Co-op shooter, a genre that presents players with games that take players to alien worlds and fight enemies.
These games generally require players to team up with three other players and fight enemies to complete missions.
Strategy and teamwork are the keys to winning these games. So, collaborate with your squad throughout.
The open‑world co-op shooters, one of the most recognized gaming genres across the world. This gaming genre has multiple gems that elevate players to a new height. These games take players to roam around massive landscapes, where they get together with their squads to take down enemies. These landscapes range from alien planets to dense jungles.
In a co-op shooter, it’s all about working with the crew and completing challenging missions smoothly without much chaos. If you haven’t yet discovered the best games to try, here are the top ten suggestions to consider:
Release Year: March 7, 2017
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
A vast third‑person tactical shooter set in Bolivia, allowing up to four players to confront cartel missions with drones, vehicles, and tactical coordination in the deserts, jungles, and mountains. If you haven’t yet explored this challenging open world, dive in without wasting time.
Release Year: November 18, 2014
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
Being the fourth main entry in Ubisoft’s highly recognized Far Cry series, this game takes players to the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat and follows the journey of Ajay Ghale, a young Kyrati-American, who becomes a victim of Civil war. The primary objectives of this game involve combat enemies and open-world exploration.
Release Year: September 18, 2012
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
Gearbox Software’s 2012 action role-playing first-person shooter features a four-player coop with ridiculous jokes, an unimaginable number of guns, and chaotic PvE antics. Even after years, this game is still considered the gold standard of teamwork in an open-world shooter.
Release Year: September 13, 2019
Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5
Gearbox Software’s Borderlands series has multiple massively successful games. Borderlands 3 is among them. This game features four classes, and players can take on various missions given out by non-playable characters. It’s evolution with an even greater variety of weapons, character builds, and environments for fun four-player multiplayer makes it a great choice.
Release Year: May 13, 2020
Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5
Set on the alien planet of Hoxxes IV, Deep Rock Galactic takes players to caves that are rich in minerals but filled with hostile wildlife and hazardous environments. This four‑player co‑op game fosters class synergy, zipline rescues, and hardcore mining action.
Release Year: February 8, 2024
Platform: PlayStation 5, Windows
Arrowhead’s 2024 live service third-person shooter is a massively popular game co-op shooter that often gets into controversies, but never loses its player base. This game takes players to the Superearth, where four soldiers fight hordes of robots and bugs to save the in-game world. Friendly fire is on; there are orbital stratagems; there's crossplay; and war orders set upon by communities make teamwork paramount.
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Release Year: May 26, 2022
Platform: PlayStation 5, Windows
In this co-op shooter, xplore in an open-ended fashion the WWII countryside in France with an option for a cooperative campaign. Engage in tactical stealth, sniping from afar, X-Ray kill cams, and testing survival modes for four players.
Release Year: August 24, 2021
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
The three other marines band together against unyielding Xenomorph hordes and tightly focused mission objectives. The game features class-based builds, gear customization, and hive-style tension are the core elements of the co-op thrill.
Release Year: April 16, 2019
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
World War Z is a third-person shooter that features hordes of zombies invading global locations like Moscow and Tokyo. A four-player co-op with different arsenal classes for all worthy spectacle horde encounters.
Release Year: August 28, 2018
Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Strange Brigade is a third-person shooter with a huge emphasis on cooperative gameplay. This game is mostly based on 1930s Egypt, where four players will set out for an expedition, encounter mythological monsters, solve puzzles to progress through the game, and reach the climax.
Well, indeed, Destiny 2 is a massive shooter with excellent co‑op content, but it leans more toward looter‑MMO than open‑world sandbox shooters. On the contrary, this article focuses on games defined by open landscapes, vehicular traversal, tactical missions, or sandbox-style freedom.
These are more or less all the co-op shooters that one should explore if they are looking for the finest experience possible. Whether one is into tactical shooters, sci-fi mayhem, sniping elegance, or fighting alien enemies, the above list has something for everyone. Therefore, choose a game that you think will suit your current mood perfectly. Grab your crew, jump in, and let the world be your battlefield—and your playground!
Also Read: Top Tactical Strategy Games You Should Play in 2025
What are the best open-world co-op shooter games available right now?
Ans: Popular choices include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Helldivers 2, and Borderlands 3.
Can you play the main campaign in co-op mode for most open-world shooters?
Ans: Many open-world shooters like Ghost Recon: Wildlands and The Division 2 allow full co-op campaign play, while others may restrict co-op to certain missions.
How many players can join a co-op session in popular open-world shooter games?
Ans: Most games support 2–4 players in co-op, though some, like Minecraft Legends or certain custom servers, can support more.
What makes open-world co-op shooters different from regular co-op shooters?
Ans: Open world co-op shooters offer vast, explorable environments and mission flexibility, distinguishing them from linear, level-based co-op shooters.
Are there any open-world co-op shooters that also feature survival or base-building elements?
Ans: Yes, games like Dying Light 2 and Generation Zero include survival mechanics, while titles such as State of Decay 2 add base-building features.