The 22 Best Free Games on Xbox

If you haven't run with your two closest online buddies in Apex Legends yet, then what the hell are you doing? GET ON THIS GAME ASAP! If you don't know by now, then here's the simple gist of what this battle royale first-person shooter entails - you and two other "Legends" rocket down onto a vast battlefield and shoot it out with other squads in a bid to emerge as the last team standing. Each character's signature abilities and the game's offering of futuristic guns & gear all come together to offer one of the most replayable multiplayer shooters out there.

Fortnite is another massively popular online multiplayer shooter that has emerged as one of the biggest games across all current- and last-gen consoles. Battle Royale fanatics point to this game as a top pick for the sub-genre thanks to its constant gameplay improvements and content updates that expand this game to reach its full potential. You can opt to hop into this third-person shooter and participate in shootouts where building forts is good for defensive tactics or not deal with them altogether to get the classic competitive shooter experience.

The next Battle Royale experience we're placing on this list of the best free games on Xbox comes from Activision's juggernaut of an FPS franchise, Call of Duty. The second version of that series' "Warzone" mode places digital soldiers on a massive map once again - pulling off successful assaults with your squad, picking up essential weapons & helpful loot, and escaping the "Gulag" to re-enter the ongoing war all result in an addictive gameplay loop. Shout out to the new extraction game mode "DMZ" for providing something a bit different from Warzone 2.0's default mode, too!

Now that Destiny 2 is a free-to-play release, you can see what all the hype is about and head off into the galaxy to assume the role and fulfill the duties of your chosen "Guardian." Either solo or with some fellow online Guardians, you'll be able to involve yourself in an acclaimed campaign where PvE skirmishes come into play. The game's expansion packs have outfitted it with even more missions to complete, new powers to acquire, and extra weapons to arm your Guardian with for future explosive standoffs. Master the power of "Light" to beat back the impending "Darkness," Guardian!

So the campaign portion of Halo Infinite comes with a price. But if you're just looking to take your custom "Spartan" into fast and furious firefights, then you can check out the multiplayer component of Xbox's premiere first-person shooter free of charge. In its current state, this free-to-play online multiplayer shooter features a good mix of maps, modes, weapons, and player-created content via the fan-favorite "Forge" mode. With satisfying "Arena" and "Big Team Battle" game modes such as "Slayer," "Oddball," and "Total Control" in place, Halo fans should have enough high-impact action to busy themselves with here.

Now that Blizzard Entertainment's first-person hero shooter has officially entered its 2.0 phase, you can link up with the homies and create the perfect 5v5 team to grab victory by the horns. Overwatch 2's quality modes of play and seasonal content updates continually freshen up its overall package and give players all the more reason to keep grinding it out online. The new PvP mode called "Push," in which two teams clash for control of a massive robot that pushes a team's payload to the opponent's side of the map, is the main attraction of this colorful shooter. PvE story missions also provide another pillar of content for players to enjoy.

Rocket League first emerged without much fanfare but steadily grew to catch the attention of a huge player base that loves its fun mix of driving and soccer. In the years since its original 2015 release, the game has garnered a massive fanbase and been outfitted with tons of seasonal updates that inject familiar cars into the fray. Competing in hotly-contested tournaments, completing weekly and seasonal challenges, and zipping across brand-new battlegrounds all equal up to an experience that'll please both racing, car combat, and sports fans.

Blue Mammoth Games did its homework by studying Super Smash Bros. (the king of platform fighters) and created a 2D take on the game that's grown into a quality product. This cartoony take on the popular sub-genre of fighting games features 2D stylized art, bite-sized warriors, and some fast & furious gameplay. On top of Brawlhalla's huge base roster is a nice gathering of guest character skins from the Rayman, Tomb Raider, Shovel Knight, and so much more. If you want a more casual fighting game experience that emphasizes fun over hardcore play, then Brawlhalla should keep you entertained. This "freemium" multiplayer brawler is the perfect game for fighting game fans.

Development studio Digital Extremes deserves a lengthy round of applause thanks to its devotion when it comes to improving upon everything Warframe has to offer. The most current iteration of the sci-fi third-person shooter/melee game looks so different from its initial state. Choosing to hop in now means you'll be treated to the very best version of a game that pushes forth slick and incredibly fast traversal across vast battlefields. You'll grow to love your mega-powerful and graceful "Warframe" battle class as you hunt down the opposition and hit extremely high speeds atop your trusty hoverboard. The wealth of content Warframe features makes it a clear standout among the best free games on Xbox.

Fall Guys is another one of those games that came out of the clear blue and caught fire as everyone grew to appreciate its competitive online party game antics. This obstacle course-filled party game with the jelly bean avatars will put a smile on your face and simultaneously enrage you once you finally emerge as the last bean standing! Getting bumped into a bottomless put before you reach the finish line will happen a lot, we won't lie. But the thrill that comes from making your way through every assorted party game and emerging as the biggest winner of them all is this game's version of the attainable carrot that's always a little bit out of reach. Fall Guys is one of the funniest battle royale games out right now.

If you can peel yourself away from Diablo IV for a few hours, then we'd like to point you toward an equally amazing isometric action RPG with the same dark and dreary themes. Path of Exile is that game and it's definitely worth getting familiar with - venturing through the downtrodden realm of "Wraeclast" as your chosen "Exile" will treat you to visceral combat, deep character class customization, and a dizzying amount of loot to acquire during your treacherous travels.

"WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!" That catchphrase should instantly ring those memory bells for players that played the hell out of this Battle Royale OG. PUBG: Battlegrounds is still going strong - fans still can't get enough of this game's tense 100-player conflicts, which results in some of the best last-man/woman standing sessions of the thriving sub-genre. Make sure you pull up for one of the best free-to-play Battle Royale games we've ever seen!

Roblox offers unlimited entertainment, especially for younger gamers that like to express themselves through custom avatars and user-created content. Once you wrap your head around all of its complexities and pick out its best player-created games, you'll quickly come to see why Roblox is such a mainstream phenomenon amongst children. There's so much to see and do in this dedicated game platform and game creation system - do yourself a favor and attach yourself to Roblox's unlimited levels of goodness.

We already made sure to salute Overwatch 2 as one of the better hero shooters you can download for free right now. And for this entry, we've chosen to shine the light on yet another quality hero shooter for our list of the best free games on Xbox. Instead of focusing on futuristic themes, Paladins' themes revolve around medieval fantasy. 5v5 competitive multiplayer matches play out during this game's three central gameplay modes, which include "Siege" (GOTTA PUSH THAT PAYLOAD!), "Onslaught" (GOTTA HOLD DOWN THOSE CONTROL POINTS!), and "Team Deathmatch."

Blowing up other tanks with a dominant tank of your very own is one of those gameplay scenarios that doesn't even need to be overly complicated to grab your attention. World of Tanks has been going strong since 2010 and has ballooned to epic proportions because of a wide variety of selectable tanks based on their real-world counterparts. Extreme PvP warfare is the main pull of this game - once you're in it, it'll be hard to tear yourself away from all the team-based firefights World of Tanks is empowered by.

Asphalt 9: Legends wowed casual and hardcore gamers alike when it launched on mobile devices. Once it finally gravitated toward home consoles, we couldn't help but be amazed by how much of a successful transition it ended up being on the Xbox One. The game's "TouchDrive" control scheme appeals to fans of the mobile version, while the traditional controls console players are used to make this game more approachable on your everyday gamepad. Participating in eight-player online races with your favorite Ferrari, Porsche, or McLaren model is a blast! What we have here is one of the prettiest, most addictive best racing games on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

If you're desperate for a decent kart racer on Xbox and don't feel like ponying a few bucks for Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled or Sonic Team Racing, then go ahead and download this one. KartRider: Drift has all the characteristics of a whimsical kart racer you've come to expect - cute racing avatars, attractive vehicles, creative tracks, and clutch power-ups that can put you back in the winning position at a moment's notice. There's also a 4v4 "Flag Mode" that's pretty similar to Mario Kart's beloved "Battle Mode" to enjoy here.

Back in the day, DC Universe Online was released during the rise of MMORPGs and managed to cut out a nice spot for itself among hardcore comic book fans. Even to this very day, you can log on and make your presence felt among thousands of other players as either a cherished savior or a ruthless villain. DC Universe Online gets a lot of love from us for having a more action-based combat system that looks and feels super cool when a group of superpowered beings is duking it out at the same damn time. Saving the world or damming it is so gratifying when you get to do it as your very own custom superpowered avatar.

Next up on our list of the best free games on Xbox is a highly rewarding collectible card game based on a mega-popular manga/anime. And as you all have probably guessed already, the Japanese franchise we're alluding to is Yu-Gi-Oh! The most recent and arguably best game adaptation for that franchise is this free-to-play card battler. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel features single-player gameplay chapters that act as tutorials that bring you up to speed on the card game's complex mechanics. Then there's all the multiplayer fun you can get embroiled in as you compete against other online competitors to prove who has the most powerful deck and strongest game-winning strategy.

Pretty wild how this is the only tower defense game on our list of the best free games on Xbox, ain't it? Role-playing elements are thrown in for good measure here to make all the moment-to-moment gameplay a lot more interesting, by the way. You and three other heroes will have to stay on the offensive and continually defend your realm from the unrelenting forces of the "Old Ones." Dungeon Defenders II will grow on you thanks to its fast-paced combat and satisfying elements that come from accruing loot, leveling up your characters, and aligning with the cutest pet possible.

One of the largest virtual hangouts on Xbox consoles right now is Rec Room, which is fun for players of all ages thanks to its fun implementation of massively multiplayer online game elements. With your custom avatar in tow, you'll be able to interact with tons of other players and walk through random doors that hide user-generated rooms & custom-made minigames behind them. Those minigames inspire group activity in the form of multiplayer gaming staples such as first-person shooters, co-op action/adventure, sports, and more.

Battle Royale games come a dime a dozen these days. In the case of Naraka: Bladepoint, it offers a refreshing spin on the massive multiplayer formula by incorporating flashy melee skirmishes between legends inspired by Far East mythology. Up to 60 players inhabit a spacious map during each match and proceed to engage in exciting battles by utilizing the varied toolset of dynamic warriors. Cover as much ground as possible with your masterful parkour skills and zip through the sky with your grappling hook to emerge as the last man/woman standing.