Modern Warfare 4 Is Out: Best Shooters Compared

Modern Warfare 4, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, launched on 23 October 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. Metacritic lists an 86 Metascore (Generally Favorable) for the PC version and 89 for PS5 at the time of writing, with launch reviews highlighting the campaign, multiplayer and the new Hajin map in DMZ. Reviewers disagree on details: Game Informer called the plot execution "a bit shaky", GameSpot found the final boss fights too brief and weak, and some outlets flagged matchmaking and spawn issues. DMZ is no longer free-to-play, and GameSpot argued the Vault edition gives paying players an advantage. Steam lists the game at 69.99 euros.

Battlefield 6 from EA is the closest rival to Modern Warfare 4. It is the better buy for players who prefer big maps, vehicles and squad play to fast arcade matches. EA ran a free trial of the full game in mid-October (14-19 October on PS5, 15-19 October on Steam, once per EA account), and Windows Central's headline reported it arriving on Xbox Game Pass days before Modern Warfare 4 shipped (we could not confirm the exact date from a second source). Steam's regular price is 69.99 euros. Alinea Analytics estimated more than 6.5 million copies sold in its first four days, as reported by Notebookcheck. The trade-off is population: Notebookcheck, citing SteamDB, reported Steam concurrent players falling to roughly 30,000-90,000 by late January 2026.

ARC Raiders from Embark Studios launched on 30 October 2025 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and is a different kind of shooter: a PvPvE extraction game where you scavenge, avoid machine enemies and other players, and try to leave with loot. Deku Deals lists it at 39.99 euros on Steam with a Metacritic score of 85 (OpenCritic 87), and an Alinea Analytics estimate put sales above 12 million units by January 2026. It ran a free weekend (8-12 October) and a 50% discount through 15 October 2026. It fits players who do not want Modern Warfare 4's session-based multiplayer.

Delta Force from Team Jade is free to play on Steam, Epic Games Store and the publisher's own launcher, with console versions on Xbox and PlayStation, and bundles three modes in one client. Warfare is a Battlefield-style large-scale PvP mode (32 v 32 on PC and console), Operations is an extraction shooter played in squads of three, and Black Hawk Down is a co-op campaign based on the Ridley Scott film. For a reader weighing a 69.99-euro purchase, Delta Force is the cheapest way to sample both large-scale and extraction formats before committing.

Counter-Strike 2 from Valve is a free-to-play tactical shooter on Steam and remains one of the most-played PC games; it set a Steam record of about 1.82 million concurrent players in March 2025, according to dust2.us. It is round-based and economy-driven, with no campaign and no battle-royale or extraction mode, so it competes with Modern Warfare 4 only for time spent in competitive multiplayer.

Black Ops 7, released in November 2025, is Modern Warfare 4's immediate predecessor in the Call of Duty line-up. Notebookcheck reported a Metacritic Metascore of 83 from critics, but Metacritic user scores sank to between 1.7 and 1.9 out of 10 in the weeks after release, with players criticizing the campaign, a boss fight and use of generative AI. Multiplayer and Zombies drew more praise. One outlet reported Season 6 as the final major content update for the game; we could not confirm that with a second source, so treat it as unconfirmed.