Sometimes gaming truly is better with friends, and the best multiplayer games of 2025 are testament to that fact. Whether it's your gang spraying bullets on the virtual front lines, a group hacking your way through fantastical beasts, or a couple looking to dive into something come date night, this year has been an absolute goldmine of collaborative outings.
GamesRadar+ presents Year in Review: The Best of 2025, our coverage of all the unforgettable games, movies, TV, hardware, and comics released during the last 12 months. Throughout December, we’re looking back at the very best of 2025, so be sure to check in across the month for new lists, interviews, features, and retrospectives as we guide you through the best the past year had to offer.
5. Monster Hunter Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Monster Hunter Wilds isn't just one of the best multiplayer games of the year; it's also one of the best Monster Hunter games, period. Making some necessary gameplay tweaks that make the franchise more inviting and less punishing for new and casual players, as well as offer some of the most customizable options in any title of the year, you can easily spend hours and convince a ton of friends to hop online and slay some beasts.
In terms of multiplayer features, up to four players can set out on hunts together and even assist each other during the main campaign. Not only is combat and messing around with the new wound system together a blast, but you also don't need to regroup at camp after each mission, making your collaborative monster hunting feel more immersive than ever before. Monster Hunter Wilds is great solo or with friends, but the multiplayer features are addictive and open up the franchise like never before.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter Wilds review, where we said it's "the new peak of Monster Hunter, only further enlivened by a colorful cast of monsters that defies longtime design conventions.
4. Split Fiction
Developer: Hazelight Studios
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2
Split Fiction is hands down the best co-op game of 2025 in the sea of multiplayer releases this year, and that's not too surprising considering it was developed by Hazelight Studios (the minds behind It Takes Two and A Way Out). Much like Hazelight's other titles, this game truly feels like a collaborative experience between you and your player two and offers enough balanced gameplay that it never feels like either of you is missing out in a single section.
The game follows the story of two writers (one specializing in sci-fi, the other in fantasy) who have to dive into each other's stories in order to save their ideas from a greedy corporation that has them hooked up to a machine. Each story that you explore comes with fresh abilities and new worlds for both of you to navigate, as well as mini side-stories that let you work or compete with each other in time trials, snowboarding contests, and more. Basically, Split Fiction is a blast that never feels stale, as it constantly gives you both new things to do. Its story is a bit straightforward, but the memory of playing this together will be timeless.
Learn more in our Split Fiction review, where we said it's "another expertly crafted cooperative game from Hazelight that perfectly straddles two genres simultaneously and consistently introduces one good idea after another."
3. Battlefield 6
Developer: Battlefield Studios
Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
While we've plenty of contenders gunning for a place on this list, let's be honest, Battlefield 6 easily takes the crown as the best multiplayer shooter of the year. No other title released this year has the scale of the latest title in the series, as there are not only a large number of players exchanging gunfire on foot as Infantry, but there are also land vehicles that players can use to reshape the front lines, and options to take to the skies, all happening at the same time. That may sound chaotic, but Battlefield 6 has managed to make everything fit together seamlessly, as well as balance all four classes that you can pick as well.
With nine game modes to play through, there is a ton to do and to keep you on edge. However, what really makes this multiplayer game feel fresh is the map destructibility that lets players change the terrain, making each match feel unique and keeping you on your toes. There is also a real sense of contributing to your team with this game, because if you do your role well, you can really feel and see your efforts making a difference during a match. Basically, Battlefield 6 is rewarding, will keep you coming back for more, and is one of the best FPS games we've ever played.
Learn more in our Battlefield 6 review, where we said it "offers a carefully-crafted and layered multiplayer that strives to be its least threatening self, with innovation and creativity played down in favor of refining all the proven successes from the military genre."
2. Peak
Developer: Team PEAK
Platform(s): PC
Out of all the breakout success stories of 2025, none is as massive as the adorable climbing multiplayer game Peak. Developed by Team PEAK, the aim of this title is simple: you and your friends are a bunch of scouts who have found themselves deserted on an island. You'll have to traverse various biomes, each with its own challenges, as you try to climb your way up to the Peak in order to get back home.
With proximity chat, its cute art style, and precarious cliffsides to face, Peak is an absolute riot that will leave you smiling no matter your mood. Watching your friends fall to their doom, having the option to eat them, and trying to collect all your scout badges never gets old. And, with consistent updates and an engaged community, Peak's star power is only just beginning. On a personal note, I'd also say that this is my top pick for the best couple game of 2025, as my partner and I have spent countless hours helping each other up on top of boulders and running away from the dreaded tornadoes of the Mesa biome.
Learn more in our Peak review, where we said, "from its slapstick humor to its surprisingly caring approach to looking out for your fellow climbers, it sets up a narrative that's about more than just making the next jump."
1. Elden Ring Nightreign
Developer: FromSoftware
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Taking the foundation of one of the best games of all time, Elden Ring Nightreign gives us a fresh multiplayer that is right up the street for any hardcore Soulslike fans. On paper, a three-person co-op roguelike by FromSoftware seemed like an odd prospect; however, in practice, Elden Ring Nightreign is thrilling, brutal, and (like every good multiplayer title) downright addictive. Each 40-ish minute run feels unique as encounters, decisions, and some of the best boss fights of all time are woven together to create an epic experience that will make you and your friends feel like the main characters in a high-action fantasy movie.
However, we will say that this game makes this list in the context you play it as a multiplayer game. If you were planning on taking it on solo, it's going to be a pretty rough time, and not in the fun, punishing way that the best FromSoftware games typically are. The game is balanced perfectly for a three-player squad, and a lot of the gameplay designs, including boss fights and the revival system, are evidently geared towards a co-op mindset. If you do have a three-person squad, though, Elden Ring Nightreign is one of the best roguelikes and most fun experiences to play together. Condensing that satisfying feeling of progression and badassness from Elden Ring into quick runs offers a rush like no other.
Learn more in our Elden Ring Nightreign review, where we say, "Nightreign is Elden Ring at arguably its most brutal, but at least you can suffer with friends."
Looking for more yearly hits? Check out our lists of the must-play expansions of 2025 and the must-play ongoing games of 2025.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
