayer online games which are free to play in some form without ever requiring a subscription or other payment. Some common types are first-person shooters or multiplayer online battle arena, but could be of any genre.
These MOGs run on a non-profit basis, requiring no payment from the players.
Developer(s) | Release date | Required OS | Genre | Payment | Synopsis | Type | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 A.D. | Wildfire Games | April 1, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux, BSD | Real-time strategy | Free to Play | historical war and economy game | 3D |
Alien Arena | Free Software community | October 2004 | Windows, OS X, Linux, BSD | first-person shooter | Free to play | 1950s-era sci-fi shooter | 3D |
AssaultCube | Free Software community | November 21, 2008 | Windows, OS X, Linux, Android | Tactical first-person shooter | Free to play | fast paced shooter with special movements | 3D |
Allegiance | Microsoft Research | March 16, 2000 | Windows | Space simulation, RTS | Free to play | Players control space fighter ships, and fight for various factions. | 3D |
C-Dogs SDL | Free Software community | Jul 25, 2013 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Shoot 'em up | Free to play | features both co-op and deathmatch | 3D |
Cube | Free Software community | 2001 | Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, AmigaOS 4, AROS, iPhone, Wii, Pocket PC | first-person shooter | Free to play | multiplayer shooter with multiple game modes | 3D |
Cube 2: Sauerbraten | Free Software community | May 6, 2004 | Windows, Linux, BSD, OS X | first-person shooter | Free to play | shooter with real-time editing | 3D |
Fantasy Masters | Zeonix | January 2003 | Windows | Collectible card game | Free to play | Network trading card game. Play with other users with your 50 card deck. | 2D |
Freeciv | Free Software community | January 5, 1996 | Linux | Turn-based strategy | Free to play | Build, explore and conquer. | 2D |
Globulation 2 | Free Software community | 2 February 2009 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Real-time strategy | Free to play | Aims to reduce micromanagement | 2D |
OpenArena | Free Software community | August 19, 2005 | Windows, OS X, Linux | First-person shooter | Free to Play | Open source quake 3 clone. | 3D |
OpenClonk | Free Software community | 3 December 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux | action game | Free to Play | mining, settling and PvP combat | 2D |
OpenTTD | Free Software community | 6 March 2004 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Business simulation game | Free to Play | logistics simulator with construction elements | 2D |
OpenRA | Free Software community | April 13, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Real-time strategy | Free to Play | Command & Conquer reimplementation with gameplay modernisation | 2D |
PokerTH | Free Software community | October 2006 | Windows, OS X, Linux, Maemo, Android | Card game | Free to Play | Texas hold 'em simulator | 2D |
TetriNET | Free Software community | 1997 | Windows, Linux, MacOS, BeOS | Puzzle video game | Free to Play | multiplayer online Tetris | 2D |
Liquid War | Free Software community | 1995 | Windows, OS X, Linux | action game | Free to play | Based on particle flow dynamics | 2D |
MegaGlest | Free Software community | January 6, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Real-time strategy | Free to play | Fantasy strategy game with magic and steampunk elements | 3D |
Luanti | Free Software community | November 2, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux, Android | Sandbox game | Free to play | Survival game with voxel view similar to Minecraft | 3D |
Red Eclipse | Free Software community | March 15, 2011 | Windows, OS X, Linux, Android | first-person shooter | Free to play | science-fiction shooter with parkour movements | 3D |
Smokin' Guns | Free Software community | June 8, 2012 | Windows, OS X, Linux | first-person shooter | Free to play | western themed | 3D |
SubSpace | Virgin Interactive | November 30, 1997 | Windows | Action game | Free to play | 2D space shooting | 2D |
SuperTuxKart | Free Software community | 6 August 2007 | Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Switch | Racing game | Free to play | arcade kart racing game | 3D |
The Battle for Wesnoth | Free Software community | October 2, 2005 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Turn-based strategy | Free to play | hex cell based strategy with high fantasy theme | 2D |
Teeworlds | Free Software community | May 27, 2007 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Platform, Action | Free to play | 2D Action Platformer with a grappling hook. Wide variety of community created maps and game-modes. | 2D |
Urban Terror | Free Software community | August 5, 2000 | Windows, OS X, Linux | First-person shooter | Free to Play | Open source stand alone game based on a quake 3 mod. | 3D |
Unvanquished | Free Software community | February 29, 2012 | Windows, OS X, Linux | first-person shooter, real-time strategy | Free to Play | sci-fi themed team game | 2D |
Warzone 2100 | Pumpkin Studios, Free Software community | April 10, 1999 | Windows, OS X, Linux | real-time strategy and real-time tactics | Free to Play | post-apocalyptic, military-science-fiction setting | 3D |
Widelands | Free Software community | 22 February 2014 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Real-time strategy | Free to Play | construction game with indirect controls | 2D |
World of Padman | Free Software community | April 1, 2007 | Windows, OS X, Linux, AmigaOS 4 | First-person shooter | Free to Play | based on a video game cartoon series | 2D |
Xonotic | Free Software community | December 23, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux | First-person shooter | Free to Play | Fast-paced open-source FPS. | 3D |
Zero-K | Free Software community | October 1, 2010 | Windows, OS X, Linux | Real-time strategy | Free to Play | similar gameplay to Total Annihilation | 3D |
These MOGs run on a for-profit basis, and do not require money from the player for an in-game advantage over other players.
Developer(s) | Release date | Required OS | Genre | Payment | Synopsis | Type | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | 2019 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Battle royale | Free to play | Apex Legends fuses elements of a variety of video games, including Respawn's own Titanfall series, battle royale games, and class-based shooters. | 3D |
Battlefield Heroes | EA Games | 2009 | Windows | First-person shooter | Free to play, with the option to purchase accessories such as guns, clothes, widgets etc. | Cartoon simulation game of WWII where players can choose to fight as a soldier for one of two factions, Royal or National, and fight for victory. | 3D |
Battlerite | Stunlock Studios | 2017 | Windows | MOBA | Free to play | Battlerite consists of two teams battling against each other. Each player chooses a unique playable character called a Champion with unique offensive, defensive, and movement abilities. | 3D |
Brawlhalla | Blue Mammoth Games | 2017 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android | Fighting | Free to play | A platform fighter for up to 8 players with the goal to knock one's opponent off the stage | 2D |
Bloodline Champions | Stunlock Studios | 2011 | Windows | MOBA | Free to play, with option to unlock more cosmetic items and usable characters. | Arena-based PvP game where teams of 2–5 battle in three different game modes; team deathmatch, capture the flag and map point control. | 3D |
Call of Duty: Warzone | Infinity Ward, Raven Software | 2020 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Battle royale | Free to play | The title is a part of the 2019 video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare but does not require the purchase of it. | 3D |
Company of Heroes Online | THQ | 2010–2011 | Windows, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android | Real-time strategy | Free to play, with option to purchase convenience items | Action WWII game where players quickly build a force to gain control of the map in 1v1 through 4v4 games in multiplayer or play alone. | 3D |
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Valve | 2012 | Windows | First-person shooter | Free to play, with cosmetics that can be obtained through a case by chance | A team-based shooter that has an in game economic system to purchase weapons and grenades in a 5v5. | 3D |
Destiny 2 | Bungie | 2017 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | First-person shooter | Free to Play | A game that incorporates role-playing and massively multiplayer online game (MMO) elements. | 3D |
Dota 2 | Valve | 2013 | Windows, macOS, Linux | MOBA | Free to play, with various cosmetic customization options available for purchase. Every single hero can be freely chosen in All-Pick mode. | Players control different heroes in a 5 vs 5 battle to control lanes. | 3D |
Fortnite Battle Royale | Epic Games | 2017 | Windows, macOS,PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, [1] Nintendo Switch,Android, [1] Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 | Battle royale | Free to play | 100 players skydive onto an island and scavenge for gear to defend themselves from other players; the last player or team alive wins the match. | 3D |
Guns and Robots | Masthead Studios | 2013 | Windows | Third-person shooter | Free to play, with the option to purchase additional content | Comic-style, robot creation, online shooter | 3D |
Heroes of Newerth | S2 Games | 2010 | Windows | MOBA | Free to Play | One of the spiritual successors to the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients (DotA) | 3D |
Heroes of the Storm | Blizzard Entertainment | 2015 | Windows, macOS | MOBA | Free to play, with options to purchase cosmetics and permanently unlock playable heroes | The game features various characters from Blizzard's franchises as playable heroes, as well as different battlegrounds based on Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, and Overwatch universes. | 3D |
League of Legends | Riot Games | 2009 | Windows, macOS | MOBA | Free to play, with options to purchase cosmetics and unlock additional heroes with premium currency in addition to ingame currency | Players control different heroes in a 5 vs 5 battle to control lanes | 3D |
Paladins | Hi-Rez Studios | 2018 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | First-person shooter | Free to play | Hero shooter video game | 3D |
Rec Room | Against Gravity | 2016 | Windows, PlayStation 4 | First-person shooter, Action RPG, Sports | Free to play | Social VR game including multiple game experiences, including FPS, action RPG, and sports | 3D |
Rogue Company | First Watch Games | 2020 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 | First-person shooter | Free to play | Hero shooter video game | 3D |
Smite | Hi-Rez Studios | 2014 | Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna | MOBA | Free to play | Players control a god, goddess, or other mythological figure, and take part in team-based combat | 3D |
Snake.io | Kooapps | 2016 | Windows, macOS | Battle royale | Free to play | Players control a snake that grows longer by consuming glowing pellets scattered throughout the game arena | 3D |
Team Fortress 2 | Valve | 2007 | Windows, macOS, Linux | First-person shooter | Free-to-play in perpetuity from June 2011, with some cosmetic in-game items available for purchase on a microtransaction basis. [2] | Cartoon-style first person shooter where two opposing but functionally identical factions battle for control of maps | 3D |
Transformice | Atelier 801 | 2010 | Windows, macOS, Linux | MMO, Platform | Free-to-play | Collect cheese playing as a mouse and take it back to the hole. | 2D |
Valorant | Riot Games | 2020 | Windows | First-person shooter | Free to play | A team-based tactical shooter in which player characters have unique abilities and use an economic system to purchase their abilities and weapons | 3D |
Warframe | Digital Extremes | 2013 | Windows | Third-person shooter | Free to play | A cooperative action role-playing third-person shooter | 3D |
Roblox | Roblox Corporation | 2007 | Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Xbox One | Platform | Free to play, items and boosts available for purchase. | A game engine/platform where users can build their own creations. | 3D |
In computing, cross-platform software is computer software that is designed to work in several computing platforms. Some cross-platform software requires a separate build for each platform, but some can be directly run on any platform without special preparation, being written in an interpreted language or compiled to portable bytecode for which the interpreters or run-time packages are common or standard components of all supported platforms.
A smartphone, often simply called a phone, is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multimedia playback and streaming. Smartphones have built-in cameras, GPS navigation, and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based messaging apps.
Vendetta Online is a twitch-based, science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Guild Software for the operating systems Android, Linux, Mac OS X, iOS, and Microsoft Windows. It uses the NAOS game engine, a fully real-time flight model and combat system, to offer first-person/third-person shooter-style player versus player and player versus environment battle action against the backdrop of a massively multiplayer universe. Vendetta Online shipped as a commercial MMORPG in November 2004 with a subscription-based business model, although it has been running continuously since April 2002. Vendetta Online is available to play across a wide array of platforms, including the Oculus Rift virtual reality display, allowing all users to directly interact in a single, contiguous galaxy. It is also notable for its twitch combat and fidelity to real physics.
A mobile operating system is an operating system used for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical/mobile laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on them are usually not considered mobile, as they were originally designed for desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific mobile features. This "fine line" distinguishing mobile and other forms has become blurred in recent years, due to the fact that newer devices have become smaller and more mobile, unlike the hardware of the past. Key notabilities blurring this line are the introduction of tablet computers, light laptops, and the hybridization of the two in 2-in-1 PCs.
Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or game streaming, is a type of online gaming that runs video games on remote servers and streams the game's output directly to a user's device, or more colloquially, playing a game remotely from a cloud. It contrasts with traditional means of gaming, wherein a game is run locally on a user's video game console, personal computer, or mobile device.
Chromebook is a line of laptops, desktops, tablets and all-in-one computers that run ChromeOS, a proprietary operating system developed by Google.
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on desktop computers, and web applications which run in mobile web browsers rather than directly on the mobile device.
ChatON was a global mobile communication service provided by Samsung Electronics from September 2011 to March 2015.
TVPlayer is a United Kingdom Internet television service owned by international digital distribution company Alchimie. It provides access to free live television channel streams using a web browser or application software made for mobile devices.
Vainglory is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game, developed and published by Super Evil Megacorp for iOS, Android and PC. As many games in its genre, Vainglory's gameplay focuses on player versus player battles, with players split into two teams of three or five with the ultimate goal of destroying the opposing team's base. The game was released for iOS on November 16, 2014, after being soft-launched for over half a year, with the Android version being released on July 2, 2015. A Mac and Microsoft Windows version of the game was released in July 2018. Through cross-platform play, players on all four platforms can play together simultaneously.
Kubity is a cloud-based 3D communication tool that works on desktop computers, the web, smartphones, tablets, augmented reality gear, and virtual reality glasses. Kubity is powered by several proprietary 3D processing engines including "Paragone" and "Etna" that prepare the 3D file for transfer over mobile devices.
Emby is a media server designed to organize, play, and stream audio and video to a variety of devices. Emby's source code was mostly open with some closed-source components as of August 2017, releases of the software published via the Emby website are however proprietary and cannot be replicated from source due to the build scripts also being proprietary. As of version 3.5.3 Emby has been relicensed and is now closed-source, while open source components will be moved to plugins. Due to this, a free open source fork of Emby was created called Jellyfin. Emby uses a client–server model.
Google Pay is a mobile payment service developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches. Users can authenticate via a PIN, passcode, or biometrics such as 3D face scanning or fingerprint recognition.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a 2017 battle royale video game produced by Epic Games. It was originally developed as a companion game part of the early access version of Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative survival game, before separating from it and then dropping the early access label on June 29, 2020. Fortnite Battle Royale is offered under a free-to-play model funded by microtransactions and is updated as a live game; originally released for macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, it has since been ported to iOS, Nintendo Switch, and Android, and later as a launch title for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Fortnite Battle Royale and its various modes are part of the overall Fortnite platform.
Fortnite is an online video game and game platform developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in six distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play battle royale game in which up to 100 players fight to be the last person standing; Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative hybrid tower defense-shooter and survival game in which up to four players fight off zombie-like creatures and defend objects with traps and fortifications they can build; Fortnite Creative, in which players are given complete freedom to create worlds and battle arenas; Lego Fortnite, an open world survival game; Rocket Racing, a racing game; and Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is a cloud gaming service as part of Xbox offered by Microsoft Gaming. Initially released in beta testing in November 2019, the service later launched for subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15, 2020. Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming is provided to subscribers of Ultimate at no additional cost. Xbox Cloud Gaming operates by linking the device to a remote server in the cloud.
Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc. was a lawsuit brought by Epic Games against Apple in August 2020 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, related to Apple's practices in the iOS App Store. Epic Games specifically had challenged Apple's restrictions on apps from having other in-app purchasing methods outside of the one offered by the App Store. Epic Games's founder Tim Sweeney had previously challenged the 30% revenue cut that Apple takes on each purchase made in the App Store, and with their game Fortnite, wanted to either bypass Apple or have Apple take less of a cut. Epic implemented changes in Fortnite intentionally on August 13, 2020, to bypass the App Store payment system, prompting Apple to block the game from the App Store and leading to Epic filing its lawsuit. Apple filed a countersuit, asserting Epic purposely breached its terms of contract with Apple to goad it into action, and defended itself from Epic's suit.
The HomeSync is an Android TV box and home server combo developed by Samsung Mobile. The unit is a full Android Jelly Bean device with a hard drive. While all other connected television units made by Samsung ran Orsay-based Samsung Smart TVs, due to the fact the HomeSync is made by Samsung's mobile division, it ran a skin of Android Jelly Bean. The HomeSync at launch was compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition and Samsung Galaxy Camera. Others may have been supported if they had a protocol called "Samsung Link". The specs are noted to resemble the Ouya video game console minus the hard drive. It was announced in February 2013 at Mobile World Congress. It has been compared to the Apple TV series by Apple, which also integrated with iOS devices, but did not have network storage and cost less. The console features a 50 USD credit for Media Hub when you buy a HomeSync. On December 17, Samsung made most Android devices support the unit by adding it to the Play Store, also widening support of Samsung phones. Shortly before it launched, the store page and manual were available but unable to be bought.
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