At gamescom in Cologne, shooter fans were once again treated to plenty of fresh content. We’re highlighting the five most important single-player shooters that you should definitely keep an eye out for in the coming months.
After several years of the multiplayer and live-service boom, this year’s gamescom once again features some powerful examples of classic, linear single-player shooters. Whether post-apocalyptic, Western-style, or cyberpunk—in our opinion, these five brilliant titles have something for every fan of the genre.
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1. Metro 2039
According to a Twitch poll conducted during our Gamescom broadcast, the new Metro is the most highly anticipated single-player shooter among the GlobalESportNews community. In what is now the fourth installment of the post-apocalyptic shooter series from Ukrainian studio 4A Games, the action once again takes place in the depths of the Moscow Metro tunnels—this time with a new main character. Artyom’s story came to a close with Exodus.
Instead of the sprawling areas of its predecessor, 2039 once again features distinctly linear levels that exude the familiar, oppressive Metro atmosphere. 4A Games has significantly refined the lighting, gunplay, and stealth mechanics in recent years; as a result, the new Metro is not only significantly more visually stunning but also offers a more refined gameplay experience than its predecessors. There are new tools, such as a blowtorch for picking locks and explosive charges. Additionally, our new nameless protagonist is fully voiced for the first time.
The developers haven’t revealed too much about the story yet. Hunter, our old acquaintance from the first game, is said to have established a fascist regime in the Metro and united the once-divided factions. According to the developers, the plot has been significantly influenced by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
2. Gears of War: E-Day
WithGears of War: E-Day, the legendary cover-based shooter franchise from Xbox returns to the spotlight after more than seven years away. Set 14 years before the events of the first game, this time we experience the backstory of the two heroes, Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, and their first encounter with the Locust horde—known as Emergence Day. While the war in Gears of War 1 was already in full swing, this time we get to witness firsthand how the lizard-like creatures burst forth from the depths of the earth and drive humanity to the brink of annihilation.
After the open-world approach of Gears 5 went in the completely wrong direction in the eyes of many fans, developer The Coalition is now returning to the series’ linear roots with E-Day; in some places, the concept is set to be broken up by more open sections.
The movement mechanics have been extensively overhauled for E-Day—especially when it comes to vertical movement. The cover system works just as well as ever, and Marcus can finally jump. Despite the new features, the new Gears felt wonderfully nostalgic during the hands-on session at gamescom, reminiscent of the good old shooter games from the Xbox 360 era.
3. No Law
Following the technically mixed The Ascent, the Swedish studio Neon Giant is once again tackling the cyberpunk genre with No Law. Instead of an isometric top-down perspective, this time you’ll explore the game world from a first-person viewpoint. In No Law, you take on the role of Grey Harker, who takes on four powerful crime lords in the futuristic metropolis of Port Desire.
No Law left people speechless right from its initial announcement at The Game Awards 2025. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game looks impressive; the setting reminds many players ofCyberpunk 2077or Deus Ex. However, you shouldn’t expect No Law to be on the same scale as these classics. The development team consists of just 24 members and has emphasized that their focus with No Law isn’t on creating the largest possible open world.
Instead of expanding horizontally, No Law aims to offer as much vertical depth as possible within the confined world of Port Desire, featuring many different levels. The residents follow their own daily routines, and your actions will have tangible consequences as the story unfolds. Just like in Deus Ex, No Law will offer more than one way to achieve your mission objectives—for example, by stealth, by force of arms, or through bribery. The release is scheduled for 2027.
4. Guns of Eschaton
Guns of Eschatonis the latest project from legendary art director Viktor Antonov (Half-Life 2, Dishonored) and is, in fact, something completely different. That’s because the developers set out to fuse the classic Souls-like experience with shooter gameplay. Specifically, this means the Western shooter is incredibly difficult; before you can really enjoy Guns of Eschaton, you’ll first have to learn a whole host of mechanics.
All enemies have their own weak spots that must be hit in a specific order—otherwise, you’ll barely deal any damage. With the initial single-action revolver, you have to manually cock the hammer before every shot; otherwise, you’ll have to wait a long time for the next bullet.
During my roughly 40-minute hands-on session at gamescom, my cowboy found himself face-down in the dirt more often than I’d have liked. However, the developers proved to me that, once you get the hang of it, you can blast away in Guns of Eschaton almost as fast as John Wick himself. Plus, the game entices players with its unique and fresh setting: an apocalypse in the Wild West.
5. Neo Berlin 2087
Neo Berlin stands out a bit from the other entries on our shooter list, because strictly speaking, this game from the small Berlin studio Elysium Games isn’t a pure shooter. The developers describe their work more as a dark cyberpunk detective noir thriller. In the role of Detective Nolan—voiced by Elias Toufexis, the voice actor for Adam Jensen—you must solve a bombing case in Berlin in the year 2087.
The world is wonderfully designed with a dystopian atmosphere. The wealthy, who can afford access to technology and augmentations, live in the city center.
There are robots, flying cars, and holograms. The poor live on the outskirts of the city, where they can only dream of such things. The Berlin Wall has also returned, separating the city from the contaminated surrounding area of Brandenburg.
Over the course of the roughly 15-hour linear storyline, you’ll take on the role of Nolan as you search for clues at various crime scenes; but in between, the investigative work is repeatedly interspersed with wonderfully fluid shooter sequences in which you take out enemies with a pistol, SMG, or in close combat with your bare hands. There are also various types of ammunition for the weapons, allowing you to take on heavily armored enemies, for example. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game already looks outrageously good; the release is scheduled for 2028.
Now it’s your turn:Which single-player shooter is your next top pick? Do you find the Souls-like concept of Guns of Eschaton exciting, or would you rather explore a colorful cyberpunk setting like the one in No Law? Let us know in the comments!
You can find out more about the latest news from Gamescom in the link box above. There, we’ve put together a series of previews fresh from the world’s largest gaming expo.
