These are the 11 best online multiplayer games of all time

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Ladies and gentlemen, proudly presenting a totally unscientific list of the best online multiplayer games ever made.

If you disagree with any of our choices, or think we made any obvious omissions, please let us know in the comments below.

Halo 3

Xbox 360 (2007)

Multiplayer was always at the heart of the Halo project, and everything came together in the third instalment, which streamlined matchmaking to produce an incredibly slick experience. Bonus points for including a map editor.

Team Fortress 2

Windows, Xbox 260, PS3 (2007)

A unique shooter from Valve, which added layers of manic, cartoony violence without alienating hardcore Half-Life players by sacrificing the mechanics of the game.

StarCraft

Windows (1998)

Arguably the most popular online game of all time, the ultra-addictive StarCraft dragged the real-time strategy game into the 20th century and even spawned league of professional players in South Korea.

Grand Theft Auto Online

PS3, Xbox 360 (2013)

GTA V is already a huge game, but with Grand Theft Auto Online, it becomes truly massive. Rockstar Games always envisaged the constantly-evolving, sprawling world of GTA Online to be a separate experience to the single player game, and teething problems aside, it's an immersive experience.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Windows, Mac, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii (2007)

Widely considered the best in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare literally took the franchise decades ahead and was the best-selling game of the year. The varied gameplay in the single player was transferred to online multiplayer, making it one of the best online shooters ever made.

Red Dead Redemption

PS3, Xbox 360 (2010)

Mexican standoffs as the starting point of every match? Forming your own posse? Zombie characters with the inclusion of the Undead Nightmare add-on? What's not to like?

Fifa 14

Various formats (2013)

The Fifa franchise had fully exerted its dominance over Pro Evo by 2013 and the multiplayer experience was at its slickest in this instalment. Improvements to the Become a Legend and Ultimate Team modes were also gratefully received.

Gears of War

Xbox 360 (2006)

In a crowded marketplace of FPSs, Gear of Wars stand out by doing something a bit different and more importantly incredibly well. Still as addictive as ever, almost ten years on.

Counter-Strike

Windows (2000)

An iconic release that basically created a genre in tactical shooters, pitting special forces against terrorists where every player is a real person.

World of Warcraft

Windows (2004)

The first MMORPG to become a crossover hit, WOW currently has 7.1million subscribers (equivalent to the population of Paraguay) and has made developer Blizzard billions of dollars. In 2005 a plague effect glitched and affected millions of players, in a simulated disease outbreak that has since been studied by epidemiologists.

Left 4 Dead 2

Windows and Xbox 260 (2009)

You might notice a trend here in Valve reinventing shooters without making any sacrifices in entertainment or quality. Left 4 Dead 2 still offers unparalleled cooperative zombie apocalypse action, and we do not say that lightly.

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