Best Open-World and Multiplayer Alternatives to GTA 6 and Call of Duty

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If you want something to play before Grand Theft Auto VI arrives, choose Red Dead Redemption 2 for a cinematic open world, Mafia 3 for grounded organized crime, Payday 2 for co-operative heists, or Forza Horizon 5 for social driving. If you want a replacement for Call of Duty’s multiplayer, Battlefield 6 offers larger, more tactical battles; PUBG Battlegrounds focuses on battle-royale survival; Counter-Strike 2 delivers precise round-based competition; and Halo provides science-fiction combat.

Rockstar’s current official page lists GTA VI for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5, but does not list a PC edition. That date and platform information can change, so treat it as a current reference rather than a permanent guarantee. Rockstar describes GTA Online as a dynamic world for up to 30 players that can be played solo or with friends. The alternatives below are organized by the activity you actually want, not by superficial similarities.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed	$23.39	Buy on Amazon
2		Red Dead Redemption - PlayStation 5	$24.99	Buy on Amazon
3		Silent Hill 2 (PS5)	$29.50	Buy on Amazon
4		Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game]	$20.32	Buy on Amazon
5		Marvel's Wolverine PS5	$69.00	Buy on Amazon

Quick comparison

These games do not all replace the same part of GTA or Call of Duty. Some provide a persistent world to explore, while others use missions, rounds, or matches. Decide whether your priority is free roaming, crime stories, co-operative robbery planning, driving, large-scale warfare, survival, precision shooting, or science-fiction combat.

Platform support, editions, online requirements, cross-play, and regional availability differ by game. Confirm those details in the current store listing for your console or PC before buying.

#1 Best Overall

Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed

• From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
• The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
• Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
• Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
• Interact with every character in the world with more than just your gun;Engage in conversation with people you meet. Your actions influence Arthur's honour;Horses are a cowboy's best friend, both transport and personal companion;Bond with your horse as you ride together to unlock new abilities

$23.39

Buy on Amazon

Best open-world alternatives to GTA 6

Red Dead Redemption 2: the closest cinematic substitute

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the strongest choice if what you miss is Rockstar’s method of building a world around authored characters, incidental encounters, and slow-burn exploration. It trades modern cars, skyscrapers, and contemporary weapons for a historical western setting, but keeps the emphasis on a richly observed world and a character-led crime story. GamesRadar includes it among GTA-like recommendations and highlights the shared Rockstar lineage.

The game suits a player who enjoys leaving the main path to investigate a settlement, wilderness trail, or stranger encounter. Travel is deliberately slower than in a modern urban sandbox, and that pacing is part of the design: the world is meant to be watched and inhabited rather than crossed as quickly as possible. If your favorite GTA activity is stealing cars and causing chaos in a present-day city, this is not a direct mechanical replacement. If your favorite activity is discovering a reactive world and following a carefully written outlaw story, it is the best match in this list.

• Choose it for: authored characters, exploration, environmental detail, and a cinematic campaign.
• Expect a difference: a historical western tone and slower travel instead of modern urban crime.
• Access note: edition and regional availability vary; verify the exact platform listing, including any physical edition, before purchase.

Mafia 3: organized crime in a grounded city

Mafia 3 focuses on a war veteran building a criminal organization in a grounded city. GamesRadar describes it as a crime-focused open-world game with side activities and a story centered on that power struggle. The result is more controlled and serious than GTA’s broad satire: missions are structured around taking territory, weakening rival operations, and deciding how your organization develops.

This is a good substitute when the words “open world” matter less than the crime-fiction setting. You can move through a city between missions, but the game’s strongest identity comes from its narrative campaign and organized-crime progression rather than from a persistent online playground. It is therefore a single-player recommendation for readers who want a crime saga, not a replacement for GTA Online’s social space.

• Choose it for: a grounded criminal rise, territory-based objectives, and a focused story.
• Expect a difference: no equivalent to a 30-player shared online city is established here.
• Best fit: solo players who want a more serious tone and a clear campaign arc.

Payday 2: co-operative heists with defined team roles

Payday 2 is the practical choice for a group whose favorite GTA Online activity is planning and executing robberies. GamesRadar characterizes it as an online co-operative squad game and connects its heists with the multiplayer robbery structure introduced in GTA Online. Instead of wandering a city between activities, your team selects a job, prepares an approach, and completes objectives under pressure.

Rank #2

Sale

Red Dead Redemption - PlayStation 5

• When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends.
• Experience Marston’s journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico as he fights to bury his blood-stained past in the critically acclaimed predecessor to the 2018 blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2.
• Also included is Undead Nightmare, the iconic horror story that transforms the world of Red Dead Redemption into an apocalyptic fight for survival against a zombie horde.

$24.99

Buy on Amazon

The mission-based structure changes the social rhythm. Every player has a clearer role, communication matters more, and failure usually sends the squad back into the same job with a better plan. That focus is an advantage for friends who want repeatable co-op sessions, but it will disappoint anyone looking for an always-open city where players can improvise activities between missions.

• Choose it for: co-operative planning, stealth-or-loud decisions, and squad coordination.
• Expect a difference: missions and hubs replace a persistent free-roaming city.
• Before joining friends: check that everyone owns a compatible edition and that the current platform version supports the intended online mode.

Forza Horizon 5: open-world driving with friends

Forza Horizon 5 is the right answer when GTA’s driving, vehicle collecting, and social roaming matter more than crime or shooting. TechRadar describes a multiplayer-friendly driving game spanning more than 100 kilometers of scenery. You explore a large environment, collect and tune vehicles, and take part in driving events with other players.

Its open world is built around motorsport rather than criminal missions. There are no heist roles to coordinate and no gunplay loop to replace. In return, the game gives car-focused players a much deeper reason to drive: route discovery, vehicle variety, event participation, and shared road trips. It is especially suitable for a group that wants to meet online and keep moving rather than sit in a lobby between matches.

• Choose it for: driving, collecting cars, open-road exploration, and social events.
• Expect a difference: the central progression is automotive, not story crime or combat.
• Scale: TechRadar reports more than 100 kilometers of scenery; that figure describes the driving environment, not a promise of uninterrupted multiplayer activity everywhere.

Best multiplayer alternatives to Call of Duty

Battlefield 6: larger, more tactical modern warfare

Battlefield 6 is the clearest recommendation if you want modern weapons and team combat but find Call of Duty’s pace too compressed. GamesRadar presents it as a more tactical and realistic war-game alternative, with PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S listed as platforms. Battles are designed around larger spaces, broader team responsibilities, and a slower rhythm in which positioning can matter as much as reflexes.

That difference affects how you should approach it. A player accustomed to sprinting through tight lanes may need to watch sight lines, coordinate movement, and use the surrounding battlefield rather than treating every engagement as a personal duel. Choose it for large-scale team play; do not choose it expecting the same map cadence, weapon handling, or progression feel as Call of Duty.

Rank #3

Silent Hill 2 (PS5)

• Fully Remade to terrify modern audiences
• KONAMI's intense psychological horror masterpiece SILENT HILL 2 is made exclusively for PlayStation 5
• The main protagonist James Sunderland searches for clues in the namesake town, after receiving a mysterious letter from his wife Mary… who has long been dead
• Experience the eerie monsters and other manifestations of James' consciousness reworked after 20 years
• Made with state-of-the-art technology to play on modern entertainment systems in 4K

$29.50

Buy on Amazon

• Choose it for: tactical decision-making, larger battles, and modern-war authenticity.
• Expect a difference: a broader battlefield and less purely twitch-oriented pacing.
• Platform reference: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S are the platforms listed by GamesRadar; verify the current edition and cross-play rules.

PUBG Battlegrounds: battle-royale survival

PUBG Battlegrounds is for players who want the tension of a shrinking survival contest rather than a persistent campaign or open-world sandbox. GamesRadar recommends it among Call of Duty alternatives specifically for its battle-royale format. Each match asks you to manage landing choices, equipment, movement, and the risk of every confrontation until only the winning player or team remains.

The match-based structure creates a different kind of progression. You do not build a permanent criminal empire or clear a linear campaign; you learn routes, timing, positioning, and resource decisions across repeated attempts. A quiet opening can suddenly become a close-range fight, while a strong equipment set can be lost when a squad is eliminated. That high consequence is the appeal for players who want suspense rather than constant respawns.

• Choose it for: survival tension, large maps, and match-to-match adaptation.
• Expect a difference: each round is an instance; there is no always-on shared city.
• Best fit: players comfortable with looting, rotating through a safe area, and sometimes waiting for the right engagement.

Counter-Strike 2: precise round-based competition

Counter-Strike 2 is a strong Call of Duty alternative when your priority is accurate shooting, disciplined team tactics, and short competitive rounds. GamesRadar identifies it as a major competitive shooter. Its identity comes from objective play, communication, economy decisions, and mastering a limited set of weapons and maps rather than from a cinematic campaign or a large open world.

Rounds make every decision visible. Spending resources in one round affects the next, and an early mistake can leave your team at a disadvantage. That economy and the emphasis on predictable angles reward practice and coordination. If you prefer fast respawns, extensive loadout customization, and constant movement, the stricter structure may feel demanding. If you want a game where map knowledge and team discipline steadily improve results, it is an excellent fit.

• Choose it for: precision aim, callouts, objective discipline, and repeatable rounds.
• Expect a difference: no story-driven open world and no persistent character sandbox.
• Learning advice: begin with a small map pool and focus on communication before chasing advanced tactics.

Halo: science-fiction shooting with its own movement identity

Halo offers a science-fiction setting, distinctive weapons, vehicles, and movement rather than Call of Duty’s modern-military presentation. GamesRadar includes it among Call of Duty alternatives because it changes the context and feel of multiplayer shooting while retaining competitive team combat and a substantial campaign tradition.

Rank #4

Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game]

• From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption
• The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created
• Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
• Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
• Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.

$20.32

Buy on Amazon

The different setting is not cosmetic. Weapon roles, movement options, shield behavior, and vehicle use create encounters that do not map directly onto realistic military shooters. That makes Halo useful when you want to keep shooting as the core activity but avoid another version of contemporary warfare. Multiplayer and co-operative features vary by release, so verify the specific Halo edition and mode you intend to play.

• Choose it for: science-fiction combat, distinctive weapons, vehicles, and a different movement model.
• Expect a difference: shield-and-weapon interactions replace modern-military realism.
• Check first: the current release’s campaign, co-op, multiplayer, and platform support.

Pick by the experience you want

Use the following decision path instead of asking which title is “most like” GTA or Call of Duty. Similar branding does not guarantee a similar play loop.

1. You want to wander a detailed world alone. Start with Red Dead Redemption 2. Choose Mafia 3 if organized-crime progression matters more than open-ended exploration.
2. You want to complete robberies with friends. Choose Payday 2. Its mission structure puts planning and team roles ahead of free-roaming.
3. You mainly want to drive with other people. Choose Forza Horizon 5; it concentrates the open-world experience on roads, cars, events, and shared travel.
4. You want modern-war multiplayer at a larger scale. Choose Battlefield 6 and prepare for a more tactical pace.
5. You want a high-stakes last-team-standing match. Choose PUBG Battlegrounds.
6. You want the most exacting round-based aim test. Choose Counter-Strike 2.
7. You want shooting without modern military realism. Choose Halo and verify which release supplies the campaign or multiplayer modes you need.

Open world versus match-based multiplayer

A persistent open world and an online match are not interchangeable. Rockstar says GTA Online is a dynamic world for up to 30 players, playable solo or with friends, with updates and content accumulated since launch. That format supports spontaneous encounters: you can meet friends, drive to an activity, change plans, and continue without returning to a lobby after every objective.

Payday 2, PUBG Battlegrounds, and Counter-Strike 2 organize play into missions or rounds. That makes session length and goals clearer, but it removes much of the unplanned travel between activities. Battlefield 6 also uses matches, although its larger maps and team roles create a broader battlefield. Forza Horizon 5 preserves open driving and social movement, while Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mafia 3 primarily satisfy the solo story side of the comparison.

Platform and release checks

GTA VI availability

Rockstar’s current GTA VI page lists November 19, 2026 as the release date and lists PlayStation 5 support. The reviewed page does not list a PC version. Do not assume that a PC edition, Xbox edition, cross-save feature, or simultaneous launch exists until Rockstar adds it to the official listing.

Best Value

Marvel's Wolverine PS5

• Marvel’s Wolverine is a new action-packed adventure from Insomniac Games
• Play as Wolverine and Ravage enemies with explosive brutality and unleash razor-sharp adamantium claws to deploy fast, fluid attacks and overcome impossible odds
• An Original, Emotionally Charged Story. Beneath Wolverine’s gruff exterior and violent temperament is a man fighting for a cause greater than himself
• A Global, Adrenaline-Fueled Journey where you slice into enemies across detailed locales such as the frosted Canadian Wilderness, the narrow streets of Tokyo, and the high and low districts of the island nation of Madripoor

$69.00

Buy on Amazon

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 availability

Activision Support lists Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as launching worldwide on October 23, 2026, with editions for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC through Play Anywhere, and PlayStation 5. Those are launch-platform references for that title, not a guarantee that every Call of Duty game shares the same availability.

Checklist before you install or buy

• Confirm the exact game edition and platform generation; similarly named releases can have different features.
• Check whether online multiplayer requires a platform subscription or a separate account.
• Verify cross-play and cross-progression if your group uses different hardware; do not infer support from another game in the same series.
• Check storage, age rating, language, and regional storefront details for your location.
• For physical copies, verify that the disc or cartridge matches your console region and that any required download is still available.
• Recheck release dates and platform lists close to launch because publisher pages can change.

Common mismatches and how to avoid them

Expecting every open world to behave like GTA Online

An open map does not automatically provide drop-in co-op, a persistent economy, or dozens of simultaneous players. Mafia 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are primarily solo experiences in this comparison, while Payday 2 is co-operative but mission-based. Select by the social format, not just the map size.

Choosing a shooter by setting alone

Modern weapons do not make two shooters interchangeable. Battlefield 6 emphasizes larger tactical battles, Counter-Strike 2 emphasizes round economy and precision, PUBG Battlegrounds emphasizes survival, and Halo changes movement and weapon behavior through science-fiction systems. Decide how you want a match to unfold before choosing a title.

Assuming platform compatibility

Platform lists are edition-specific and can change. A game’s presence on PC does not prove that it supports cross-play with a console version, and a console release does not prove that every generation is supported. Check the current publisher or storefront listing for the exact hardware your group owns.

Buying for a group without checking the mode

Before scheduling a session, confirm that the chosen game has the intended co-op or competitive mode, that all players can access it, and that the required edition is sold in each player’s region. This is especially important for Halo, where campaign, co-op, and multiplayer features can vary by release.

A practical shortlist

For a single-player open-world replacement, start with Red Dead Redemption 2; pick Mafia 3 when a grounded criminal story is more important than exploration. For a regular group, choose Payday 2 for heists or Forza Horizon 5 for relaxed driving sessions. For competitive shooting, choose Battlefield 6 for large tactical battles, PUBG Battlegrounds for survival matches, Counter-Strike 2 for precision rounds, or Halo for science-fiction combat. That division gives you a clear substitute for the specific activity you miss instead of forcing one game to imitate every part of GTA or Call of Duty.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption; The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created

$23.39

SaleBestseller No. 2

Red Dead Redemption - PlayStation 5

$24.99

Bestseller No. 3

Silent Hill 2 (PS5)

Fully Remade to terrify modern audiences; Made with state-of-the-art technology to play on modern entertainment systems in 4K

$29.50

Bestseller No. 4

Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game]

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption; The deepest and most complex world Rockstar Games has ever created

$20.32

Bestseller No. 5

Marvel's Wolverine PS5

Marvel’s Wolverine is a new action-packed adventure from Insomniac Games

$69.00

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.