The best shooter games like Valorant to try with friends

Valorant has taken over the tactical shooter world, but despite its unique approach to the genre, there are plenty of games like it.

Riot Games’ character-based FPS has become the crown jewel of the genre. It wasn’t the first to bring slow strategy to shooters, but the title is now one of the best ways to get into shooters. However, it’s easy to understand why players would want a break. 

If you want to broaden your horizons while keeping your aim crisp, here are three tactical shooter games like Valorant to try out in 2024.

Get your character fix in Rainbow Six Siege

Few games can match Valorant’s diverse characters and unique tactics. Rainbow Six Siege, however, certainly can. Siege is a strategic FPS with an emphasis on slow setup and fast execution. Teams either attack or defend an objective using five of 71 playable operators. The roster is split between attacker and defender, so you get to pick two every game.

Siege’s X-factor is its environmental damage. Players can blast a hole in just about any surface to create an entry point. Several characters interact with the system, from Frost booby-trapping obvious entries to Ace blasting through reinforced walls. The sheer quantity of abilities lets you play mind games with your opponent just like in Valorant.

The Finals is one of the best games like Valorant

Players who wish Valorant’s movement was a bit more freeform ought to give The Finals a shot. The recently released mix of tactical shooter and battle royale is a hit with players, earning great reviews since launch. As with Valorant, players choose a broad class and weapons before launching into battle. While tight aim is always nice, a well-timed flashbang or molotov more often makes the difference.

Unlike Valorant, The Finals takes inspiration from battle royales. Teams of three duke it out across a massive map with destructible buildings to take control of an objective. The longer a squad holds it, the more points they get. Limited respawns keep fights tense while team tactics grant a major edge. Mobility in The Finals is much faster than in Valorant, so you can bring your one-taps and learn the movement as you go.

Try out the classics with Counter-Strike 2

Almost all tactical shooters can trace their roots back to Counter-Strike. Originally released in 2000, the game pits teams of five against each other on asymmetrical maps. Several Valorant systems like utility options, economy management, and even the spike are directly inspired by CS. If anything, it’d be more appropriate to say that Valorant is a game like Counter-Strike. 

The biggest difference between the games is CS2’s lack of characters. Players are all identical with no abilities but can all purchase smokes, flashes, molotovs, and more. Certain weapons are only available to one side, which are named the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. As for skins, few games are on the same level as Counter-Strike 2. If you want to see the genre’s origins, Counter-Strike 2 is your only option.