Reports this week suggest Ubisoft has shelved the Far Cry extraction shooter it was quietly building and is redirecting the team toward “an ambitious open-world FPS” instead. If that pans out, the next mainline Far Cry could look closer to the classics than to a live-service pivot. That is a long wait, though, and the open-world shooter shelf on PC is already stacked. We tested the best open-world FPS games for desktop that hold up in 2026, from Ubisoft’s own back catalogue to Cyberpunk 2077’s post-patch renaissance and STALKER 2’s swampy return to the Zone. Each pick below is available on Steam, runs on Windows out of the box, and covers a different flavour of first-person freedom.
What to look for in an open-world FPS
Open-world FPS is a demanding hybrid. The best ones nail every layer, not just the shooting. Watch for these six:
- Map density. A big map is a chore if there is nothing every 200 metres. The good ones stack outposts, caves, and events close together.
- Gunplay feel. Recoil, hit reaction, and reload timing carry every second of play. Bad guns turn a good map into homework.
- Mission variety. Main story, faction ops, side hustles, radio traffic, random encounters. If it is all “clear the camp”, the map shrinks fast.
- Side content that pays. Rewards you actually want to equip, not vendor trash. XP and cash inflation kill motivation.
- Faction and enemy AI. Patrols that flank, react to noise, and cross paths with wildlife or rival factions turn scripted maps into stories.
- Replayability. New Game Plus, roguelite modes, co-op, DLC, or a mod scene. Something to bring you back after the credits.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free option | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far Cry 6 | Sandbox chaos with a big island | Demo weekends | Steam listing | Yara’s density and Amigos |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Story-driven open-world FPS RPG | Trial available | Steam listing | Night City after 2.0 and Phantom Liberty |
| Fallout 4 | Loot, settlements, radioactive freedom | Free weekends | Steam listing | Base building and mods |
| Rage 2 | Pure combat pop and speed | Demo | Steam listing | Nanotrite abilities in gunfights |
| Borderlands 3 | Loot-shooter co-op | Free weekends | Steam listing | Billion-gun loot pool |
| Just Cause 4 | Physics stunts and mayhem | Free weekends | Steam listing | Grapple, wingsuit, tornado tools |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | Grim survival shooting in the Zone | Demo | Steam listing | A-Life 2.0 emergent Zone |
| Metro Exodus | Cinematic post-apocalyptic survival | Demo | Steam listing | Seasonal open-region structure |
The 8 games
1. Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6 is the obvious pick for anyone reading this article for a reason. Yara is one of Ubisoft’s densest open worlds, and the Guerrilla toolkit (Supremos, Resolver weapons, Amigos) keeps every camp assault flexible enough to freestyle. The fire propagation, the wildlife detours, and the political tone give the island a real texture that Far Cry 5 lacked. It is also the last “classic” Far Cry before the rumored reboot, so revisiting it in 2026 lands differently.
Where it falls short: the story leans on Giancarlo Esposito’s cutscenes more than on gameplay stakes, and the outpost loop is the familiar Ubisoft rhythm. Some players will feel the checklist.
Pricing:
- Free: demo weekends
- Paid: Steam listing, DLC and Game of the Year edition sold separately
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the closest thing to what the next Far Cry might return to, and the sharpest entry in the mainline series to date.
2. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a different case in 2026. The 2.0 overhaul plus Phantom Liberty rewrote the police response, the perk trees, and the cyberware economy, and the base game reads like a first-person FPS RPG hybrid rather than the mess it shipped as. Night City is the densest map on this list by a wide margin, and side jobs regularly hit main-mission quality. Gunplay finally has weight after the Netrunner and Sandevistan rework, so both stealth and full-auto builds feel intentional.
Where it falls short: the world simulation still fakes a lot of its life outside quests, and traffic AI is thin. Random encounters have improved but do not match a full immersive sim.
Pricing:
- Free: five-hour trial on some platforms
- Paid: Steam listing, Phantom Liberty sold separately
Platforms: Windows, macOS (via Whisky/Crossover community builds; native support pending), Linux (Proton)
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the pick for anyone who wants an open-world FPS with a real story attached, and it is finally in the shape CDPR promised.
3. Fallout 4
Fallout 4 stays on this list because it is still the best base for what open-world FPS looting looks like. Gunplay improved a full generation from Fallout 3 and New Vegas, VATS gives you the aim-down-sights break when you want it, and the Commonwealth is packed with hand-placed vaults, quests, and settlements you can rebuild. The mod scene remains the deepest on PC, so a fresh install in 2026 can look and shoot like a game released this year.
Where it falls short: the dialogue wheel and the main story are the weakest of any modern Fallout, and vanilla balance falls apart in the mid-game. It leans on mods to stay great.
Pricing:
- Free: recurring Steam free weekends
- Paid: Steam listing; Game of the Year edition bundles all DLC
Platforms: Windows, macOS (older builds), Linux (Proton)
Download: Steam
Bottom line: buy the GOTY edition, install Sim Settlements 2 and a weapon overhaul, and you have a fresh open-world FPS for the weekend.
4. Rage 2
Rage 2 is the id Software and Avalanche collaboration that people underrate. The moment-to-moment shooting is closer to Doom Eternal than to anything else on this list, and the Nanotrite abilities (Shatter, Slam, Dash) turn every firefight into a movement puzzle. The wasteland is not as full as Far Cry 6 or Fallout 4, but the vehicle combat is the best of the bunch and the convoy fights are still a highlight.
Where it falls short: the world outside combat is thin, side content repeats early, and the story is a shrug. You are here to shoot, not to feel.
Pricing:
- Free: demo missions
- Paid: Steam listing, Deluxe includes the two DLC campaigns
Platforms: Windows, Linux (Proton)
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the pick when you want the pop and speed of a Doom-style FPS with a driveable map bolted on.
5. Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is the loot-shooter that keeps its co-op grip in 2026. Four planets, a billion procedurally generated guns, and Vault Hunter builds that scale to Mayhem 11 give it more end-game runway than most single-player open-world FPS games get to. The gunplay finally caught up to modern shooters after Gearbox tightened aim-down-sights and reload feel, so the shooting stands on its own even outside the loot chase.
Where it falls short: the humour is the weakest of the series and the main villains overstay every cutscene. Solo players will miss the co-op multiplier once endgame kicks in.
Pricing:
- Free: recurring Steam free weekends
- Paid: Steam listing, Ultimate Edition bundles all six DLCs
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Download: Steam
Bottom line: grab a friend and this is the best loot-shooter open world available on PC.
6. Just Cause 4
Just Cause 4 is what happens when the sandbox is the point. Rico’s grapple, wingsuit, and retractable parachute create a movement toolkit no other game on this list can match, and the mod-tether upgrades (rocket boosters, balloons, air-lifters) turn the world into a physics playground. Extreme weather events (tornadoes, sandstorms, lightning) are the closest thing to a random-encounter system that a Just Cause game has shipped with.
Where it falls short: the story missions are forgettable and enemy variety is thin. The map is beautiful but not as dense as Ubisoft’s islands.
Pricing:
- Free: recurring free weekends
- Paid: Steam listing, complete edition bundles all four expansions
Platforms: Windows, Linux (Proton)
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the pick for pure sandbox chaos and the only open-world FPS on PC where the vehicle physics are the main event.
7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the survival-first entry on this list, and the one to reach for when you want the map to fight back. A-Life 2.0 keeps factions, mutants, and stalker squads moving across the Zone without you scripting them, so ambushes and firefights break out in places the game did not plan. The gunplay is unforgiving and every shot matters, especially before you can afford armour that stops small-caliber rounds. Post-launch patches have addressed most of the launch bugs, so 2026 is a fair time to walk in.
Where it falls short: performance still spikes in dense forest zones on mid-range GPUs, and the survival systems are punishing enough to filter out casual FPS players.
Pricing:
- Free: demo missions on some retailers
- Paid: Steam listing
Platforms: Windows, Linux (Proton)
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the pick for players who want the Zone’s tension over Yara’s tempo, and the most atmospheric open-world FPS shipping today.
8. Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus is the surprise on this list, because it splits the difference between a linear Metro campaign and a semi-open world. The four seasonal regions (Volga, Caspian, Taiga, Dead City) are each a small sandbox with side stops, hidden gear, and diaries that pay off if you take the long way around. Gunplay carries the tactile weapon customization the series is known for, and the Ranger difficulty stays the truest test of ammo management on PC.
Where it falls short: it is only open-world between chapters, not across the whole map, and stealth is still the game’s strongest option even when you want to fight. Purists of Metro 2033 will miss the tunnels.
Pricing:
- Free: demo
- Paid: Steam listing, Gold Edition bundles both story DLCs
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (Proton), Enhanced Edition adds ray tracing on RTX GPUs
Download: Steam
Bottom line: the cinematic pick, and the shortest of the eight if you want a story-forward open-world FPS you can finish over a long weekend.
How to pick the right one
Match the mood, not the marketing.
- If you want chaos on a big island: Far Cry 6. Amigos, Resolver weapons, and camp assaults you can freestyle for hours.
- If you want story-first open-world FPS: Cyberpunk 2077. Night City after 2.0 and Phantom Liberty is the version to buy.
- If you want loot and settlements: Fallout 4 with the GOTY edition and two overhaul mods.
- If you want pure combat pop: Rage 2. Doom Eternal energy in a driveable wasteland.
- If you want co-op with a friend: Borderlands 3, no contest.
- If you want a physics sandbox: Just Cause 4. Grapple, wingsuit, and tornadoes.
- If you want survival tension: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The Zone is meaner than any wildlife in Yara.
- If you want cinematic and finishable: Metro Exodus. Seasonal regions and the strongest story here.
If you tried Far Cry 5 or 6 and bounced off the outpost loop, jump to Rage 2 or Just Cause 4 for a different rhythm. If you tried Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020 and stopped, the 2.0 rebuild is worth a fresh save, not a resume.
FAQ
What is the best open-world FPS on PC right now?
Cyberpunk 2077 is the most complete open-world FPS on PC in 2026 after the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty. Night City is denser than any other map on this list, gunplay finally has the weight it needed at launch, and the side jobs regularly outdo the main story. If you want a pure shooter first and an RPG second, Far Cry 6 is the alternative pick.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 finally fixed?
Yes. The 2.0 update in late 2023 rebuilt the perk trees, the cyberware slot system, the police response, and enemy AI, and Phantom Liberty added a full second act in Dogtown. Bugs still surface on release builds, but the game plays like the RPG-FPS hybrid CDPR promised.
Best open-world FPS on Mac?
Fallout 4 and Borderlands 3 both have macOS ports and run natively on Apple silicon Macs (Borderlands 3 via Feral, Fallout 4 via the older port and Crossover for M-series). Cyberpunk 2077 runs on Mac through Crossover or Whisky community builds and is the pick if you can accept a translation layer. STALKER 2 and Far Cry 6 are Windows-only.
Is Far Cry 6 worth playing in 2026?
Yes, especially if the reboot rumors turn out true. Yara is one of Ubisoft’s most densely built maps, the Guerrilla toolkit gives you real flexibility in camp assaults, and the fire and wildlife propagation still land. It is the last “classic” Far Cry before Ubisoft’s rumored open-world reboot, and it holds up as a standalone weekend.
Is Borderlands 3 fun solo?
It is playable solo and the endgame Mayhem scaling gives long-term goals, but the game is built around the four-player co-op multiplier. Solo runs are best on Vault Hunters that keep themselves alive (FL4K, Amara). If you want a solo-first loot shooter, Rage 2 is a better fit.
What comes closest to the rumored new Far Cry?
Nobody outside Ubisoft knows what the “ambitious open-world FPS” looks like, but the closest analogues on the shelf today are Far Cry 6 and Cyberpunk 2077. Far Cry 6 for the sandbox structure and camp-assault loop, Cyberpunk 2077 for the density and open-world RPG systems the rumored reboot is reportedly leaning toward.
