How to Win at Multiplayer First Shooter Games

Have you ever played a multiplayer first shooter game like Call of Duty, Overwatch, or Halo? If so, these games can be incredibly challenging. However, by studying other people’s strategies and how those strategies change from game to game you can get ahead of the competition. This article looks at 3 different genres of first-person shooters and lists 10 easy things you should do to improve your chances at victory.

Although 3D shooters are my favorite genre in this genre to play competitively, I know 2D shooters are just as popular for some groups. You can also use a combination of tactics in the tactics genre that might be unfamiliar to players in most other genres.

1. Pick a weapon you can master.

Most games have some sort of weapon progression after your initial selection. Having a specific weapon you can master is critical to winning 1v1 or 3v3 matches because that weapon will be your best bet for the game. Finding weapons that you can master in any game is going to be easier if you pick games where the weapons are thin on the ground and generally balanced so you don’t need to pick something very fancy to stand out from the crowd. For reference, I suggest looking at the terrain of each map before your first match and selecting a gun that fits in nicely with that terrain…just like an elephant would fit into a swiss alps!

2. Have lower expectations when playing alone.

Multiplayer games are tricky for everyone, especially if you’re a newbie and/or have a low rank. If you find yourself in either or both of those categories, it makes sense to alter your expectations slightly. A good rule of thumb is to play like you’re at least 3 ranks below your actual rank and don’t expect to be paired with the same players every time (which might limit the effectiveness of any game plan you come up with).

3. Don’t rely on randomness for critical decisions.

A common occurrence in first-person shooters is that you will be faced with a decision between 2 or more options, only one of which will work out well. If you don’t know which of those options will give you the best reward, try to eliminate as many as possible by waiting for a better opportunity. If the game does not allow you to wait on an opportunity and demands an instant choice, stick with your gut and pick the option that feels right at the time. Since your brain takes time to make decisions, waiting too long can lead to mistakes…particularly if this choice matters for something more than bragging rights!

4. Pay attention to health packs and other items on the ground before making a jump.

If you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, it will be awfully frustrating when you land and realize that your last leap cost you all of your health, ammo clips, and/or grenades. Always pay attention to the ground! For example, when a health pack pops up out of thin air only a couple feet from the ground in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, there are 2 or 3 people who waste nearly 3 seconds jumping up and down to get the health pack before they can react. Those few extra moments can mean their respawn timer is delayed by a second or more which could lead to their death or at least defeat in 1v1 mode.

5. Play the objectives.

This point might not be particularly useful for players who are more focused on just winning a given match, but it is especially important for players who want to get ahead in the rankings (whether official or unofficial). In most games you play, you will have some objective that must be achieved to win other than flat-out destroying everything in sight. Getting a higher rank means meeting more requirements than everyone else and will require a focus on objectives above all else. For example, my favorite map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is Gridlock because it has an objective which needs to be met before your side can win called “score multiplier.” If your team goes afk while trying to complete the objective, you will not gain any rank or add any experience. Whether you should be focusing on other objectives is often a matter of personal opinion, but it is important to know what those options are if you want to get ahead.

6. Learn when to take advantage of luck and when to exploit mistakes.

There will be cases where a teammate makes an error that allows you an opportunity for a “one-hit kill” (which can be much more effective than killing someone with your weapon). On the other hand, be mindful of what mistakes your opponents have made and which mistakes they might make again. If you are the last one alive and you can see that a few opponents left their cover to shoot you, there is a good chance you can counter by killing them with your weapon before they can even react. Overcoming an opponent in such a situation is often very difficult, but if you don’t know about it beforehand then it’s just luck of the draw whether or not you get to take advantage of this mistake.

7. Know when not to play through an entire map.

This point is less useful to gamers who are simply trying to win every match, but it is a helpful tool for those who want to get ahead if they’re playing exclusively in the 1v1, tactics, or search and destroy modes. Every game has some number of maps that are not really worth playing through (e.g. narrow hallways). While you might be able to win these matches if you put your full effort into them, sometimes the results can be less than ideal even after you complete the map (e.g. if you die before you can finish an objective). If it becomes clear that there is no chance at winning a given map then don’t waste your time. Try to play the next map instead so you can make more progress towards your goals.

8. Aim for the head when possible.

In most games, you will find that targeting someone in the head will eliminate their ability to fight back much faster than targeting them elsewhere (especially if the game rewards headshots). As a result, it makes sense to aim for the head whenever possible since it gives you a better chance of winning 1v1 matches while also making it less likely you will die yourself when your opponent is killed.

Conclusion

When it comes to online gaming, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your chances of winning. Even the greatest players in the world still make mistakes from time to time and plenty of people below them could probably beat them if given the chance. You don’t have to be rank #3 or #4 in every game you play to benefit from knowing how these tips and rules can be used. If you’re mid-ranked in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for example, then you could beat high ranked players without too much difficulty if they happen to make mistakes (which is likely even if they are focusing on objectives).