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Best FPS Games for Ubuntu – Stream, Install and Play First Person Shooters

Cover image fps games - Best FPS Games for Ubuntu - Stream, Install and Play First Person Shooters

The best FPS games for Ubuntu right now are Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Half-Life 2.

Ten of the biggest shooters stream straight to an Ubuntu desktop with nothing to install at all. The rest install and run properly, and nine of them cost nothing.

They are sorted by what you feel like playing: the big online ones, a story on your own, something with friends on a console, or something light for an older laptop. It is one part of our wider guide to the best games for Ubuntu.

Something we missed? Say so in the comments. If one of these will not start on your machine, contact us and we will help you sort it.

Start with one of these
1Fortnite, the biggest game there is, and it needs no install at all
2Counter-Strike 2, the newest Call of Duty, streaming to your desktop
3Titanfall 2, six Halo games in one box, and Xbox friends can join
4Rust, the one everybody should play, and it is native Linux
5Enlisted, free, open source, and one command to install

What Is Everyone Playing Right Now?

The shooters people are actually playing this month. Some install straight onto Ubuntu, and the rest stream with nothing to set up at all.

Plenty of these cost nothing at all. If that is what you are after, our best free games for Ubuntu page covers every genre.

Fortnite201701 / 52
Stream it, no install

The biggest game in the world, and it streams to Ubuntu without a single install.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidGeForce NOW

Why it is the easiest one to get going

You do not install anything and you do not touch Proton. Sign in to Boosteroid or GeForce NOW, open Fortnite, and you are in the same lobby as everyone on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and phones. Your account, skins and progress are the ones you already have, because it is the real game running on a real Windows machine, just not yours. On a decent connection it is indistinguishable from a local install.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isBattle royale, 100 players
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Counter-Strike 2202302 / 52
Native LinuxFree to play

The shooter everything else is measured against, and it has a proper Linux version.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is still the one people play the most

Nothing else is this precise. Every gun has a recoil pattern you can actually learn, every map has been argued about for twenty years, and losing is almost always something you can point at. It has a native Linux build, so there is no Proton, no launch options and no compatibility question. Free to play, and the only thing that costs money is skins you do not need. Start on the main ranked mode and expect to be terrible for a fortnight.

PriceFree to play
What it isTactical shooter, five on five
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/730
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6202403 / 52
Stream it, no install

Multiplayer, Zombies and Warzone, all streaming to a Linux desktop.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidGeForce NOWSteam

Why the movement is worth trying even if you gave up on the series

You can now sprint and dive in any direction rather than only forwards, which sounds like a small thing and completely changes how the tight maps play. You get the campaign, the best Zombies in years and Warzone in one purchase. It streams on both Boosteroid and GeForce NOW, so an Ubuntu machine plays it exactly as a Windows one does, and the round trip on a decent line is not something you notice in a gunfight.

PriceAround $70
What it isTeam shooter, plus Zombies and Warzone
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Battlefield 6202504 / 52
Stream it, no install

Sixty four players, buildings that come down, and the series back on form.

Where you can play it

GeForce NOWSteam

Why people say this is the one that fixed it

Destruction is the point again. Walls come down, floors collapse, and the map at the end of a round looks nothing like the map at the start. Squads matter, vehicles matter, and the class system is back to something recognisable. It is a heavy game and streaming sidesteps that entirely: GeForce NOW runs it on hardware far better than most people own, so an old ThinkPad gets the same frame rate as a new tower.

PriceAround $70
What it isBig war battles, 64 players
Who can join youPlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Apex Legends202005 / 52
Stream it, no install

Squad based battle royale where the movement is still the best in the genre.

Where you can play it

GeForce NOW

Why the sliding is the reason it lasted

Everything is built around momentum. You slide down hills, bounce off walls, ride zip lines and grapple, and a good team moves through a fight rather than sitting in it. Characters have real abilities so your team composition is a decision. It streams on GeForce NOW, and because you are playing on their machine your Ubuntu install never comes into it. Free to play, so the only thing you are paying for is the streaming plan.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isBattle royale, squads of 3
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Overwatch 2202206 / 52
Runs via ProtonFree to play

Thirty odd heroes, five on five, and a Platinum rating on over a thousand reports.

Where you can play it

SteamBoosteroid

Why the hero you pick matters more than your aim

You can be the worst shot in the lobby and still win the match by picking the right hero and getting in the right place. Some heroes barely shoot at all. That is why it pulls in people who bounce off Counter-Strike, and it is why the arguing about team composition never stops. Platinum on Proton across more than eleven hundred reports, which is one of the strongest ratings on this whole page.

PriceFree to play
What it isTeam shooter with powers, five on five
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2357570
Rainbow Six Siege X201507 / 52
Stream it, no install

Five on five, one life a round, and every wall is a door if you want it to be.

Where you can play it

GeForce NOWSteam

Why it is the most tactical shooter here

You do not respawn. You blow a hole in a wall, send a little drone in ahead of you, and lose because somebody heard you. Siege X rebuilt the whole thing in 2025 with new lighting, destructible pipes and fire, and made it free to play. Streaming has a real advantage here: PC matchmaking includes cloud players, so you are in the proper PC pool rather than off on your own. Take a few rounds to learn one map rather than bouncing between all of them.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isTactical shooter, five on five
Who can join youOther PC players, including cloud players
How it runsStream it, no install
THE FINALS202308 / 52
Runs via ProtonFree to play

Three on three, and you can bring the entire building down to win.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why the destruction changes how you play

Everything is breakable. Walls, floors, whole tower blocks. Somebody hiding upstairs stops being a problem when you remove the stairs, and a chase turns into a collapse. Matches are short and loud and there is a commentary team shouting over them, which sounds annoying and is not. Free to play, Gold on Proton with over sixteen hundred reports, and it runs better than a game this destructive has any right to.

PriceFree to play
What it isTeam shooter, three on three
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2073850
Halo Infinite202109 / 52
Stream it, no install

The multiplayer is free, the guns feel superb, and it streams beautifully.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidGeForce NOWSteam

Why the shooting is what everyone talks about

Halo has always been about how long a fight lasts, and Infinite is the best that has felt in a decade. Shields mean you win by out manoeuvring rather than by clicking first, and the grappling hook turns every map into something you can move around. Multiplayer costs nothing. Streaming is the right route on Ubuntu: it runs on both Boosteroid and GeForce NOW and you skip the compatibility question entirely.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isTeam shooter, small maps and large
Who can join youPC and Xbox players together
How it runsStream it, no install
Destiny 2201910 / 52
Stream it, no install

Bungie have been perfecting how a gun feels since Halo, and it shows.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidGeForce NOWSteam

Why the shooting holds up after hundreds of hours

Every weapon has weight, recoil and a sound that tells you what it did. The free part is enormous on its own: several campaigns, all the player against player modes, and plenty to do with other people, before you buy anything. The six player missions are what people stay for, part fight and part puzzle, with nothing explained to you. It streams on Boosteroid and GeForce NOW, which is by far the easiest way to run it on Ubuntu.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isShooter with loot and six player missions
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Rust201811 / 52
Stream it, no install

You wake up with a rock and a torch, and everything after that is other people.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidGeForce NOWSteam

Why it is the most stressful game on this page

It is a shooter, but the shooting is the last five percent. The rest is gathering, building a base you hope holds, and the constant knowledge that somebody is watching your door. Every server is reset on a set day and everyone starts again from nothing, which is the best time to join. It streams on both services, and given how demanding it is at scale, that is the sensible way in unless you have a strong machine.

PriceAround $40
What it isSurvival shooter, hundreds on a server
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsStream it, no install
Marathon202612 / 52
Stream it, no install

Bungie’s newest shooter, and the best looking thing in this section.

Where you can play it

BoosteroidSteam

Why the art is the first thing you will notice

Flat colour, hard shapes and neon, closer to a graphic novel than to the brown realism most shooters land on. You go in as a team of three, pull what you can carry off a hostile world, and lose the lot if you do not get out. That risk is the whole game and it makes a quiet corridor genuinely tense. It is on Boosteroid, so an Ubuntu machine plays it the day it updates.

PriceAround $40
What it isGrab what you can and get out, teams of 3
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsStream it, no install
Delta Force202413 / 52
Stream it, no install

Big open battles, a raid mode, and none of it costs anything to try.

Where you can play it

GeForce NOWSteam

Why it is the best free thing in this section

Two games in one. Havoc Warfare is the big mode, sixty four players, vehicles, helicopters and objectives across a wide map. Operations is the tense one, where you go in with gear, try to find better gear, and leave before somebody takes it off you. Full cross-play with PlayStation and Xbox, so nobody you know is left out. It streams on GeForce NOW and the free part is generous enough to be a real game.

PriceFree to play, cloud plan needed
What it isBig battles, plus a high stakes mode
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsStream it, no install

What Should I Play On My Own?

Proper campaigns with a beginning and an end. Buy one, install it, and nobody else needs to be online for you to enjoy it.

If you want more games built around a good fight, our best action games for Ubuntu page is the next one to read.

Half-Life 2200414 / 52
Native Linux

The game every shooter since has been quietly copying, and it costs less than lunch.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is still the first one to install

Twenty years on it is still the best paced shooter you can buy, because it never stops introducing things. A crowbar, then a gravity gun, then a beach full of mines, then a car. Nothing is padded. It has a proper Linux version, it will run on a laptop from a decade ago, and the free anniversary update tidied up the parts that had aged. If you have never played it, start here rather than with anything newer.

PriceAround $10
What it isSingle player campaign, 15 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/220
DOOM Eternal202015 / 52
Runs via Proton

The one that turned a shooter into something closer to a fighting game.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why running out of ammunition is part of the design

You are always nearly empty, so you are always moving toward something to kill for more. Chainsaw for bullets, flame for armour, glory kill for health. Once it clicks you stop thinking about it and start playing at a speed nothing else asks for. Gold on Proton with over twelve hundred reports. Turn the difficulty down one notch from where your pride wants it and you will enjoy it far more.

PriceAround $30
What it isSingle player campaign, 20 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/782330
DOOM: The Dark Ages202516 / 52
Runs via Proton

Medieval DOOM, with a shield you throw and a dragon you ride.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it plays nothing like Eternal

Eternal wanted you in the air. This one plants you on the ground and hands you a shield saw to block with, parry with and throw. It is slower, heavier and much more about standing your ground, which upset some people and won over a lot more. There are levels where you pilot a mech and one where you ride a dragon. Gold on Proton with three hundred and fifty reports already.

PriceAround $70
What it isSingle player campaign, 20 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/3017860
Wolfenstein: The New Order201417 / 52
Runs via Proton

An alternate history where the Nazis won, and a one man argument against that.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the story is the surprise

You expect a loud shooter and you get one, but you also get long quiet stretches in a safehouse where people talk about what they have lost. BJ Blazkowicz turned out to be a much better character than anyone asked for. The shooting is heavy and satisfying, there is a stealth route through most levels if you want it, and it runs at Platinum on Proton with over two hundred and fifty reports behind that. Play it before the sequel.

PriceAround $20
What it isSingle player campaign, 15 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/201810
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus201718 / 52
Runs via Proton

The sequel moves the fight to occupied America and gets much stranger.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the harder one to recommend and still worth it

This one is angrier, funnier and less even than the first. The combat asks more of you and punishes standing still, so a few fights will stop you dead until you change how you approach them. What it does better than almost anything is atmosphere: a small town parade under occupation, a diner where the wrong answer gets you shot. Platinum on Proton and the performance is good even on modest hardware.

PriceAround $40
What it isSingle player campaign, 12 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/612880
Metro Exodus202019 / 52
Native Linux

A train ride across a ruined Russia, one season and one region at a time.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the best looking game with a real Linux build

Most big shooters make you take Proton on trust. This one ships a native Linux version, and it is one of the best looking games you can put on an Ubuntu machine. The structure is unusual: large open areas separated by tight linear chapters, with crafting you do at a workbench rather than in a menu. Ammunition is scarce enough to matter. Play it with ranger difficulty on and the HUD off for the version the designers clearly preferred.

PriceAround $30
What it isSingle player campaign, 20 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/412020
Far Cry 6202320 / 52
Runs via Proton

A Caribbean island under a dictatorship, and a very long list of things to blow up.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the one to pick if you want a big map

Yara is enormous and genuinely nice to be in, which is not something every open world manages. You get a horse, a wingsuit, a boat and a rocket launcher strapped to a rucksack, and the game rarely stops you using any of them. Platinum on Proton and it holds a steady frame rate on mid range hardware. Do the side stories about the island rather than only the main path, because that is where the writing is better.

PriceAround $60
What it isOpen world campaign, 25 hours
Who can join youCo-op with one friend on PC
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2369390
Titanfall 2202021 / 52
Runs via Proton

You run along walls for five minutes, then a giant robot lands next to you.

Where you can play it

SteamBoosteroid

Why the campaign is the reason to buy it

It is six hours long and there is not a wasted level in it. One of them hands you a device that swaps you between two versions of the same building, and it would have carried a whole game somewhere else. The movement is the best in any shooter, full stop: wall running and sliding that feel effortless within ten minutes. Gold on Proton with more than eight hundred reports. The multiplayer still has players, and the campaign alone is worth the money.

PriceAround $30
What it isSingle player campaign, 6 hours
Who can join youOther PC players in multiplayer
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1237970
ULTRAKILL202022 / 52
Runs via Proton

You are a machine that drinks blood, and standing still is how you die.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it asks more of you than it looks like it will

Health only comes back when you are close enough to get hit, so the game pulls you forward into everything you would normally back away from. It grades every fight, which sounds like a chore and turns into the reason you replay levels. The presentation is deliberately cheap looking and the movement underneath it is anything but. Platinum on Proton with nearly four hundred reports, and it runs on almost any machine you own.

PriceAround $30
What it isSingle player, level by level
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1229490
Trepang2202323 / 52
Runs via Proton

Slow down time, kick a door off its hinges, and leave before anyone stands up.

Why it is the one to play when you want to feel dangerous

Short, loud and completely uninterested in wasting your time. Bullet time, a shoulder charge that goes through walls, and enemies who react to the noise you make. Levels take twenty minutes and there is a mode that just throws waves at you once the story is done. Platinum on Proton, and it is one of the few shooters on Amazon Luna, so it streams as well as it installs.

PriceAround $30
What it isSingle player campaign, 6 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1164940
Selaco202424 / 52
Native Linux

Built in the DOOM engine, and it looks nothing like a game from 1993.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why the enemies are what people talk about

They open doors, take cover behind furniture that then gets destroyed, call for help and try to flank you. It is the smartest enemy behaviour in any shooter on this page and it is running on technology older than most of the people playing it. There is a native Linux build, it barely touches your hardware, and the whole thing is beautifully made. It is still being added to, and what is already there is a full game.

PriceAround $25
What it isSingle player campaign, 15 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1592280
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun202325 / 52
Runs via Proton

A Space Marine, a very large gun, and no interest in cover at all.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it works even if you know nothing about Warhammer

You do not need to have read anything. It is a 1990s shooter with modern lighting and a sprite based Space Marine who moves far faster than his armour suggests. Chainsword a heretic, pick up the ammunition he drops, repeat. Levels are big enough to get lost in and there are secrets in the walls. Platinum on Proton with over a hundred and twenty reports, and it runs on a machine that cannot handle anything else here.

PriceAround $22
What it isSingle player campaign, 10 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2005010

What Can I Play With Friends?

Co-op and team games worth organising an evening around, from four of you in a cave to a hundred people on one map.

For games built around playing together rather than shooting, try our best co-op and multiplayer games for Ubuntu page.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection201926 / 52
Runs via Proton

Six Halo games in one purchase, and your friends on Xbox can join you.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why this is the best value on the page

Combat Evolved, 2, 3, ODST, Reach and Halo 4, all in one launcher, all with their multiplayer intact and all cross-play with Xbox. That is a lot of shooter for the price. It sits at Gold with over eight hundred and sixty Proton reports, which is more evidence than almost anything else here. Turn off platform based matchmaking in the network settings or you will only ever see other PC players.

PriceAround $40
What it isSix campaigns plus multiplayer
Who can join youPC and Xbox players together
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/976730
Borderlands 4202527 / 52
Runs via Proton

Millions of guns, four players, and every platform in the same lobby.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the cross-play list is the longest here

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, Steam, Epic and Switch 2 all play together, which means almost nobody you know is locked out. The shooting is the best the series has managed and the traversal is new: a grapple and a glide that turn the map into something you move through rather than across. Gold on Proton with three hundred reports already. It is the most demanding game here, so if your machine struggles, stream it.

PriceAround $70
What it isFour player co-op, millions of guns
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Epic and Switch 2
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1285190
Borderlands 3202028 / 52
Runs via Proton

The one before, cheaper, and with the same everyone plays together list.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the better buy if money matters

It goes on sale constantly and it is a very large game: four characters, a campaign past thirty hours, and four player co-op across Xbox, PlayStation, Mac, Steam and Epic. Cross-play arrived late but it is here now and it covers everything. Gold on Proton with nearly six hundred reports. The writing is weaker than the third game and the guns are better, which is the trade most people are happy to take.

PriceAround $60
What it isFour player co-op, millions of guns
Who can join youXbox, PlayStation, Mac, Steam and Epic
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/397540
Deep Rock Galactic202029 / 52
Runs via Proton

Four dwarves, a fully destructible cave, and no way out but down.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the caves being destructible is the whole thing

Every cave is generated and every inch of it can be dug through, so the route is whatever your team makes. Four classes with jobs that genuinely need each other: someone lights the place up, someone builds the platforms, someone carries the heavy gun. Platinum on Proton across sixteen hundred reports. The community is famously decent, which for an online game is worth saying out loud. Rock and stone.

PriceAround $30
What it isFour player co-op mining
Who can join youPC and Xbox players together
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/548430
Left 4 Dead 2200930 / 52
Native Linux

Four survivors, a horde, and the game quietly deciding when to panic you.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why a game from 2009 still fills servers

There is a system running behind it that watches how you are doing and places the next horde accordingly, so no two runs of the same campaign feel the same. Four people, one route, and it falls apart the moment somebody wanders off. It has a native Linux build, costs about a tenner and goes on sale constantly, and the workshop has enough campaigns to last years.

PriceAround $10
What it isFour player co-op survival
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/550
Killing Floor 3202531 / 52
Runs via Proton

Six of you, a locked map, and waves of things that used to be people.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the easiest co-op night to organise

Full cross-play at launch across Steam, Epic, PlayStation and Xbox, so you organise the evening rather than the platform. Rounds are short, the class system gives everyone a job, and the trader phase between waves is where the arguing happens. It is newer than most things here so the Proton report count is lower, at Gold on forty two reports, but it is consistent and it streams on both services.

PriceAround $40
What it isSix player co-op against waves
Who can join youSteam, Epic, PlayStation and Xbox
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1430190
Hunt: Showdown 1896201932 / 52
Runs via Proton

A Louisiana swamp, twelve players, and everybody can hear you reload.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the sound is the reason it is so tense

Crows scatter when you run past them. Dogs bark. A horse kicks a fence. Every one of those tells somebody else where you are, and you are listening for theirs. You go in to kill a boss and extract with the bounty, and the extraction is where it usually goes wrong. Gold on Proton with seven hundred reports. Slow, frightening and completely unlike anything else here.

PriceAround $30
What it isBounty hunting, 12 players
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/594650
Ready or Not202333 / 52
Runs via Proton

A police raid where kicking the door in is usually the wrong answer.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why going slowly is the only way it works

You clear a building room by room with a team, and the game wants you to shout warnings, use mirrors under doors and arrest people rather than shoot them. Rushing gets somebody killed within seconds. It is bleak in places and it is the most deliberate shooter on this page. Gold on Proton with six hundred and fifty reports. Best with friends and a headset, and it has AI teammates if you have neither.

PriceAround $50
What it isFive player co-op, one careful room at a time
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1144200
Squad202034 / 52
Runs via Proton

A hundred players, real squads, and somebody on a microphone giving orders.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the closest thing to organised warfare here

You join a squad of nine, a squad leader tells you where to dig in, and a commander above him calls in support. Walking to the fight takes minutes and dying means walking again, which is exactly why holding ground feels like it cost something. Gold on Proton with six hundred and forty reports. It asks for a microphone and about an hour a sitting, and it gives back more than any other shooter here.

PriceAround $40
What it isTeam warfare, 100 players
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/393380
Enlisted202135 / 52
Native LinuxFree to play

Second World War battles where you lead a squad instead of one soldier.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why controlling a whole squad changes the fight

You do not play one man. You play a squad that follows you in, and when you are killed you take over the next soldier in it, so a bad moment does not end your round. That single idea makes the fights feel like they have weight. It is free to play with a native Linux build, and Gold on Proton for anyone who prefers the Windows version. Paying gets you squads and vehicles sooner, not better ones.

PriceFree to play
What it isSquad based war shooter
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2051620
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam202636 / 52
Runs via Proton

Fifty a side in the jungle, and the newest thing on this page by a long way.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why it is worth being early on

It arrived on 13 August 2026 and it already runs well, at Gold on ProtonDB, which is a lot of evidence for a game this new. Unlike the original Hell Let Loose it puts PC and console players in the same match, so the friend on a PlayStation is in. It is heavy: expect to drop the settings on the jungle maps even on a decent card, because the vegetation is what costs you.

PriceAround $40
What it isWar shooter, 50 a side
Who can join youPC and console players together
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/3079210
Insurgency: Sandstorm201837 / 52
Runs via Proton

No health bar, no crosshair by default, and one bullet is usually enough.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the tense one

It is quiet for long stretches and then extremely fast for four seconds. There is no minimap telling you where anyone is, so you listen, and your team talks or dies. Cross-play covers PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and it also matches you by input, so a mouse and keyboard player is put with other mouse and keyboard players. Gold on Proton with six hundred and forty eight reports, the deepest evidence here after Halo.

PriceAround $30
What it isTeam shooter, no respawns
Who can join youPlayStation, Xbox and PC
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/581320
Sniper Elite 5202238 / 52
Runs via Proton

Wide French maps, one rifle, and a bullet you follow all the way in.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why patience is the whole game

You are given a large area, several ways in, and no reason to hurry. Wind and distance both matter, and the game shows you exactly what your shot did, which is either the best or the worst part depending on your stomach. Cross-play works across every platform, so a friend on console can drop into your campaign or hunt you in the invasion mode. Gold on Proton and it streams on both services.

PriceAround $50
What it isCo-op campaign, or hunt other players
Who can join youEvery platform, PC and console
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1029690
STAR WARS Battlefront II202039 / 52
Runs via Proton

Forty players, three eras, and a Star Destroyer overhead while you argue about heroes.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the ending of its story is worth knowing

It launched badly, got fixed over three years, and what is left is the best looking Star Wars multiplayer there has been. Galactic Assault puts forty of you on Hoth or Naboo with vehicles and heroes, and the campaign is a short, decent story told from the Imperial side. Gold on Proton with nearly five hundred reports, and it is on both cloud services if you would rather stream it.

PriceAround $40
What it is40 player battles plus a campaign
Who can join youOther people online
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/1237950
Hell Let Loose202140 / 52
Runs via Proton

Second World War, one hundred players, and nobody is telling you where to go.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the scale is unlike anything else here

A hundred people on one map, held together by squad leaders and a commander, with supply lines and artillery that other players are actually running. Walking to the front takes a while and that is deliberate, because ground you take feels like it cost something. Gold on Proton across three hundred and eighty two reports. Bring a microphone. It is the one game here where talking is most of the skill.

PriceAround $50
What it isTeam warfare, 100 players
Who can join youOther people online
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/686810

What Runs On An Older Laptop?

Every one of these will run on integrated graphics or close to it. Most are native Linux and four of them cost nothing at all.

More games that are easy on old hardware are on our best roguelike games for Ubuntu page.

Team Fortress 2200741 / 52
Native LinuxFree to play

Nine classes, twenty years old, free, and it still runs on anything.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is the best free thing you can put on an old laptop

Nine classes that all play completely differently, hats nobody needs, and a sense of humour no shooter has matched since. It is tiny, it is native Linux, and it will run happily on a machine that cannot open a modern web page. There is a bot problem on some public servers and community servers avoid it entirely, which is where most of the good games are anyway. Costs nothing, ever.

PriceFree to play
What it isNine class team shooter
Who can join youOther PC players
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/440
BattleBit Remastered202342 / 52
Runs via Proton

Two hundred and fifty four players, buildings that fall down, and blocky little soldiers.

Where you can play it

Steam

Why it runs on a machine that should not manage this

It looks like a toy and it is one of the largest scale shooters you can buy. The simple art is the point: two hundred and fifty four people, vehicles and destructible buildings all at once, on hardware that would fall over trying the same thing in a photorealistic game. Fifteen pounds or so, servers are always busy, and it is Gold on Proton across four hundred and eighty reports.

PriceAround $15
What it isHuge battles, 254 players
Who can join youOther people online
How it runsRuns through Proton
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/671860
Quake199643 / 52
Runs via Proton

Brown, fast, and the reason a whole genre moves the way it does.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it still feels quicker than things made this year

Nothing about it is slow. You blast yourself into the air with a rocket, you never stop moving, and the whole game is over in a few hours if you are good. The re-release added the two official expansions, a fan made campaign and online play, so what you buy now is far more than the 1996 disc. It runs on absolutely anything, including a laptop with no graphics card worth the name, and it is Platinum on Proton on over two hundred reports.

PriceAround $10
What it isSingle player plus online
Who can join youOther players online
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/2310
Half-Life199844 / 52
Native Linux

A physics experiment goes wrong and you spend a day walking home.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why it is worth playing before the sequel

It never takes the camera away from you, which was unheard of at the time and is still rare now. The pacing sags in the last third, everybody says so, and the first three hours are as good as anything since. It has a native Linux build, it is about two hundred megabytes, and it will run on a machine you were about to throw away. Platinum on Proton for anyone who prefers the Windows version.

PriceAround $10
What it isSingle player campaign, 12 hours
Who can join youOther players online
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/70
Black Mesa202045 / 52
Native Linux

Half-Life rebuilt from scratch by fans, and the last act finally works.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWBoosteroid

Why the part everyone complained about is now the best bit

Xen, the alien world at the end of the original, was the section people apologised for. This version rebuilds it into several hours of the best looking level design in the game. Everything before it is the Half-Life you remember with modern lighting and much better sound. There is a native Linux build, it is Gold on Proton with four hundred and forty eight reports, and it asks very little for how it looks.

PriceAround $20
What it isSingle player campaign, 20 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/362890
DUSK201846 / 52
Native Linux

Cornfields, cultists, and a soundtrack that will not let you stand still.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOW

Why it is the one people finish in a weekend

It looks like 1996 and moves like nothing from 1996. Three episodes, each stranger than the last, and an endless arena mode when you are done. There is a native Linux build and it will run on a netbook. If you have never tried an old style shooter and want to know what people mean, start here rather than going back to the originals, because it keeps the speed and drops the fiddly parts.

PriceAround $20
What it isSingle player campaign, 8 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/519860
Ion Fury201947 / 52
Native Linux

Built in the Duke Nukem engine in 2019, with neon streets you can walk into.

Where you can play it

SteamBoosteroid

Why the levels are the reason to buy it

Every building opens. You find a bowling alley, a police station, an arcade with the lights still on, and all of it connects rather than sitting behind loading screens. Shelly is a good lead and the guns have weight. It is native Linux, it is Platinum on Proton, and it will run on integrated graphics without complaint. The expansion adds a grappling hook that changes how you move through the same city.

PriceAround $25
What it isSingle player campaign, 12 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsNative Linux, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/562860
AMID EVIL201948 / 52
Runs via Proton

Swap the guns for staves and axes and the corridors for floating temples.

Where you can play it

SteamGeForce NOWAmazon Luna

Why it is the prettiest thing on this list

Seven worlds, each built around a different colour and a different weapon, and several of them are genuinely beautiful. There are no guns at all, which sounds like a gimmick and changes how the fights work, because everything you carry is short range or slow. Platinum on Proton, light on hardware, and one of the few shooters on Amazon Luna if you would rather stream it.

PriceAround $20
What it isSingle player campaign, 8 hours
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/673130
Prodeus202249 / 52
Runs via Proton

Modern lighting over deliberately chunky sprites, and a level editor built in.

Where you can play it

SteamBoosteroid

Why the community levels double the game

There is a browser inside the game for levels other people have made, with ratings, and some of them are better than the official campaign. The base game is a solid, very red shooter with a good weapon set and a lot of gore. Platinum on Proton with seventy two reports. Buy it if you want something you will still be opening in a year, because the level list keeps growing without you paying anything more.

PriceAround $25
What it isSingle player plus community levels
Who can join youNobody, this one is yours alone
How it runsRuns through Proton, or stream it
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
steam steam://install/964800
Xonotic201150 / 52
Native LinuxFree and open source

Free, open source, and about as fast as a shooter has ever been.

Where you can play it

Ubuntu archiveOfficial download

Why it is worth trying even if you missed these the first time

This is the speed people mean when they talk about old shooters. You launch yourself off the walls and the floor to move faster, and matches are over in minutes. It is free, open source and one download, it has bots at every difficulty so you never need a server, and it runs on genuinely ancient hardware. If OpenArena feels too dated, this is the modern version of the same idea.

PriceFree
What it isFast online shooter, bots included
Who can join youOther players online, plus bots offline
How it runsNative Linux
Installs from the Ubuntu archive, nothing to buy.
Red Eclipse202051 / 52
Native LinuxFree and open source

Free, open source, and one of the fastest things you will ever play.

Where you can play it

Ubuntu archiveFlathub

Why it is the free one to try first

Parkour built into the movement, so you are sliding, wall running and dashing within a minute of starting. It has bots, so you never need to find a server to enjoy it, and it comes with the map editor the developers used. It is in the Ubuntu archive at version 1.6.0 and on Flathub, it is a few hundred megabytes, and it will run on anything. Nothing to buy, no account, no adverts.

PriceFree
What it isFast online shooter, bots included
Who can join youOther players on community servers
How it runsNative Linux
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
sudo apt install redeclipse
OpenArena201252 / 52
Native LinuxFree and open source

A free rebuild of Quake III Arena that has been finished for years.

Where you can play it

Ubuntu archive

Why it is the one for a very old machine

This is the lightest game on the page by a wide margin. It is Quake III Arena in everything but the artwork: the same maps, the same speed, the same rail gun. Bots are included at every difficulty, so it works entirely offline, which matters if your connection is metered or slow. It is in the Ubuntu archive and installs with one command. If nothing else here will run on your laptop, this will.

PriceFree
What it isFast online shooter, bots included
Who can join youOther players online, plus bots offline
How it runsNative Linux
Prefer the terminal? Open it and paste this:
sudo apt install openarena
Installs from the Ubuntu archive, nothing to buy.

All 52 Side By Side

Open the full comparison table
Game Price What it is Who can join you How it runs
Fortnite Free to play, cloud plan needed Battle royale, 100 players PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile and PC Stream it, no install
Counter-Strike 2 Free to play Tactical shooter, five on five Other PC players Native Linux, or stream it
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Around $70 Team shooter, plus Zombies and Warzone PlayStation, Xbox and PC Stream it, no install
Battlefield 6 Around $70 Big war battles, 64 players PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC Stream it, no install
Apex Legends Free to play, cloud plan needed Battle royale, squads of 3 PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC Stream it, no install
Overwatch 2 Free to play Team shooter with powers, five on five PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC Runs through Proton, or stream it
Rainbow Six Siege X Free to play, cloud plan needed Tactical shooter, five on five Other PC players, including cloud players Stream it, no install
THE FINALS Free to play Team shooter, three on three PlayStation, Xbox and PC Runs through Proton, or stream it
Halo Infinite Free to play, cloud plan needed Team shooter, small maps and large PC and Xbox players together Stream it, no install
Destiny 2 Free to play, cloud plan needed Shooter with loot and six player missions PlayStation, Xbox and PC Stream it, no install
Rust Around $40 Survival shooter, hundreds on a server Other PC players Stream it, no install
Marathon Around $40 Grab what you can and get out, teams of 3 PlayStation, Xbox and PC Stream it, no install
Delta Force Free to play, cloud plan needed Big battles, plus a high stakes mode PlayStation, Xbox and PC Stream it, no install
Half-Life 2 Around $10 Single player campaign, 15 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
DOOM Eternal Around $30 Single player campaign, 20 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
DOOM: The Dark Ages Around $70 Single player campaign, 20 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Wolfenstein: The New Order Around $20 Single player campaign, 15 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Around $40 Single player campaign, 12 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Metro Exodus Around $30 Single player campaign, 20 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
Far Cry 6 Around $60 Open world campaign, 25 hours Co-op with one friend on PC Runs through Proton, or stream it
Titanfall 2 Around $30 Single player campaign, 6 hours Other PC players in multiplayer Runs through Proton, or stream it
ULTRAKILL Around $30 Single player, level by level Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Trepang2 Around $30 Single player campaign, 6 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Selaco Around $25 Single player campaign, 15 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Around $22 Single player campaign, 10 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Halo: The Master Chief Collection Around $40 Six campaigns plus multiplayer PC and Xbox players together Runs through Proton, or stream it
Borderlands 4 Around $70 Four player co-op, millions of guns PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Epic and Switch 2 Runs through Proton, or stream it
Borderlands 3 Around $60 Four player co-op, millions of guns Xbox, PlayStation, Mac, Steam and Epic Runs through Proton, or stream it
Deep Rock Galactic Around $30 Four player co-op mining PC and Xbox players together Runs through Proton, or stream it
Left 4 Dead 2 Around $10 Four player co-op survival Other PC players Native Linux, or stream it
Killing Floor 3 Around $40 Six player co-op against waves Steam, Epic, PlayStation and Xbox Runs through Proton, or stream it
Hunt: Showdown 1896 Around $30 Bounty hunting, 12 players Other PC players Runs through Proton, or stream it
Ready or Not Around $50 Five player co-op, one careful room at a time Other PC players Runs through Proton, or stream it
Squad Around $40 Team warfare, 100 players Other PC players Runs through Proton, or stream it
Enlisted Free to play Squad based war shooter PlayStation, Xbox and PC Native Linux, or stream it
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Around $40 War shooter, 50 a side PC and console players together Runs through Proton, or stream it
Insurgency: Sandstorm Around $30 Team shooter, no respawns PlayStation, Xbox and PC Runs through Proton, or stream it
Sniper Elite 5 Around $50 Co-op campaign, or hunt other players Every platform, PC and console Runs through Proton, or stream it
STAR WARS Battlefront II Around $40 40 player battles plus a campaign Other people online Runs through Proton, or stream it
Hell Let Loose Around $50 Team warfare, 100 players Other people online Runs through Proton, or stream it
Team Fortress 2 Free to play Nine class team shooter Other PC players Native Linux, or stream it
BattleBit Remastered Around $15 Huge battles, 254 players Other people online Runs through Proton
Quake Around $10 Single player plus online Other players online Runs through Proton, or stream it
Half-Life Around $10 Single player campaign, 12 hours Other players online Native Linux, or stream it
Black Mesa Around $20 Single player campaign, 20 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
DUSK Around $20 Single player campaign, 8 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
Ion Fury Around $25 Single player campaign, 12 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Native Linux, or stream it
AMID EVIL Around $20 Single player campaign, 8 hours Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Prodeus Around $25 Single player plus community levels Nobody, this one is yours alone Runs through Proton, or stream it
Xonotic Free Fast online shooter, bots included Other players online, plus bots offline Native Linux
Red Eclipse Free Fast online shooter, bots included Other players on community servers Native Linux
OpenArena Free Fast online shooter, bots included Other players online, plus bots offline Native Linux

How We Picked, And What The Labels Mean

Every game here was checked on the day this went up: that it is out, what it costs, and which services carry it. The ones you install all score Gold or Platinum on ProtonDB, where Linux players report how well games run. Services change what they carry, so if something here stops working, tell us and we will fix the page.

Stream it, no install

You play it on a machine in a data centre and it appears in your browser. Nothing is installed on your computer, so how old it is stops mattering. You need a Boosteroid or GeForce NOW plan and a steady connection.

Native Linux

There is a proper Linux version. You install it and it runs, with nothing in between.

Runs via Proton

A Windows game running through the compatibility layer already built into Steam. One setting, once, and then it behaves like any other game.

Where you can play it

Every route we could confirm, named. If a service is not on the strip we could not confirm it, which is not the same as it being absent.

Questions People Ask

Can I play Fortnite on Ubuntu?

Yes. Open Boosteroid or GeForce NOW in your browser, sign in to your Epic account and play. It is the real game on the real servers, with your account, your skins and everyone else on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile in the same match. Nothing is installed on your machine, so it makes no difference which version of Ubuntu you are on.

What is cloud gaming, and do I need a fast connection?

A company runs the game on a powerful machine in a data centre and streams the picture to you, the way a video streams, while your keyboard and mouse go back the other way. Your computer only has to show a video, so an old laptop plays a brand new game. You want a stable connection of about 15 to 25 Mbps and, if you can manage it, a cable rather than wifi. Anything faster than that is not wasted, but it is not the thing that makes it feel good either.

Do I have to set anything up in Steam first?

One setting, once, and only for the games you install. Open Steam, go to Settings, then Compatibility, and turn on Steam Play for all other titles. That is what lets the Windows games here install. The native ones do not need it, the two free ones do not need Steam at all, and the streaming ones do not touch Steam either. If Steam is not on your machine yet, our guide to installing Steam on Ubuntu covers it.

Which is better, Boosteroid or GeForce NOW?

They carry different libraries, which is usually what decides it. Boosteroid has Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Halo Infinite, Destiny 2, Rust and Marathon. GeForce NOW has all of those except Marathon, plus Battlefield 6, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege X and Delta Force. Every card on this page names which service carries that game, so check the ones you actually want before you subscribe to either.

More Ubuntu gaming guides: best simulation games for Ubuntu, best strategy games for Ubuntu, best RPGs for Ubuntu.

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