Our 10 Most Anticipated Shooters Of 2018

We come into 2018 with a hazy image of what to expect when it comes to first-person shooters. Many of the expected contenders like Battlefield and Call of Duty won't reveal new games for several months. Other games we'd expect to see, like the next Halo, aren't even guaranteed to hit before December. But that doesn't mean we're operating in complete darkness. 

Several interesting new titles emerged last year, and others we've been waiting on for years are being polished before they launch. Check out our list of the most promising shooters we expect to see this year.  

10. Batallion 1944
Release: 2018
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

This successful Kickstarter campaign tries to recapture the beauty and simplicity of competitive multiplayer shooters like Enemy Territory and the early Call of Duty games. With no campaign, all of Battalion's focus is on the straight competition uncomplicated by modern conveniences like killstreaks and supers. This 5v5 World War II shooter is all about the skill of aiming down your ironsights and pulling the trigger. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, the game is currently in closed alpha. Expect to see it come to PC with a more refined build before it migrates over to console. 

9. Insurgency: Sandstorm
Release: 2018
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Originally intended to be a full-fledged game complete with a story campaign and cooperative play, developer New World Interactive recently scaled the project back to focus purely on multiplayer. That's not necessarily a bad thing since tactical competitive play is what put the original Insurgency on the map back in 2014. Sandstorm has a much bigger scope on that front than the original game as well, adding vehicles and new modes to the mix. Insurgency is currently headed to closed alpha. You can sign up to be one of the frontline grunts here.

8. The Walking Dead
Release: Fall
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

A far cry from Telltale's Walking Dead series, Overkill Software is applying its experience developing the Payday series to Robert Kirkman's popular zombie setting. Up to four players team up in this cooperative shooter to try and survive in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. With both living and undead threats all around you, it won't be easy. Overkill promises a robust character progression system including special abilities, skill trees, and squad roles to keep the action fresh and dynamic. 

7. Treyarch's Call of Duty
Release: Holiday
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Infinity Ward released Infinite Warfare in 2016 and Sledgehammer released WWII last year, which means it's Treyarch's turn to take center stage in 2018. Best known for its Black Ops titles, many are speculating the next game from Treyarch will continue with that sub-series. We have no hard evidence that a new Black Ops is in the works, but we've read rumors that Activision sent a survey to fans that references WWII, Modern Warfare, and Black Ops as the three pillars of the series. We also know that last year Treyarch was hiring people for its "next AAA title." We'll find out more in the coming months.

6. Hunt: Showdown
Release: TBA
Platform: PC

The most unexpected surprise of E3 2016, Crytek's monster hunting game entices us on many levels. We love the gothic aesthetic and creepy atmosphere of exploring a swamp in the dead of night. The clever twist of having multiple parties of cooperative players hunting the same supernatural monster also adds intrigue, guaranteeing explosive finales to each competitive round. What we don't know is how well the action will hold up over the course of several matches. We'll find out more in 2018, as the game is currently slated to start a closed alpha test before winter comes to a close.   

5. GTFO
Release: 2018
Platform: PC

Another cooperative shooter coming from Payday vets, GFTO is the brainchild of new studio 10 Chambers Collective. We only have one gameplay clip to go off, but so far GTFO looks like a hybrid of Payday, Left 4 Dead, and Alien. As scavengers exploring a strange and frightening underground space known as The Complex, players must try to loot precious material from one of the many vaults. Careless execution will trigger an alarm that sends alien hordes scurrying to your location, and an A.I. "expedition director" continually tests your mettle with new challenges. Communication and cooperation look imperative to survival, which makes us excited to give this game a go later this year.

4. Metro Exodus
Release: 2018
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

4A Games returns to its criminally underrated Metro series, which is now heading aboveground. Protagonist Arytom is assigned to a task force searching for a hospitable territory, so they set out on a cross-country train ride looking for the promised land. The job won't be easy, with limited supplies and all kinds of mutated beasts roaming the Russian countryside. While the wide-open sandbox spaces may call to mind the developers work on the cult hit Stalker, 4A Games says Exodus will also have many linear areas that feel like the more traditional Metro experience. 

3. Far Cry 5
Release: March 27
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

The latest entry in Ubisoft's open-world shooter series brings us to familiar territory. Tasked with hunting down the leaders of a dangerous religious sect, you venture into the Montanan wilderness. This time around you can bring along a companion for the entire campaign, or team up with one of the many locals driven to push back against the cult. The entire map is wide-open from the start, meaning you can go about diminishing the power of this sect any way you see fit, or just blow off all your responsibilities to enjoy some fishing. 

2. Battlefield 2018
Release: 2018
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

All we know about the next Battlefield is that the game is coming out in 2018. Beyond that, you can find many fan theories and rumors on the internet. It's Bad Company 3. It's set during the Cold War. It's going back to the theater of modern war like Battlefield 3 and 4. Who knows which, if any of these rumors are true. What we do know is outside of the horrible idea that was Hardline, this series had delivered time and time again. We're excited to see what DICE has in store for the next entry, and we're hoping EA learned its lesson about pay-to-win design and loot boxes with Battlefront II so its in-game economy is much more aligned with traditional Battlefield games. 

1. Anthem
Release: 2018
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Based on the early-game footage we saw at E3, Anthem is a wild departure from previous BioWare games. We still have a lot to learn about this ambitious project and how it marries action, storytelling, and exploration, but the Destiny-style shared world and Iron Man-style Javelin exosuits piqued our interest. We're also curious to see if the studio that brought exciting new IP like Jade Empire, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect to life can pull off building another new franchise.