The Hero Shooters With The Most Characters, Ranked

Just as the name implies, Hero-Shooters are games where players can choose from a wide range of heroes, operators, or champions before entering the battlefield, all of whom will suit specific roles and possess unique abilities. While hero shooters have been around for many years, it was really Valve’s immensely popular Team Fortress 2 that ushered the sub-genre into the mainstream. Nowadays, the market is flooded with these kinds of titles, all of which range significantly in their quality, gunplay, and most importantly for this list, the number of heroes they offer.

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Adding a new hero to a game can be risky for developers, as they can end up being too strong for their own good, but on the other hand, more characters mean a greater variety of playstyles to choose from. With that being said, anyone itching to get into a hero shooter that gives them plenty of heroes to play around with should check out these tiles below, which contain the greatest variety of heroes in the entire genre.

8

Quake Champions

Number Of Heroes: 15+

Systems

Released

August 22, 2017

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Language, Violence

The Quake games have always been loved by fans for their fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping gunplay, and it’s fair to say Quake Champions continues this tradition, while also adding a touch of strategy to the frantic gameplay. This is achieved through the introduction of Champions, who all possess an active ability, which can be thrown out to catch an enemy off guard and deal damage, alongside a passive ability.

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While many longtime fans were skeptical whether these abilities would disrupt the fairness of matches, considering Quake has always been largely based around skilled gunplay, they have been toned down over time to help maintain an even playing field. However, while these techniques may be a lot weaker, they are still strong enough to ensure each and every Champion feels more than capable of holding their own in a fight.

7

Dirty Bomb

Number Of Heroes: 20+

Dirty Bomb

Systems

Released

June 2, 2015

ESRB

m

Despite developers Splash Damage discontinuing their support for Dirty Bomb in 2018, they still managed to pack in a decent number of Mercs into this chaotic hero shooter. All the Mercs carry their own weapons and equipment into battle, allowing players to decide whether they want to go for a sneaky, tactical, or all-guns-blazing approach when trying to reach the objective.

Speaking of objectives, some Mercs are more designed for hunkering down and fortifying key positions, while others do better at roaming the map, so being able to have a diverse team of characters is a must for having a chance of winning a game. Though no more Mercs will be added to Dirty Bomb in the future, the game still has a decent player base even to this day, so it’s still well worth trying out for anyone interested in seeing what these Mercs are all about.

6

Valorant

Number Of Heroes: 25+

Released

June 2, 2020

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Language, Violence

In most hero-shooter games, players are encouraged to dive head-first into the heat of battle to throw out attacks and abilities as soon as possible, but Valorant plays a little differently. Many people have called Valorant a hero-shooter rendition of Counter-Strike, and it’s an apt comparison considering the game takes a much slower and more tactical approach than many other hero shooters out there right now. While each of the Agents comes with unique sets of abilities that can help them out when bullets start to fly, these can only be acquired with cash at the beginning of each round.

This ensures players aren’t just relying on their abilities for an entire match, encouraging them to focus more on their gunplay, especially since this is a game where most guns are one-shot headshot, meaning a good aim is pretty much a necessity for scoring wins. Considering the massive popularity of Valorant, and now that it’s available on all systems, Riot will continue adding in more Agents at a steady pace to keep the experience fresh and fun.

5

Apex Legends

Number Of Heroes: 25+

Battle Royale

First-Person Shooter

Released

February 4, 2019

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Violence

Speaking of experimental hero-shooters, Apex Legends is another game that decided to take a rather unique path by diving into the battle royale genre, while still retaining the hero mechanic. With players being inserted into teams of three with up to 60 players in total on a map at one time, the games needed to have a plentiful selection of Legends to prevent the same faces from popping up too often, and it’s fair to say that there’s a healthy selection to choose from.

Since launching in 2019, Respawn has committed itself to updating the game, not just with balance changes and new cosmetics, but also through adding in extra Legends that are suited to one of the game’s five roles. Separating the Legends this way makes it very easy for newcomers to get an idea of what each character brings to the table, and with this being a team game, all of them harbor abilities that can bolster their comrades in some way or another, making for some pretty creative character kits.

4

Marvel Rivals

Number Of Heroes: 35+

Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Released

December 6, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence

Considering Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play game that only dropped a few months after its announcement, many people assumed it would be pretty light in terms of characters and gameplay. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when players booted up the game and scrolled over to see more than 30 characters up for grabs, all of which separated into either the Duelists, Vanguard, or Strategist role.

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One reason Marvel Rivals has managed to retain much of its player base since launch is the unique ways these heroes can be used in battle. For example, having two specific characters on the same team can activate specific buffs, such as Captain America gaining a lightning shield from Thor, or Bucky receiving infinite ammo when Rocket Raccoon is around. Of course, being Marvel, there’s an endless pool of heroes and villains that developers NetEase can pull from, and with their promise of supporting the game for many years to come, fans all have their own wishlists for who else they want to be added to the already massive roster.

3

Overwatch 2

Number Of Heroes: 40+

Released

August 10, 2023

ESRB

T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence

When Overwatch was first released back in 2016, it received a lot of praise from fans and critics, not just for its rock-solid and satisfying gameplay, but also the dazzling character designs. At the end of the day, nothing less would be expected from Blizzard, but even after so many years, the developers are still continuing to pump out new characters with flashy designs to gawk at, along with a ton of skins that can be bought for each one.

Because of how long Overwatch has been around, most players have become well-accustomed to the traditional gameplay loop, which is why the introduction of a new Hero is always such a big occasion since they can have a pretty sizable impact when they enter the battlefield. Whether it’s Brigitte merging the Tank and Support classes into one, or Kiriko being able to instantly teleport to her comrades, these are just some examples of how new Heroes can spice up matches in their own special ways.

2

Paladins

Number Of Heroes: 55+

Released

September 16, 2016

ESRB

T For Teen due to Violence

Hi-Rez has proven that, when it comes to creating a colorful and compelling cast of playable characters, they are one of the very best in the industry. While they had already showcased this variety with their MOBA game, Smite, they would really begin to flex their creative muscles with Paladins. With over 50 Paladins to choose from, players are certainly spoiled for choice, but thankfully, all of these unique characters differ in how complex they are to play.

For example, while Jenos and Seris are easy beginner-friendly Champions who can contribute to the team through their healing powers, someone like Nyx, who requires more strategy and quick thinking, can take a little getting used to. This is far from a bad thing though, as it means players can gradually work their way up the skill ladder, testing out trickier Champions as they go.

1

Rainbow Six Siege

Number Of Heroes: 70+

Released

December 1, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence

Not long after Rainbow Six Siege‘s release in 2015, Ubisoft claimed their goal was to eventually get 100 unique Operators in the game. Back then, it seemed more like a joke than something they truly believed in, but this tactical shooter has grown so popular and is updated so frequently, that this number now actually seems pretty believable. Operators in Siege are classed as either Attackers or Defenders, and each one comes with their own set of weapons, equipment, and gadgets to use during a round.

The gadgets are the real game changers, as these quirky tools are what make the game so strategic. Some Operators, for example, can use cameras to snoop out incoming enemies, while others can throw out explosive drones to cause some carnage and disorganize the opposing team. There are also Operators known as Breachers, whose job is to blow a hole into the bomb site to provide an easy access point for the rest of their team. This is only the tip of the iceberg concerning what these Operators have to offer, and with the brand-new Siege X giving the game a much-needed overhaul, there’s never been a better time to dive into the hero shooter which includes the most characters of them all.

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