October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Best Free Hero Shooters to Play Instead of Overwatch

Marvel Rivals is the closest free alternative to Overwatch here, while Paladins and Team Fortress 2 offer objective-focused team play in different styles.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Marvel Rivals is the closest free alternative to Overwatch in this group: it pairs a team-based 6v6 format with playable heroes, character abilities and team synergies. For a first-person fantasy shooter, try Paladins; for classic class-based objectives, Team Fortress 2. VALORANT and Apex Legends also offer character abilities, but their round-based tactical and Battle Royale formats, respectively, make them more distant alternatives.

How these games compare to Overwatch

Game Best fit Published format and distinguishing features How closely it fits
Marvel Rivals Team-based superhero action Free-to-play, third-person 6v6 PvP with character abilities, Team-Up skills and destructible environments. Steam listing Closest overall match
Paladins First-person fantasy combat and customization Free-to-play 5v5 with payload and rotating-objective modes; more than 50 customizable Champions. Steam listing Strong team-shooter fit, with a different customization system and fantasy setting
Team Fortress 2 Class-based roles and classic objective modes Free-to-play, with nine classes and modes including Capture the Flag, Control Point, Payload, Arena and King of the Hill. Steam listing Strong on roles and objectives; distinct older class-based presentation
VALORANT Competitive, tactical shooting Free-to-play 5v5 attack-and-defense rounds; one life per round and Agents with distinct abilities. Riot Games Adjacent option: more deliberate and round-based
Apex Legends Squad Battle Royale with movement and character abilities Free download; its classic Battle Royale mode has 60 players, and its Legends have individual skills. Electronic Arts Adjacent option: Battle Royale rather than an objective-based team shooter

Marvel Rivals: the closest Overwatch-style alternative

Marvel Rivals is the clearest pick if what you want is a roster of distinct heroes fighting in coordinated teams. Steam describes fast 6v6 PvP, character powers and synergies, and destructible environments; the game is listed as free to play. Its third-person perspective is a meaningful difference from Overwatch’s first-person view, but the team format and ability-driven characters make it the nearest match among these five.

NetEase Games said in its official August 21, 2024 announcement that “All heroes will be unlocked and free-to-play at launch and beyond.” That statement describes hero access, not every element of the game’s monetization. Check the current store listing for the latest details.

Check the PC storage requirement

For the Windows version, Steam lists 16 GB of RAM and 70 GB of available storage as minimum requirements, and recommends installing the game on an SSD. These are Steam’s PC listing details, not universal requirements for every platform. If your PC is short on space, check its available storage before installing; the listing does not mean every player needs to buy or upgrade a drive.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Overwatch - Origins Edition - Xbox One
  • Experience the extraordinary
  • Play as heroes, not classes
  • Fight for the future.together
  • The world is your battlefield
  • Game requires Xbox Live Gold to play

Paladins: first-person fantasy combat with more build choices

Paladins is the first-person choice for players who want team fights, objectives and character abilities in a fantasy setting. Steam describes 5v5 matches with payload and rotating-objective modes, alongside a roster of more than 50 customizable Champions. Its customization and itemization give it a different feel from Overwatch’s hero setup, so it suits players who want to adjust their character build as well as their pick.

Team Fortress 2: class roles and familiar objective modes

Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play class-based shooter built around recognizable team roles rather than a roster presented as individual heroes. Valve’s Steam listing describes nine distinct classes and modes such as Payload and Control Point, as well as Capture the Flag, Arena and King of the Hill. It is a good alternative if objective-focused team play is the priority and you are open to an older, class-based presentation.

Rank #2
Overwatch - Origins Edition - PlayStation 4
  • Experience the extraordinary
  • Play as heroes, not classes
  • Fight for the future... together
  • The world is your battlefield
  • Games requires PlayStation Plus to play

VALORANT: tactical rounds instead of continuous objective fights

VALORANT has character abilities, but its match structure is a bigger departure from Overwatch’s. Riot describes a free-to-play 5v5 tactical shooter in which teams attack or defend across rounds, and each player has one life per round. Choose it for deliberate, round-based competitive shooting; do not expect the same continuous team-fight rhythm as an objective-focused hero shooter.

Apex Legends: a Battle Royale option, not a direct substitute

Apex Legends is worth considering if you want a squad shooter where characters bring distinct skills, but its classic mode is a 60-person Battle Royale. That makes survival and competition against other squads the central format rather than recurring objective-based team fights. EA lists the game as a free download; check your platform’s store for local availability.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Overwatch - Game of the Year Edition- PlayStation 4
  • Experience the extraordinary
  • Play as heroes, not classes
  • Fight for the future, together
  • The world is your battlefield
  • 10 Bonus Loot Boxes with cosmetic goodies for your Overwatch heroes;Battery: no battery used
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Which one should you try?

  • Pick Marvel Rivals for the closest combination here of a hero roster, team abilities and 6v6 matches.
  • Pick Paladins if you want a first-person team shooter with fantasy Champions and customizable builds.
  • Pick Team Fortress 2 if class roles and classic objective modes matter most.
  • Pick VALORANT if you prefer tactical attack-and-defense rounds over continuous objective fights.
  • Pick Apex Legends if you want character abilities in a squad Battle Royale rather than an Overwatch-like match format.

All five titles have an official publisher or Steam page describing a free-to-play option or free download. That does not establish availability on every console or in every region, so confirm the game appears in your local platform store before downloading.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Overwatch - Origins Edition - Xbox One
Overwatch - Origins Edition - Xbox One
Experience the extraordinary; Play as heroes, not classes; Fight for the future.together; The world is your battlefield
$22.55
Bestseller No. 2
Overwatch - Origins Edition - PlayStation 4
Overwatch - Origins Edition - PlayStation 4
Experience the extraordinary; Play as heroes, not classes; Fight for the future... together
$34.99
Bestseller No. 3
Overwatch - Game of the Year Edition- PlayStation 4
Overwatch - Game of the Year Edition- PlayStation 4
Experience the extraordinary; Play as heroes, not classes; Fight for the future, together; The world is your battlefield
$23.50
Bestseller No. 5
Overwatch 2 Heroes Group Shot Colorless Poster T-Shirt
Overwatch 2 Heroes Group Shot Colorless Poster T-Shirt
22ABOW00003A-001; Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
$19.99
Best Value
Overwatch 2 Heroes Group Shot Colorless Poster T-Shirt
  • Overwatch 2 Gaming Poster design. Officially Licensed Overwatch Apparel for Men and Women; Overwatch T-Shirts; Overwatch 2 T-Shirts; Tracer T-Shirts; Widowmaker T-Shirts; Sombra T-Shirts; Mei T-Shirts; Zarya T-Shirts;
  • 22ABOW00003A-001
  • Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Rank #4
Monopoly Gamer Overwatch Collector's Edition Board Game for Ages 13 and Up Gift for Overwatch Players
  • INSPIRED BY OVERWATCH: This Monopoly board game is inspired by the wildly popular Overwatch video game; designed with Overwatch fans in mind
  • 6 CHARACTER TOKENS: The Overwatch edition of the Monopoly game features 6 character tokens including D. Va, Lúcio, Mercy, Reaper, Tracer, and Winston
  • COLLECTOR'S EDITION: This Monopoly Gamer Overwatch Collector's Edition board game makes a great gift or collector's item for Overwatch players
  • LEAD A TEAM OF HEROES: Players choose a group leader, draft a team, and battle for the high score to win the Monopoly game Overwatch edition
  • EARN POINTS: Travel around the Monopoly board earning points by capturing objectives and collecting loot boxes; the player with the highest score wins the Overwatch edition of the Monopoly board game

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How to Turn On Vibrant Visuals in MinecraftMinecraftBlog3min
  2. Best Multiplayer Games for Low-End PCsBlog4min
  3. Minecraft: How To Use And Install OptiFineBlog5min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.