"Last year, I wondered if I had jumped the gun in claiming that the golden age of shooters was ending. In 2025, I can confirm that, yes, I did indeed get that wrong. This year had a plethora of fantastic shooters that ranged from AAA online experiences to small-scale indie games made almost entirely by a single person. So I won't make any predictions about next year, and instead I'll just say that as someone who loves a good first-person or third-person shooter,"
"I had tried multiple extraction shooters before Arc Raiders, and I didn't enjoy any of them. And yet, I find myself continually hopping into Arc Raiders for a match or two because it's the first one of these extraction shooters that feels great to play, has some style, and offers enough support to make dying and losing everything a bit more manageable. It's not the best shooter on this list, but it is a damn fine online experience that other studios will be chasing."
2025 delivered a strong year for shooters, with high-quality releases ranging from AAA online experiences to small-scale indie projects. New shooters combined polished gunplay, stylish presentation, and sustained post-launch support. Arc Raiders revitalized the extraction-shooter formula by making matches feel engaging, stylish, and less punishing thanks to progression support. Borderlands 4 offered snappy, satisfying gunplay and addictive co-op loot grinding despite performance problems and uneven writing. Community perceptions of Battlefield 6 overstated its problems; the game launched with issues but remained playable. Multiple older shooters continued to receive updates and support throughout the year.
Read at Kotaku
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