Best Shooting Games for Android in 2026: 12 Shooters Ranked

Free Fire lists 1 billion+ downloads and 130 million reviews on Google Play, and PUBG MOBILE also lists 1 billion+ downloads. Raw popularity is only half the answer when you pick the best shooting games for Android, though. Soul Knight holds a 4.6 rating on 1.77 million reviews and supports an offline multiplayer LAN game, while Call of Duty®: Mobile says an internet connection is required to play.

Twelve shooters are ranked below, each scored from its own Google Play listing on downloads, rating, update date, Google Play recognition and the play options its developer documents. The field spans classic FPS, battle royale, tactical, overhead arena, sniper and zombie shooters. Activision removed Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile from Google Play in May of 2025, so it is not here. Ratings, download tiers and update dates are as listed on the US Google Play store on October 1, 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Free Fire lists 1 billion+ downloads, 130 million reviews and the #2 top grossing action tag.
• PUBG MOBILE lists 1 billion+ downloads and runs epic 100-player battles in Classic Mode.
• Soul Knight rates 4.6 stars and supports an offline multiplayer LAN game. It is the top score in this ranking at 8.5.
• Sniper 3D rates 4.6 stars and has an offline mode that needs no Wi-Fi or data.
• Call of Duty®: Mobile carries the #1 top grossing action tag, and an internet connection is required to play.
• Rainbow Six Mobile’s age rating is now 18+ in most territories.
• Activision set April 17, 2026 as the date Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile servers would go offline.

Quick Picks

Soul Knight tops the weighted scoring at 8.5 out of 10 on its 4.6-star rating and offline LAN play, with Free Fire and PUBG Mobile tied at 8.1 on the biggest player bases in the field.

• Best overall: Soul Knight scores 8.5, rates 4.6 stars and plays offline over LAN.
• Best quick battle royale: Free Fire runs 10-minute matches against 49 other players.
• Best 100-player battle royale: PUBG Mobile lists 1 billion+ downloads.
• Best offline shooter: Sniper 3D rates 4.6 stars with an offline mode.
• Best multiplayer FPS: Call of Duty: Mobile carries the #1 top grossing action tag.
• Best for controller players: Rainbow Six Mobile states controller compatibility and rates 4.5 stars.

Source: Google Play listings, October 2026

Each pick was scored across the weighted criteria in How We Ranked.

Review counts show where the crowds are. Free Fire’s listing shows 130 million reviews, against 48.7 million for PUBG MOBILE and 26.1 million for Brawl Stars. The chart below covers the eight most-reviewed of the twelve ranked picks.

By the numbers: Google Play lists 130 million reviews for Free Fire and 1.77 million for Soul Knight, yet Soul Knight rates higher at 4.6 stars. A huge review count signals a crowded matchmaking pool for online modes, while a smaller game with a higher rating can suit a player who wants a finished single-player or co-op run.

1. Soul Knight

Soul Knight leads the ranking by pairing a high rating with offline play and stated controller support. ChillyRoom lists it at 4.6 stars on 1.77 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. It calls itself the action top-down shooter game that features extremely easy and intuitive control.

The arsenal runs to over 400 weapons. You can team up with friends for an online coop adventure, or play together for an offline multiplayer LAN game, and a controller is supported in this 2D pixel side-scroller shooter game. The listing was updated on Sep 11, 2026.

Best Overall

8.5/10

Editor’s rating

Top-Down Roguelike Shooter

Soul Knight

Best for offline co-op with friends on the same network

Developer ChillyRoom

Offline Offline multiplayer LAN game

Play Store

• Scorecard: 8.5 of 10, carried by its rating and a listing that spells out both LAN play and controller support. Recognition is its soft spot: an Editors’ Choice badge, but no chart tag.

Its pixel art and bite-sized dungeon runs also make it a good bridge to the casual Android games crowd.

2. Free Fire

Free Fire earns its place on a huge review count and a match length built for short sessions. GARENA INTERNATIONAL I lists it at 4.3 stars on 130 million reviews with 1 billion+ downloads, Editors’ Choice and the #2 top grossing action tag. Each 10-minute game places you on a remote island against 49 other players.

You can create squads of up to 4 players and establish communication with your squad at the very first moment, and Clash Squad adds a fast paced 4v4 game mode. The listing shows in-app purchases and was updated on Sep 9, 2026.

Best Quick Battle Royale

8.1/10

Editor’s rating

50-Player Survival Shooter

Free Fire

Best for short battle royale sessions with a squad of up to 4

Developer Garena

Match length 10 minutes

Play Store

• Scorecard: 8.1 of 10. Reach, recency and store recognition all max out, while silence on offline play, controllers and requirements leaves it at the floor for options; Garena’s own requirements page could not be retrieved.

3. PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile ties Free Fire at 8.1 and places third on the tie-break, which goes to the larger review count. Level Infinite lists PUBG MOBILE at 4.3 stars on 48.7 million reviews with 1 billion+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. The listing carries the #4 top grossing action tag and was updated on Sep 18, 2026.

Matches are built around extreme battles in 10-minute matches, and you can survive in epic 100-player battles in Classic Mode, Payload, fast-paced 4v4 Arena battles and Infection Mode. That 100-player lobby is twice the size of Free Fire’s, so PUBG Mobile is the pick when you want the larger-map version of the genre.

Best 100-Player Battle Royale

8.1/10

Editor’s rating

Classic Battle Royale

PUBG Mobile

Best for full-size battle royale matches

Developer Level Infinite

Lobby size 100 players in Classic Mode

Play Store

• Scorecard: 8.1 of 10, level with Free Fire: the same download tier, the same badge-plus-chart recognition and the same blank where offline and controller details should be.

4. Sniper 3D

Sniper 3D is the pick for playing without a connection, with a dedicated offline mode. Wildlife Studios lists it at 4.6 stars on 18.4 million reviews with 500 million+ downloads. Its offline mode lets you complete various challenging missions without the need for Wi-Fi or data.

There are 180+ authentic weapons in the game, and PVE and PVP modes let you complete missions or play against other assassins in real time. The listing was updated on Sep 29, 2026. That is the newest update date among the twelve picks.

Best Offline Shooter

7.8/10

Editor’s rating

Sniper Mission Shooter

Sniper 3D

Best for shooting on a commute or a flight

Developer Wildlife Studios

Offline Offline mode, no Wi-Fi or data needed

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.8 of 10. A top rating and the clearest offline statement in the field offset weak recognition, with neither an Editors’ Choice badge nor a chart tag.

5. Call of Duty: Mobile

Call of Duty: Mobile ties Free Fire, PUBG Mobile and Brawl Stars for the most store recognition, with both Editors’ Choice and a grossing chart tag. Activision Publishing, Inc. lists it at 4.3 stars on 16.6 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. The listing calls it the definitive online multiplayer FPS shooter and battle royale game on mobile, in one free-to-play experience.

Its battle royale mode lets you squad up, pilot vehicles and use tactical gadgets in 100-player survival matches. Activision says Call of Duty: Mobile is compatible with Android devices with at least 2 GB of RAM and running Android 6.0 and up. An internet connection is required to play this game, and the listing was updated on Aug 31, 2026.

Worth noting: Activision says Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile was removed from Google Play and Apple’s App Store in May of 2025, and that its servers would go offline on April 17, 2026. Activision points mobile fans to the free-to-play Call of Duty: Mobile instead, so an old Warzone Mobile link now leads nowhere.

Best Multiplayer FPS

7.7/10

Editor’s rating

Multiplayer FPS and Battle Royale

Call of Duty: Mobile

Best for classic Call of Duty multiplayer maps on a phone

Developer Activision

Minimum Android Android 6.0, 2 GB RAM

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.7 of 10. Recognition is perfect and Activision’s FAQ publishes a hardware floor, but the always-online requirement and a middling rating hold it back.

Check which release your phone runs against the Android version names list before you download it.

Is Call of Duty: Mobile the No. 1 game on Android?

On revenue, within the US Google Play action category, it is. Google Play tags Call of Duty®: Mobile #1 top grossing action, a revenue chart within the action category. On downloads it sits two tiers below Free Fire and PUBG Mobile, so “No. 1” depends on whether you count revenue or installs.

6. Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is the pick for the shortest stated match length in the ranking. Supercell lists it at 4.2 stars on 26.1 million reviews with 500 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. It describes fast paced 3v3 and 5v5 MOBA and Battle Royale made for mobile, with PvP arena game modes in under three minutes.

Brawl Stars is free to download and play, and its listing shows in-app purchases. The listing carries the #9 top grossing action tag and was updated on Sep 4, 2026. If even three-minute rounds feel like too much attention, the idle clicker games on Android run with almost none.

Best for Quick Matches

7.6/10

Editor’s rating

Top-Down Arena Shooter

Brawl Stars

Best for short sessions with friends

Developer Supercell

Match length Under three minutes

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.6 of 10. Upkeep and recognition earn full marks. A listing that documents almost no play options costs it the most, more than the 4.2 rating, tied with Pixel Gun 3D for the lowest among the twelve.

7. Modern Combat 5

Modern Combat 5 is the pick for a polished online FPS when your connection holds. Gameloft SE lists Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS at 4.6 stars on 4.28 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. Modern Combat 5 requires an Internet connection.

The listing shows ads and in-app purchases, carries a Mature 17+ rating and was updated on Sep 7, 2026.

Highest-Rated Online FPS

7.5/10

Editor’s rating

Online First-Person Shooter

Modern Combat 5

Best for a 4.6-star FPS on a steady connection

Developer Gameloft

Online Internet connection required

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.5 of 10. Rating and upkeep both max out, but the listing names no offline mode, controller support or minimum Android version.

8. Pixel Gun 3D

Pixel Gun 3D is the pick for mixing online PvP with offline play in one app. Pixel Gun 3D lists Pixel Gun 3D – FPS Shooter at 4.2 stars on 5.79 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. The listing promises 11 online multiplayer PvP modes and PvE offline with no Wi-Fi.

It shows ads and in-app purchases, is rated Teen and was updated on Sep 24, 2026. That offline PvE mode is why it shows up again in the offline answer below.

Best Online and Offline Mix

7.3/10

Editor’s rating

FPS With PvP and Offline PvE

Pixel Gun 3D

Best for switching between online PvP and offline PvE

Developer Pixel Gun 3D

Offline PvE offline, no Wi-Fi

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.3 of 10. The offline PvE mode earns options points, while the rating holds it back.

9. Dead Trigger 2

Dead Trigger 2 is the zombie pick for a long campaign map to work through. Deca_Games lists Dead Trigger 2 FPS Zombie Game at 4.5 stars on 3.24 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. You unlock 10 regions and plan a strategy for 33 different battlefields.

The listing shows ads and in-app purchases, carries a Mature 17+ rating and was updated on Sep 7, 2026. If you would rather play it on a bigger screen, the Android emulators for PC gaming map controls to a keyboard and mouse.

Best Zombie FPS

7.3/10

Editor’s rating

Zombie First-Person Shooter

Dead Trigger 2

Best for a long zombie campaign

Developer Deca Games

Campaign 33 battlefields across 10 regions

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.3 of 10. Rating, badge and upkeep carry it, while the listing states no offline mode, controller support or minimum Android version.

10. Into the Dead 2

Into the Dead 2 is the offline zombie pick, and its listing states it plainly. PIKPOK lists it at 4.5 stars on 719,000 reviews with 10 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. You can play offline and take the game anywhere, with no internet connection required.

It is the sequel to the hit zombie action game Into the Dead (70+ million downloads), set in the zombie apocalypse in a race to save your family. Into the Dead 2 is free to play but offers some game items for purchase, and the listing was updated on Sep 18, 2026. The zombie setting borders the wider survival game genre, where scavenging and crafting take over from aiming.

Best Offline Zombie Shooter

7.3/10

Editor’s rating

Zombie Survival Shooter

Into the Dead 2

Best for single-player zombie runs without data

Developer PIKPOK

Offline Play offline, no internet connection required

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.3 of 10, a strong rating and a plainly stated offline mode weighed against a much smaller download tier.

11. Rainbow Six Mobile

Rainbow Six Mobile is the tactical pick for controller players, and the only pick whose developer documents both controller support and a minimum Android version. Ubisoft Nova lists it at 4.5 stars on 132,000 reviews with 10 million+ downloads. You play intense 5v5 multiplayer FPS matches inspired by Rainbow Six Siege’s Attack vs. Defense gameplay.

The game supports responsive touch controls and controller compatibility, and it requires an online connection over 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi. Ubisoft’s help center lists 4GB RAM and Android 9+ as the minimum, with the Galaxy A05, Oppo A15, Galaxy S8 and Redmi Note 13 as example devices. The listing was updated on Sep 15, 2026.

Age limit: Rainbow Six Mobile’s age rating is now 18+ in most territories. Check the account’s parental control settings before installing it on a teenager’s phone.

Best for Controller Players

7.0/10

Editor’s rating

Tactical 5v5 Shooter

Rainbow Six Mobile

Best for tactical Attack vs. Defense rounds with a controller

Developer Ubisoft Nova

Minimum Android Android 9+, 4GB RAM

Play Store

• Scorecard: 7.0 of 10. Gamepad support and a published hardware floor lift it, yet thin store recognition and a modest install base hold it near the foot of the table.

A phone below that hardware floor is not the only route in, since Android builds for PC are another way to run Android apps on a desktop.

12. Standoff 2

Standoff 2 closes the ranking as the competitive pick for players with a high-refresh phone. AXLEBOLT LTD lists it at 4.3 stars on 12.1 million reviews with 100 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. It describes a free-to-play first-person action shooter with over 300 million installs worldwide.

You choose from 5v5 fights, Allies 2v2 confrontations or deadly 1v1 duels, and the shooter supports 120 FPS on your mobile device. The listing was updated on Sep 25, 2026.

Best for Competitive 5v5

6.9/10

Editor’s rating

Tactical First-Person Shooter

Standoff 2

Best for ranked 5v5 matches on a high-refresh phone

Developer AXLEBOLT

Frame rate Supports 120 FPS

Play Store

• Scorecard: 6.9 of 10, enough for the last ranked spot, held back by a listing that names no offline mode, gamepad support or minimum OS version.

On an older tablet, try these Android performance tweaks before you raise the frame rate.

Verdict by Use Case

All twelve picks land between 8.5 and 6.9, so the right game depends more on how and where you play than on rank. Offline access, controller support and match length split the field more sharply than the totals do.

• If you want one game to keep: Soul Knight, whose 4.6 rating comes with LAN co-op and gamepad play.
• If your sessions are short but you still want a royale: Free Fire and its 10-minute rounds for squads of up to 4.
• If you want the full-size map: PUBG Mobile and its 100-player Classic Mode.
• If you often lose signal: Sniper 3D, Into the Dead 2 or Pixel Gun 3D’s offline PvE, three of the four ranked picks that state offline play; Soul Knight’s offline mode is LAN multiplayer.
• If you want a mainstream multiplayer FPS: Call of Duty: Mobile, provided your connection holds, or Modern Combat 5 for a 4.6 rating.
• If you own a gamepad: Rainbow Six Mobile or Soul Knight, the two ranked picks that state controller support.
• If three minutes is all you have: Brawl Stars.
• If you play ranked on a fast screen: Standoff 2, which runs at 120 FPS.
• If you want zombies: Dead Trigger 2 for its 33 battlefields, Into the Dead 2 when you are offline.

What is the most realistic shooter game on mobile?

No store listing measures realism, so treat the claim as the developer’s own. Arena Breakout’s listing title reads Realistic FPS and calls the game an Immersive Tactical FPS that pushes the limits of warfare simulation. It missed the ranked twelve at 6.0, but no other listing quoted here claims as much realism.

How We Ranked

Five criteria, weighted to 100%, were scored from each game’s US Google Play listing as fetched on October 1, 2026, plus the developer’s own support pages where they publish requirements. Player base carries the most weight at 30%, because an online shooter lives or dies on matchmaking.

Evidence per criterion. Player base came from the download tier on each listing and player rating from its star average. Upkeep came from the listing’s last-update date, and recognition from its Editors’ Choice badge and any chart tag.

Documented play options came from the listing text and the developer’s own support pages: stated offline play, stated controller support and a published minimum Android version. The scale for each criterion is below.

Source: TechLila evaluation criteria, October 2026

Candidate pool. Nineteen live Google Play listings were checked: the twelve ranked, the five also considered below, Farlight 84 and Free Fire MAX, a second edition of Free Fire that was set aside. Warzone Mobile was checked against Activision’s own notice. Inclusion required a live listing with an update inside the past year.

Source: TechLila weighted scoring, October 2026

Why each scored where it did. Soul Knight wins on rating and documented options rather than reach. Free Fire and PUBG Mobile carry the field on player base and recognition but lose most of their play-options points, because neither listing states offline play, controller support or a minimum Android version.

Exclusions. Two games were evaluated and left out:

• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Activision removed it from Google Play in May of 2025 and set April 17, 2026 as the date its servers would go offline.
• Farlight 84: its listing shows a 3.4 star rating on 537,000 reviews and a last update on Apr 8, 2026, the lowest rating among the 18 game listings captured. On the same scoring method it totals 3.9, the lowest of the 18 games scored, so it is not ranked.

Also considered. Five more shooters scored below the twelfth pick:

• Critical Ops: Critical Force says it is and always will be a free-to-play game, with purely cosmetic purchases. It scores 6.5, with no Editors’ Choice badge, no chart tag and no stated offline or controller option.
• Blood Strike: NetEase Games lists a battle royale game at 4.3 stars with 100 million+ downloads. It scores 6.3, with no Editors’ Choice badge or chart tag.
• Shadowgun Legends: Deca_Games lists it at 4.4 stars on 370,000 reviews with 10 million+ downloads. Gamepad support adds points, but missing badge and chart tags cap it at 6.3.
• Arena Breakout: Level Infinite lists it at 4.3 stars on 974,000 reviews with 50 million+ downloads and an Editors’ Choice badge. It scores 6.0: a mid-tier player base, no chart tag and no documented play options, plus an update on Jul 5, 2026, more than 60 days before review day.
• Delta Force: Level Infinite lists it at 4.3 stars on 310,000 reviews with 10 million+ downloads. It scores 5.5, with no Editors’ Choice badge, no chart tag and no stated offline or controller option.

Rounding and ties. Weighted totals are rounded half up to one decimal place. Free Fire and PUBG Mobile tie at 8.1, and the tie goes to the larger review count. Pixel Gun 3D, Dead Trigger 2 and Into the Dead 2 tie at 7.3 and are ordered the same way, as are Blood Strike and Shadowgun Legends at 6.3. Where a listing or developer page did not state an option, it scored no points for that option, and the item’s scorecard says so.

What is the most popular shooting game on Android?

Free Fire and PUBG Mobile share the biggest download tier in this ranking. Free Fire lists 1 billion+ downloads and 130 million reviews, and PUBG MOBILE lists 1 billion+ downloads and 48.7 million reviews.

The store shows download tiers rather than live player counts, so it cannot say which is the most played right now. Of the two, Free Fire carries the larger review count, the closer proxy for an active crowd.

Which shooting games for Android work offline?

Sniper 3D, Into the Dead 2, Soul Knight and Pixel Gun 3D are the four of the 18 listings captured that state offline play. The rest either require a connection or say nothing about offline play.

Sniper 3D offers an offline mode with no Wi-Fi or data needed, and Into the Dead 2 says no internet connection is required. Soul Knight supports an offline multiplayer LAN game, and Pixel Gun 3D offers PvE offline with no Wi-Fi.

The online-only shooters do not. Call of Duty®: Mobile requires an internet connection, and so do Rainbow Six Mobile and Modern Combat 5: Rainbow Six Mobile requires an online connection and Modern Combat 5 requires an Internet connection. Games from other genres that also run without a signal fill the offline Android games list.

Which of the best shooting games for Android are free?

Several developers spell out free-to-play terms on their Google Play listings. Call of Duty®: Mobile calls itself one free-to-play experience, and Standoff 2 describes itself as a free-to-play first-person action shooter. Critical Ops says it is and always will be a free-to-play game, with purely cosmetic purchases.

Brawl Stars is free to download and play, and Into the Dead 2 is free to play but offers some game items for purchase. Free here means free to start: every listing in this ranking shows in-app purchases.

Conclusion

Free Fire and PUBG MOBILE each list 1 billion+ downloads on Google Play, and Soul Knight holds a 4.6 rating with offline LAN play. That split decides most choices: pick a battle royale giant for crowded matchmaking, or a smaller, higher-rated game when you want to play on a flight or with a controller.

Check the listing before you commit, because Warzone Mobile shows how quickly a big shooter can leave the store. Update dates and ratings move every month, so the order here is most likely to shift among the 7-point games in the middle of the table. Where the genre heads next is covered in our look at the future of mobile gaming, and the must-have Android apps list covers the rest of your phone.