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Warframe and 3 other banging free-to-play games with cross-platform multiplayer support for universal dominance

"Make it a computer but worse."  — the inventor of the gaming console, presumably. (Image source: various, edited)
"Make it a computer but worse." — the inventor of the gaming console, presumably. (Image source: various, edited)
We all have that one friend that vehemently insists consoles are better, and that no, it's not because of aim-assist. Next time you hear this, invite them to play one of these games and then show them what it means to be part of the PC Master Race.
Article compiled by Julian van der Merwe
The choices and comments made on this list belong solely to the author.

1. Paladins

Paladins is a 4v4, team-based, PvP, battle arena hero shooter where players command one of an ever-expanding roster of heroes to slay their opponents. There are a variety of game modes to choose from — Siege is the primary game mode that sees players capture and push a capture point into enemy territory, Onslaught is a classic king-of-the-hill game mode where players must work together to control and defend a fixed point to earn points and win the game, and Team Deathmatch is self-explanatory.

Paladins is free-to-play on pretty much anything — with cross-play and account continuity available for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox (One and Series devices), and PlayStation (4 and 5).

If you are looking to get into console gaming, the Nintendo Switch Lite is a great value proposition, available on Amazon

Paladins has a pretty simple art style, which serves to both give the game charm and help it run on older systems. (Image source: Hi-Rez Studios)
Paladins has a pretty simple art style, which serves to both give the game charm and help it run on older systems. (Image source: Hi-Rez Studios)

2. Apex Legends

If you're at all familiar with PC gaming, you should be well aware of Apex Legends. In case you're out of the loop, Apex Legends is a fast-paced, battle royale PvP game made by EA. The battle royale genre has been done to death at this point, but Apex Legends' combination of a solid hero roster, fluid game mechanics, and excellent map design really makes it stand out from the pack. 

Apex Legends is free-to-play on all the major gaming platforms — even appearing on the Steam Deck Verified list — allowing PC players to show up literally every other platform out there except mobile. Android and iOS users can enjoy playing the recently released Apex Legends Mobile against each other, but unfortunately, cross-play against PC or console is not supported as this version of the game was specifically built for mobile.

Don't let the colourful graphics and peppy characters fool you, Apex Legends can be an action-packed nightmare. (Image source: EA/Respawn Entertainment)
Don't let the colourful graphics and peppy characters fool you, Apex Legends can be an action-packed nightmare. (Image source: EA/Respawn Entertainment)

3. Warframe (Coming Soon™)

This one is a little bit of a fib — Warframe doesn't support cross-play just yet, although the developers have demoed working cross-play and promise the feature is just being polished before delivery. Given the game's reputation for adding features and shattering expectations, we can expect Digital Extremes to deliver on its promise of cross-play in Warframe before the end of 2022.

Since the open beta launched in March 2013, Warframe has evolved into a jam-packed co-op PvE game with everything from canned, story-driven missions, to expansive open worlds, and rich lore. The premise of Warframe is Space Ninjas — the game centers around characters that remotely pilot advanced battle mechs to slay hordes of faceless minions and bosses on a variety of procedurally generated maps within our solar system.

Warframe is free-to-play on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One and Series devices. Notably, Warframe is not verified on the Steam Deck, but it is reportedly perfectly playable on Valve's handheld

4. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is a battle royale game where players battle opposing vampire clans for control of the city of Prague under lockdown. Players choose between a handful of characters from four different clans — each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and powers — to wreak havoc on the night in teams of three or as a solo hunter. 

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is free-to-play — with cross-play support, of course — on PC via Steam and on PlayStation 5. Unfortunately, there are no plans of expansion to get Bloodhunt onto other consoles, though. 

Yes, roaming the gothic streets of Prague as a murderous vampire while hunting other vampires is exactly as fun as it sounds. (Image source: Sharkmob)
Yes, roaming the gothic streets of Prague as a murderous vampire while hunting other vampires is exactly as fun as it sounds. (Image source: Sharkmob)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 05 > Warframe and 3 other banging free-to-play games with cross-platform multiplayer support for universal dominance
Julian van der Merwe, 2022-05-17 (Update: 2022-05-18)