2025 wasn’t incredible for new shooters, in all honesty. There’s still a lot of reliance on existing live-service shooters, but the year did manage to throw up some amazing new highlights. Insider Gaming has identified one shooter that stood above the rest in 2025.
Between first-person shooters and third-person shooters, there’s a lot to feast on. 2025 might have been dominated by action-adventure games and indie darlings, but the gaming community is still being treated to AAA shooters capable of delivering immense action and gunplay.
Insider Gaming‘s 2025 shooter of the year might cause some debate, but there’s plenty of cause to agree.
Best Shooter Game Of 2025 Winner—Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 was considered the point of no return for EA and the iconic shooter. Battlefield 2042 did almost irreparable damage to the Battlefield name, and if BF 6 didn’t completely deliver, it was probably over. Thankfully, Battlefield 6 is a gargantuan first-person shooter that reminds us all why players crave an alternative to standard point-and-aim shooters.
Yes, the campaign is underwhelming and fairly forgettable, if not worth a brief jaunt to warm you up for the online multiplayer. Everyone knows this is where Battlefield thrives. Some maps could be a tiny bit bigger, but this will come with time. It does mean you get the most intense and exhilarating action around you: Whether it’s the majesty and splendor or vehicles crashing bullets and shells on metal, a jet soaring overhead straight out of bounds because no one knows how to fly them, or the earth-shaking destruction of a crumbling building.
There’s a reason why Best Audio Design at The Game Awards 2025 went to Battlefield 6. There’s absolutely no title in history that captures the second-by-second thrill of war. It was tough to see if we’d ever get another strong BF game again, and with the addition of RedSec’s Battle Royale and free content, EA has delivered the full package.
Best Shooter Game of 2025 Nominations
ARC Raiders
This was a close one, in all honesty. ARC Raiders has been the viral shooter sensation of 2025. Initial reactions to playtests were very positive, almost too positive. Embark Studios shrugged off suggestions that the initial hype couldn’t continue, and the October 30 launch was an instant hit.
Two months after launch and ARC Raiders was still hitting well above six figures in player count. The extraction shooter gained a reputation as a friendly addition to the merciless genre—Escape From Tarkov and Gray Zone Warfare are no free lunch—and might be the most accessible extraction shooter around.
After all, ARC Raiders did create a new genre.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM is in a weird spot at the moment. The 2016 reboot was phenomenal, and it’s a matter of taste if you prefer DOOM: Eternal’s parkour-centric elements. One thing most agree on is that DOOM: The Dark Ages is a slight step back from the pair—but it’s still a brutal and bombastic affair. The Dark Ages’ prequel aesthetic and decision to lean more heavily into the story and cutscenes are hit and miss. DOOM isn’t one of the most celebrated shooter franchises ever because of its narrative storytelling, let’s face it.
But the core gameplay remains punchy and powerful. The parry mechanic and Saw Shield add nice variation; on the other hand, the dragon sequences are gimmicky and unnecessary, and in trying to change too much, some of DOOM 2016’s implicity has been lost. Still, you’re assured a breathless ride, and fingers crossed the next DOOM reins in the creativity a smidge.
Borderlands 4
Whereas Borderlands 4 throws a lot of new ideas at the wall, and mostly scores. The open-world design works, and you can find unopened cans of chaos around every corner. The template remains unchanged: Four Vault Hunters to choose from with different abilities, saving the world, finding vaults, and collecting enough guns to use on the fire for Winter!
It would be interesting to see how Borderlands 4 fared at launch had Gearbox released the game in a fully working state. The performance issues destroyed the game’s chances of ubiquitous fanfare from all corners. Borderlands 4 shows that Gearbox has more ideas up its sleeves—the Grapple Hook and jetpacks are fun—and even more is needed if the next game is to break 100 million units.
Did any shooter that’s not Battlefield 6 get your vote for best shooter of 2025? Is it something that didn’t even make it onto our list, like a certain Black Ops 7? Be sure to let IG know through the official Insider Gaming Discord Server.
Also, check out the best PC Gaming Accessories of 2025, as well as the 5 best games like Escape From Tarkov.
