As inhuman as we gamers can be in a dark, poorly lit caves, we still want to spend some time with our fellow humans like anyone else. Thankfully, each year awesome games that allow us to compete and cooperate with one another get made, some of which we'll be playing for many years to come. Here's our best multiplayer games of 2024.
Here are the nominees for TechRaptor's 2024 Best Multiplayer Award for exceptional multiplayer gameplay and design.
- Helldivers 2 (Our Review)
- Marvel Rivals
- Super Mario Party Jamboree (Our Review)
- Tekken 8
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (Our Review)
Check out here for our other award categories.
Third Place - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Developer: Saber Interactive | Release Date: September 9th, 2024
Written by Andrew Otton
It seems crazy that it took this long for someone to really nail what it feels like to play as a Space Marine for the Warhammer 40K universe. Obviously, this is a sequel to a first solid attempt at that game, but it wasn't quite there. Now, though, Space Marine 2 is the ultimate 40K fantasy.
Space Marine 2's co-op is set up in a classic way. Honestly, there's nothing more to it than you can just join up with some friends to absolutely demolish people as a squad of Space Marines. Because the gameplay is so visceral and the visual design so perfectly captures that universe, you can't help yourself but have a good time.
It isn't often we're treated with some really fun co-op experiences, but you owe it to yourself to try out Space Marine 2, especially if you're into Warhammer.
Second Place - Marvel Rivals
Developer: NetEase Games | Release Date: December 6th, 2024
Written by Robert Scarpinito
Ever since I played it while it was in beta over the summer, I felt something I hadn't felt in a while: low-pressure competitive joy. It reminds me of the early days of Overwatch (in more ways than one). No matter which character you play, it's fairly easy to feel effective, but games are also just short enough that if you royally screw up, the opportunity to redeem yourself is around the corner.
The Team-Up Abilities also feel like an innovative take on hero selection. Pairing up two heroes who benefit each other gives you a slight edge, but it never feels like it breaks the game. Instead, it's a lore-friendly way to strategize your picks, playing into the rich history of Marvel stories that are on offer.
We're just getting into season 1 now, which has introduced Reed Richards and the Invisible Woman, with The Thing and the Human Torch just around the corner. Already, that's an impressive amount of support for a hero shooter that could really shake up the somewhat stale genre.
Winner - Helldivers 2
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios | Release Date: February 8th, 2024
Written by Dan Rockwood
In 2024, no game captured the chaos and camaraderie of fighting on a united front better than Helldivers 2. Not only is it super fun to coordinate calling in stratagems that will bomb entire acres of a map, but on higher difficulty levels Helldivers 2 requires optimized teamwork to keep from being overrun by Terminids, Automatons and, most recently, the Illuminate.
When you are battling alone, outgunned and outnumbered, there's no greater feeling than a friendly ship coming out of hyperspace, the fresh Hellpod deploying, screaming through the atmosphere like a missile until it slams into the ground, releasing a new Helldiver to help turn the tide of battle.
Helldivers 2 seamlessly integrates and relies on cross-platform coordination and cooperative play to win missions but doesn't shy away from the hilarity of accidentally (or intentionally) dropping a 500 kg bomb on one of your friends or napalming an extraction point moments before evacuation. Helldivers 2 is among the greatest multiplayer experiences of the past decade, and with frequent updates and an ever-evolving story, it shows no signs of slowing down.