Bungie’s Marathon reveal wound the game back from a pure PvPvP extraction shooter toward what it called a “dedicated PvE” mode with a Symbiosis system that treats a fireteam as the point. Whatever the final shape, the news was a small confession: enough players want a looter-shooter where the enemy is the level, not the other lobby. Marathon is not out. These eight are.
We picked eight desktop looter-shooters where co-op is a first-class mode, ranked by how well the loot loop rewards a stable fireteam. Every one runs on Windows, most on Steam Deck through Proton, a few have native macOS or Linux builds. Loot, level design, and how good the guns feel are the axes we scored on.
What to look for in a co-op looter-shooter
- A real loot loop, not just XP bars: guns and mods that meaningfully change how you play.
- Instanced or matchmade PvE with three-to-four-player squads.
- A ramp of difficulty where a group of geared players still needs to focus.
- Cross-platform play where possible, so friends on console can join.
- A live economy that respects time (no daily-login gates that a working adult cannot hit).
The eight below hit at least three. The rank starts with games that reward a stable group the most.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free-to-play | Native platforms | Standout mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warframe | Free deep loot with 12 years of content | Yes | Windows | Grineer Sortie squads |
| Destiny 2 | Raid-shaped PvE | Free base | Windows | Raids |
| Borderlands 3 | Split-screen and couch co-op | No | Windows, macOS | Mayhem levels |
| Deep Rock Galactic | Four-player tunnels with class synergy | No | Windows, Linux | Deep dives |
| Remnant II | Souls-like world with guns | No | Windows | Adventure mode |
| Payday 3 | Heist-driven, gadget-first squads | No | Windows | Solo-to-4 stealth heists |
| The Division 2 | PvE open world with dark zones | No | Windows | Countdown mode |
| Helldivers 2 | Squad-driven top-down chaos | No | Windows | Major Orders |
1. Warframe, best for free deep loot
Warframe has 12 years of frames, weapons, and modes; a squad of four moves through Grineer, Corpus, or Infested tiles that reward stable groups. The loot economy is generous by looter-shooter standards. Cross-progression across Steam, standalone, and Epic is live.
Where it falls short: the onboarding is a wall. First-time players spend weeks before the game opens up.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play. Cosmetics and time-savers via Platinum.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The right pick when the fireteam wants a game that will still have new mods to chase next year.
2. Destiny 2, best for raid-shaped PvE
Destiny 2 still has the best six-player raid design in the genre. Encounters that ask a group to communicate and coordinate reward the fireteam that stays together. The base game is free, and expansions run on their own cycle.
Where it falls short: monetization is heavy. Season passes and expansions stack fast for a full loot chase.
Pricing:
- Free base, expansions at $39.99 each.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The pick when the goal is a six-player raid night once a week.
3. Borderlands 3, best for split-screen and couch co-op
Borderlands 3 keeps the loot-rain formula alive and still supports split-screen for two players on one PC or two on a single Steam Deck attached to a monitor. The Mayhem system pushes late-game difficulty, and the DLC is well-priced during sales.
Where it falls short: the writing is the writing. Anyone who bounced off the humor in Borderlands 2 will not enjoy this one either.
Pricing:
- Base game around $59.99 (frequent 75% Steam sales).
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The right co-op looter for two people sharing one couch.
4. Deep Rock Galactic, best for four-player tunnels
Deep Rock Galactic is the co-op loot game where the four classes actually depend on each other. Scout lights the caves, Engineer builds paths, Gunner suppresses waves, Driller cuts routes. Deep Dives are a weekly premium campaign that rewards planning.
Where it falls short: no huge loot pool. The upgrades are shallow next to Warframe or Destiny.
Pricing:
- Base game around $29.99.
Platforms: Windows, Linux.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The pick when four friends want a game that always plays well after the first hour of the week.
5. Remnant II, best for a Souls-shaped world with guns
Remnant II puts a Dark-Souls-shaped world under a shooter. Three-player co-op through procedurally generated worlds, plenty of build variety, and boss fights that reward reading tells. Loot is meaningful because a run’s build depends on it.
Where it falls short: three-player cap. A four-player group has to split up.
Pricing:
- Base game around $49.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The right pick for a trio that liked Elden Ring but wants gunplay.
6. Payday 3, best for heist-driven squads
Payday 3 puts the loot in a heist. Four players run stealth, then loud, then extract. Movement is faster than Payday 2, and the map lineup is smaller but denser. The scripted moments each map ships with make replays interesting.
Where it falls short: the launch was rough, and matchmaking is still spotty at low-population hours.
Pricing:
- Base game around $39.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The pick when the loot loop is heist-shaped, not raid-shaped.
7. The Division 2, best for PvE open world with dark zones
The Division 2 is the open-world looter that stayed alive through the years. New York, Washington DC, and expansions layer content on top of a cover-shooter frame. Countdown mode brought back the fast-run PvE that used to live in the strikeholds.
Where it falls short: the endgame gearing is a spreadsheet. Some builds ask for weeks of grind.
Pricing:
- Base game around $29.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The pick when the fireteam wants an open world and a cover-shooter rhythm.
8. Helldivers 2, best for squad chaos
Helldivers 2 is the four-player top-down (well, over-shoulder now) chaos machine. Stratagems land from orbit, friendly fire is on by default, and the community campaigns push a live war across sectors.
Where it falls short: it is not a deep loot game. Progression is thinner than the rest of the list.
Pricing:
- Base game around $39.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam store page
Bottom line: The pick when the group wants a game where the story is what they did last night.
How to pick the right one
- Deepest loot loop that respects a stable group: Warframe.
- Weekly six-player raid: Destiny 2.
- Two-player couch co-op: Borderlands 3.
- Four classes that need each other: Deep Rock Galactic.
- Souls-flavored trio: Remnant II.
- Heist-first loot: Payday 3.
- Open world and cover shooting: The Division 2.
- Squad chaos with friendly fire: Helldivers 2.
FAQ
Are any of these free-to-play?
Warframe is fully free. Destiny 2’s base game is free, expansions are paid. The rest are paid up front, usually with heavy Steam sales.
Which of these runs on the Steam Deck?
Warframe, Destiny 2 (via community workarounds since the anti-cheat gets fussy), Borderlands 3, Deep Rock Galactic, Remnant II, Payday 3, The Division 2, and Helldivers 2 all run playably on Steam Deck. Verified badges vary; check the current status on Steam.
Do any of them have cross-platform play?
Helldivers 2, Destiny 2 (with an epic games/steam account), Warframe, Payday 3, and The Division 2 all support some form of cross-play with consoles.
Which is best for a two-player group?
Deep Rock Galactic scales cleanly to two. Borderlands 3 was built for two. Remnant II works with two.
Which is best for a solo player who wants a co-op game?
Warframe, Deep Rock Galactic, and Helldivers 2 all matchmake reliably and are friendly to solo drop-ins.
Are these all first-person?
Deep Rock Galactic, Destiny 2, Borderlands 3, Payday 3, Remnant II, and Helldivers 2 are first-person or third-person shooters. The Division 2 is third-person cover. Helldivers 2 is over-shoulder third-person.
