The Best Free-to-Play Games to Enjoy With Your Squad (2026)

Part of the fun of gaming with your friends is finding games that encourage you to group up together and work as a team or squad. Of course, games that have these teamwork aspects as well as being both genuinely engaging and free to play can be difficult to discover.

If you're looking for some free-to-play games available for you and your squad to jump into, this list has you covered with the best options available in 2026. From team-based hero shooters to MOBAs, competitive sports, fighters, and even the endless possibilities of creative sandbox worlds, you're bound to find something that every kind of squad can enjoy together.

Fortnite

Fortnite rose to popularity as a battle royale, enabling friends to squad up together and take on other players whilst surviving the storm. However, in the years following release, Fortnite has significantly evolved. There are now several different game modes inside, including the much cozier LEGO Fortnite, and an overwhelming amount of options when it comes to custom games and community content. When you get sick of the Battle Royale formula, you can simply mix it up with custom maps and game modes, or take a break on one of the other modes available, such as Fortnite Festival or Rocket Racing, just to name a couple.

Overwatch

Overwatch is a team-based hero shooter, meaning the whole game essentially revolves around teamwork and squadding up with your friends - or random players if you're in solo queue, but it's always much more fun with your buddies. There's a range of different competitive and casual game modes available, including 5v5, 6v6, Arcade modes including Mystery Heroes, No Limits, and more, and the Stadium mode - which, even though it has been announced that no more live updates are coming to this game mode, still makes for an incredibly fun change of pace, focusing on custom hero builds. Overwatch has had its ups and downs, but it's generally in a really solid spot as of 2026, with ten new heroes releasing throughout the year, a new story-based seasonal format, and frequent updates.

Marvel Rivals

On the surface, Marvel Rivals is basically Overwatch, but with Marvel heroes and villains. However, there's actually quite a lot of fundamental differences between the two, despite the overlap. It remains one of the most popular free-to-play games in 2026. Some of the highlights of Rivals are that it supports cross-platform for Quick Play, meaning there's no restrictions from squadding up with your friends, the game holds new events and chances to earn both free skins and free currencies each season, and the unqiue Team-Up mechanic adds the ability to customize heroes to your preferred playstyle, to a certain degree - especially as of the Seaosn 9 update in July 2026.

Rocket League

Rocket League is a fast-paced blend of soccer and racing cars, where two teams compete to slam a giant ball into the goal. Basically, it's soccer with cars! The concept is simple enough on the surface for anyone to pick up and play, yet mastering the aerial maneuvers and precise control in such a whirlwind environment can take hours upon hours. It makes for an amazing game to play with friends, though, zooming around, passing to one another, and coordinating the perfect play to score a point. There's essentially near-endless replayability, and in 2026 it's still going strong at around 25k players a day on Steam - and that's after it's been removed from the Steam store in favor of being an Epic Games exclusive.

League of Legends

League of Legends is arguably the world's most popular MOBA, involving two teams of five facing off in a battle to destroy the other side's base. There's a massive roster of over one hundred champions, each with their own unique playstyles and abilities, too, which means there's surely someone for every member of your squad.

With the 5v5 format too, it's the perfect game to get a group of your friends together and hit some matches, whether it results in coordinating a perfect strategy or simply yelling and laughing your way through the chaos together. Either way, there's a competitive experience waiting, and it's best enjoyed with friends. Plus, with the ongoing success of the game, there are still consistent updates going on throughout 2026, meaning you and your friends will have new content to look forward to.

Deadlock

Deadlock is a rather unique new game in development by Valve, combining elements of MOBA and hero shooter games. It has the hero roster of a hero shooter, the lanes and gameplay of a MOBA, and the teamwork mechanic that creates overlap between these genres. Deadlock is technically in invite-only beta at the moment, but there are plenty of ways to get yourself and your friends access to the game on Steam via the community hub. It's the most fun when you're playing with a squad of friends and all communicating together for strategy, switching lanes, ability usage, and even the likes of when to make an aggressive push, or when to farm resources or mini-bosses. Deadlock is only going to improve as development continues, and it's generally already a solid game (as long as you don't mind longer match times), so it makes a valuable pick for you and your friends in 2026.

Valorant

Valorant has a versatile roster of characters, but unlike the more hero shooter-aligned titles on this list, it operates more as a team-based tactical shooter. It's perfect for squadding up with friends to play one of the various game modes, with the ability for everyone to find what role works for them, and then come together as a team. Whether you're attacking a point or taking out enemies so your buddy can defuse the spike, managing to clutch up a victory feels even more rewarding with your friends in your squad. Much like many games on this list, Valorant is continuing to receive more lore drops, reworks, new skins, and more throughout 2026, which can help keep you invested in the game.

Brawlhalla

Brawlhalla is probably the closest thing you'll get to free-to-play smash bros, taking a very similar approach to the fighter. In this title, up to eight players can duke it out across a wide variety of stages. The game uses a simplistic, eye-catching 2D art style and has a massive roster of legends, as well as plenty of unique weapons and items to help claw your way to victory. It's easy to pick up and play a few matches, yet mastering the numerous combos and mechanics proves a challenge to keep more competitive players sticking at it. There's even cross-platform play, meaning your friends can join in no matter if they're on console or PC. Brawlhalla has a dedicated community which helps the game continue to perform in 2026, and a solid amount of content updates still going on.

Warframe

Warframe is a fast-paced co-op action RPG where you and your squad get to blast your way through a huge sci-fi universe. There's an almost overwhelming amount of content, which is sure to keep you and your friends busy. But beyond that, there's a massive variety of weapons, a solid level of customization, and hours of gameplay to enjoy. It's the perfect title to consider if you and your friends want an F2P title that can keep you committed for the long run, from missions to tracking down new gear, or just enjoying the fun and chaos together across the galaxy.