Competitive multiplayer games are known for having players from all over the spectrum. Some jump into a match hoping to have a good time, and others are purely there to show off their skills, improve their rank, and prove that they are simply better at the game.
Games With Great PvE Multiplayer
Players searching for a great multiplayer game with strong PvE content have a lot of options to choose from. These are the best out now.
These games have a strange way of bringing out the competitive sides in players, both for good and for bad, and in a lot of cases, the way the game is designed and set up actually directly feeds into this sweatier attitude that causes so much anger and frustration for many players.
League Of Legends
Relying On Teammates From Start To Finish
Details:
- Extensive game knowledge needed
- Players tilt quickly despite winnable game states
League of Legends has garnered a reputation for being one of the most sweaty and toxic games out there. Part of why is because of how MOBAs function at a basic level, as players need to learn so many different mechanics that all tie into how the game plays out over the course of 30, 40, or even 50+ minutes.
Get Connected With These 5 Multiplayer Team Games
Teamwork makes the dream work in these multiplayer games that drop players into either PVP or PVE environments.
There are also a lot of ideologies around what is and isn't correct in the game. Picking an off-meta champion or building a different item can be seen as throwing, an alternative playstyle often results in people griefing, and overall, any time someone on the team does something that another deems "incorrect", anger and abuse are almost guaranteed to follow.
Counter-Strike 2
The Premier Tactical Shooter
Details:
- Pure aim can decide games
- Performance is always visible on the scoreboard
CS2 is easily one of the most popular FPS games out there and certainly one of the most competitive. The game is all about aim, with a few bits of movement tech and utility knowledge thrown into the mix, and players will frequently grind out 100s of ranked games or aim training sessions just to get an edge over their opponents.
Teammates in matchmaking and even FACEIT assume a level of skill of their teammates, but in a lot of cases, expectations don't line up with reality. Also, ego is a big factor in what makes the game so sweaty, as players will blame misses on luck or lag, and will double down on their own abilities being higher than others, regardless of where they are on the scoreboard.
Street Fighter 6
Abuse From Thin Air
Details:
- Insane skill ceiling for every character
- 'Toxic' character picks and playstyles
Fighting games have always been at the pinnacle of player skill in the competitive world, and Street Fighter 6 is no different. Every button pressed has a level of importance, and players literally have to spend hours practicing tiny combos to target specific characters or edge out a lead over their competition.
The Next 5 Big Fighting Games
Forget Street Fighter and Tekken, the fighting game genre is launching into the future with these upcoming video games.
This level of preparation only becomes more insane as players climb the ladders, as in the higher ranks, everyone knows what every character does, which means that small mistakes are exploited far more, and individual skill is expressed clearly. The difference between a good and great player is like a night and day difference, as even someone with a decent amount of experience will be no match for someone who sweats out matches every single opportunity they get.
Dota 2
Teamwork That Doesn't Always Exist
Details:
- Constant learning, no matter how many hours
- Mistakes compound into larger late-game ones
Dota 2 is infamous for its overwhelming complexity. Players must master hero mechanics, item builds, map control, vision, and team coordination simultaneously, and the learning curve ensures that even veteran players are constantly refining their skills.
The game’s match length intensifies the pressure, with games often lasting 40 minutes or more, and even single early-game decisions can compound over time into massive leads or deficits. At high MMR, the games can be incredibly draining, as the level of mechanical skill is so high and everyone is trying their absolute hardest to win, that the mental aspect is often the deciding factor between a win and a loss.
Apex Legends
Speed That Pushes People Over The Edge
Details:
- High-speed encounters in every game
- Loot locations that are often contested
Apex Legends pushes mechanical mastery to extreme levels, combining precision FPS shooting with insane movement options that allow players to express their skills in more ways than pure aim. The fights happen so fast, and players need to rely heavily on their ability to traverse the map quickly, but also be ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Adding in ranks only makes the experience even more sweaty, as now, with stakes added to each and every gunfight, players need to focus even harder on where they are looting and when to take on other players. The ceiling just keeps getting higher, and new strategies continue to be developed in order to gain any small advantage in what is otherwise a fairly even playing field at high ranks.
Call Of Duty: Warzone
A Second In The Open Is All It Takes
Details:
- Extremely fast time to kill
- Loadout min-maxing
Warzone blends arcade gunplay with high-stakes battle royale pacing, creating nonstop pressure from the moment players drop in. The short time-to-kill rewards perfect tracking and reaction speed, but even when players do win a fight, they have to constantly be ready for a third party to come along.
Best Multiplayer FPS Games Of All Time
It's hard to top these legendary multiplayer FPS games for the impact they had on the genre.
The loadout system pushes the sweat factor even higher by encouraging constant optimization of weapon attachments, perks, and meta builds. High-skill lobbies quickly devolve into mirror-match firefights with near-identical setups, which means that players need to rely more on their aim, positioning, and awareness to make it through engagements alive.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
The World Is A Tactical Playground
Details:
- Insane depth in every single match
- New strategies have been invented for specific maps
Rainbow Six Siege takes the concept of a tactical shooter and elevates every mechanic to the max. Players can use so many different tools in a variety of ways, and new players will often be overwhelmed by the number of directions they need to pay attention to and potential avenues for attacking the enemies they may have.
The depth virtually knows no bounds, and veteran players can practically walk over new ones by shooting through specific walls that they have learned over 1000s of hours, and perfectly tracking their movements in a way that feels like cheating at times.
Overwatch 2
Working With Randoms Never Goes Well
Details:
- Necessary coordination
- Perception of characters and roles being less skilled
Overwatch combines raw mechanical aim with an absurd amount of game knowledge, demanding that players learn the ins and outs of every hero in order to have the best chance of winning. Matchups are one of the most important pieces of knowledge to learn, as not only do certain heroes work better with and against others, but there are little tricks that can make supposed counters virtually useless.
Also, despite being a team game, players often attempt to take matters into their own hands, having a carry mentality where only the best heroes can be picked, and they should work to help them succeed. The issue is that working with random teammates can be hard, and in a lot of cases, players would rather force their one-trick than swap to help others round out the composition.
For Honor
New Players Meeting Master Swordsman
Details:
- Insane precision gameplay
- No proper matchmaking
For Honor is sort of in a camp of its own in the multiplayer landscape. No guns or crazy abilities, just raw swordfighting action that demands a different kind of mechanical skill around timing, strategy, and match-up-specific knowledge.
Unlike other games where new players can have a chance at winning a fight, here, veterans can dance, slash, parry, and block literally anything that gets thrown their way. This gap is reinforced by the lack of proper matchmaking, which can often lead to newcomers having to take on masters, one trying to learn the game and the other completely taking over the lobby.
Escape From Tarkov
High Stakes Raids That Often Lead To Frustration
Details:
- Realism that reinforces patience and hearing
- Playstyles like camping are often shunned as cheap
Escape From Tarkov stands apart by attaching real economic consequences to every gunfight. Death results in full gear loss, meaning every encounter carries long-term financial impact, which means that players need to not only learn how to shoot in a more realistic environment, but also how to safely traverse it without getting killed.
The gear side of things also adds another sweaty factor, as players who are able to play more will have access to better weapons, armor, and consumables, giving them a distinctive advantage over those just starting out. Also, because the downside of death is so big, players will often completely change their playstyle, slowly sneaking around the map and tactically camping spots they know others will cross, adding an even greater disparity between the sweats and newbies.
8 Multiplayer Games That Shouldn't Be Multiplayer, Ranked
Not all games thrive by being multiplayer; some would arguably be a lot more appealing if they provided single-player experiences.