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The strongest award-backed multiplayer game of 2023 was Baldur’s Gate 3, winner of The Game Awards’ Best Multiplayer category. A separate PlayStation Blog player poll favored Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, followed by Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6. Those results offer a useful shortlist, not a universal ranking: the awards used different processes, and the right pick depends on whether your group wants cooperative role-playing or competitive matches.
Which multiplayer games stood out in 2023?
Two award results provide the clearest, distinct snapshots of the year. The Game Awards recognized Baldur’s Gate 3 for Best Multiplayer, while PlayStation Blog’s player-voted Best Multiplayer Experience poll placed three other games on its podium.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - Nintendo Switch | $24.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Gang Beasts - Nintendo Switch | $24.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| Recognition | 2023 result | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| The Game Awards: Best Multiplayer | Baldur’s Gate 3 won. | The category explicitly covered online multiplayer, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, across genres and platforms. |
| PlayStation Blog: Best Multiplayer Experience | Gold: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Silver: Mortal Kombat 1 Bronze: Street Fighter 6 |
A player-voted poll focused on games released in 2023. |
The Game Awards called its category “For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform.” The Game Awards’ category page identifies the winner; its Game of the Year results also name Baldur’s Gate 3 as the 2023 winner in that category.
PlayStation Blog’s results reflect a different method and audience. The poll’s 2023 winners page lists the multiplayer podium, and its voting announcement says winners were chosen entirely by players and that the category focused on titles released in 2023. Neither result should be blended into a made-up combined ranking.
#1 Best Overall
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Best pick by the kind of multiplayer you want
For a cooperative role-playing experience: Baldur’s Gate 3
It is the clearest award-backed choice here for readers interested in multiplayer role-playing: The Game Awards named it Best Multiplayer and Game of the Year in 2023. The award’s scope includes co-op, but the result alone does not establish current mode details, platform support, group size, or whether a particular setup is online or local. Check the official game listing for the platform and edition you intend to use before buying or organizing a group.
For a shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
It took the gold position in PlayStation Blog’s player poll. That makes it the strongest pick on this shortlist if you are following that poll’s result and want a shooter rather than a role-playing or fighting game. The poll is recognition, not evidence of present-day player numbers, current cross-play support, or server health.
Rank #2
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
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- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
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For fighting games: Mortal Kombat 1 or Street Fighter 6
Mortal Kombat 1 placed second and Street Fighter 6 third in the same PlayStation player poll. Their podium positions establish their standing in that vote; they do not determine which game better fits your preferred fighting-game style or verify local-versus-online options. Check each game’s official platform listing and mode information for the setup you want.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose one for your group
Use the awards to identify games worth considering, then check the practical details that determine whether friends can actually play together. A category that includes co-op does not prove that every winner supports the mode, platform combination, or group size you have in mind.
Rank #3
- Gang Beasts is a silly multiplayer party game set in the mean streets of Beef City with surly gelatinous characters, brutal slapstick fight sequences, and absurd hazardous environments
- Customize your characters with hundreds of colorful costumes
- Experience hilarious and gelatinous ragdoll physics
- Play locally or online with up to 8 players
- Experience Local Wireless Multiplayer, exclusively on Nintendo Switch
- Decide the dynamic: Are you looking to cooperate through an RPG, or compete in a shooter or fighting game?
- Confirm online or local play: Look for the specific mode you need on the official game page rather than inferring it from an award label.
- Check platform and group setup: Verify supported platforms, any edition-specific details, and the number of players for the exact mode before planning a session.
- Separate awards from current service conditions: A 2023 award does not tell you today’s player population, server health, price, availability, or cross-play status.
What counts as a 2023 game?
Awards can set different eligibility windows, so “best of 2023” does not always mean the same release dates. BAFTA’s 2023 longlist included 60 games, selected by more than 1,200 members from 257 entries released between 10 December 2022 and 24 November 2023. That was a general games longlist, not a multiplayer ranking or winner list. BAFTA’s announcement provides the dates and selection figures.
Quick Recap
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