PC Gamer Brackets the Greatest FPS Modes in Single-Elimination Tournament

PC Gamer has kicked off a single-elimination tournament to crown the greatest FPS mode of all time, with readers voting to decide each matchup. The bracket features 16 established, enduringly popular formats that have appeared across multiple games, from Team Deathmatch to King of the Hill.

The tournament is part of FOV 90, a regular column by staff writer Morgan Park covering topics relevant to first-person shooter players. "FPS is my favorite genre because it's a canvas that accommodates endless modes of fun," Park writes. "Formats that can happily coexist under the same banner to serve the current mood or group. But if you had to choose just one, which would be the greatest FPS mode of all time?"

Round 1 matchups pair modes across eight contests. Team Deathmatch faces off against FFA/Deathmatch, asking whether players prefer fighting alone or with a team. Battle Royale takes on Extraction modes, while Conquest and Domination compete in a clash of large-scale versus small-scale point capture. Bomb Defusal meets Hostage rescue, Gun Game squares up against Payload, and Infection challenges Prop Hunt. The final Round 1 pairing pits VIP against Capture The Flag, and Attack & Defend against King of the Hill.

The tournament is not exhaustive, focusing instead on modes that have appeared in many games rather than including every variant or specialized format. Well-known aliases for modes appear in the voting materials, such as "Slayer" for Halo's free-for-all and "Warfare" for Hell Let Loose's conquest-style play.

Round 1 voting closes on Saturday, October 3 at 11:59 PM PDT. PC Gamer will share results and begin Round 2 the following week.