Ever wondered which games truly capture the thrill of being a master marksman? The best sniper games are all about finding that perfect perch, lining up an impossible shot, and eliminating targets from a distance with a powerful rifle. From the intricate challenge of accounting for bullet drop to the pure satisfaction of disrupting enemy ranks by picking them off one by one, these games deliver unforgettable sniping moments.
While dedicated sniper-only titles are rare, many fantastic first-person shooters offer deep and satisfying sniping mechanics that will appeal to anyone with an itchy trigger finger. Our curated list includes everything from hardcore military simulations to more forgiving experiences where precision is key, but the stakes might be a little lower.
Battlefield 6
While Battlefield 6 is known for its chaotic, large-scale warfare featuring fighter jets and explosive breaches, it also provides an incredible playground for skilled snipers. Amidst the intense battles, a cunning marksman can become an unstoppable force.
The key to success in Battlefield 6 as a sniper lies in mastering position and shot placement. You’ll need to compensate for bullet drop, meticulously customize your rifle, and skillfully dominate the battlefield from a distance.
Dagger Directive
Dagger Directive revives the classic military simulation experience for modern players, offering a 15-mission campaign across expansive open environments. With over 20 weapons and tactical gear like drones and mines, you can craft the ideal loadout for any objective.
This game prioritizes realism, demanding careful consideration before every shot. A single, well-placed bullet can neutralize an enemy instantly, but the same goes for you. For those who value strategic planning and precision over brute aiming skill, Dagger Directive is an absolute must-play.
Sniper Elite Resistance
After nearly two decades, the Sniper Elite series continues to deliver satisfying Nazi elimination. Sniper Elite: Resistance follows Harry Hawker, a Special Operations Executive agent, as he collaborates with the French Resistance to combat the Nazi threat. The game offers a perfect sandbox to hone your sniping skills, with the entire campaign playable in co-op.
For an added challenge, and depending on your chosen difficulty, you can enable invasions where rival players join the AI to hunt you down. This feature is entirely optional, ensuring you can enjoy the campaign without unexpected human interference if you prefer.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
While some Call of Duty titles might seem similar, their sniping experiences can vary greatly. Black Ops 6 aims to recapture the glory days of long-range combat, reminiscent of the early Warzone era where rifles like the HDR and Kar98k dominated. We believe it succeeds in bringing back that high-caliber thrill.
With its best-in-class multiplayer and upcoming Warzone integration, Black Ops 6 promises to be a sniper’s paradise. It’s available with a Game Pass subscription, or you can wait for its weapons to be integrated into Warzone later this year if you prefer a free-to-play option.
Escape From Tarkov
Escape From Tarkov is a complex and intense experience where players enter matches with minimal gear, aiming to secure valuable loot and extract safely. The permadeath mechanic, where you lose everything upon dying, makes ambushes and stealth tactics crucial, elevating sniping to a particularly effective strategy.
While extreme bullet drop isn’t a primary concern over typical engagement distances, Tarkov meticulously simulates armor and bullet calibers. This means a powerful sniper rifle paired with armor-piercing rounds can be devastating. Strategic play is essential to survive and keep your hard-earned equipment intact.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint delivers ample opportunities for sniping action. The game introduces the Sharpshooter class, complete with perks like extended breath holding while aiming and bonuses for using sniper rifles and DMRs. This class is perfectly designed for long-range engagements.
The game features highly accurate and satisfying sniper rifles such as the TAC50, HTI, and Scorpio, which can be acquired through loot drops, crates, and blueprints across the fictional island of Auroa. Breakpoint also includes tiered loot, adding extra perks like improved accuracy or mobility to your weapons. The gunsmith system allows you to upgrade your favorite sniper rifles using scavenged parts. If you’re planning to tackle this open-world game solo, a sniper rifle is a highly recommended choice.
Arma 3
Becoming a sniper in Arma 3 is a demanding challenge. This war simulator prides itself on meticulous realism, requiring you to use a rangefinder, zero your scope, and carefully control your breathing before every long-distance shot. Extreme caution is paramount; revealing your position behind enemy lines will quickly lead to your demise.
The realism in Arma 3 is so profound that many snipers work in conjunction with a spotter who handles calculations and identifies new targets, making sniping a cooperative endeavor. With numerous updates and expansions, Arma 3 continues to offer a deeply engaging military simulation experience.
PUBG Battlegrounds
PUBG Battlegrounds, now one of the best free PC games, boasts a vast array of weapons, items, and vehicles. Among these, its sniper rifles stand out as ultimate tools of destruction. Their impressive range and power make them ideal for picking off players from a distant grassy knoll or rooftop, allowing for instant downs with a headshot from over a kilometer away.
However, landing such a shot is far from easy. You’ll need to account for muzzle velocity, bullet drop, and travel time, which makes PUBG one of the most realistic sniper games available on PC. Its impact on the gaming world since its 2018 launch is undeniable.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
The Sniper: Ghost Warrior series, while having its flaws, shines brightest through its finely tuned sniping mechanics. On the highest difficulty, players must meticulously consider their rifle type, ammo, wind velocity, and many other factors. Despite some repetitive missions and less-than-stellar content, the sheer satisfaction of executing a perfect, mile-long shot is almost unmatched.
Ghost Warrior 3 notably improved upon its predecessor by fixing the persistent AI issues that would reveal your position even when hidden. It introduces a massive open world brimming with optional missions, explosive opportunities, and countless enemies at every checkpoint, providing ample targets for your precision shooting.
Insurgency: Sandstorm
The original Insurgency delivered a realistic but somewhat clunky modern FPS with decent sniping. Insurgency: Sandstorm completely revamps the experience with updated graphics, animations, sound design, and weapon models, resulting in a multiplayer shooter that feels as authentic as a military simulator, especially concerning its powerful, one-hit-kill snipers. While most maps are too small for significant bullet drop or travel time to be factors, the detailed weapon models and magnification effects when scoped in provide deep immersion for marksmen.
Given Sandstorm’s focus on large-scale multiplayer attacks, playing as a sniper often means strategically cutting off flanking routes and holding key lines of sight. You’ll typically pick a position and maintain it throughout much of a match. Unlike faster-paced shooters, holding a sniper’s nest is not only worthwhile but essential in Insurgency: Sandstorm.
Squad
While there isn’t a dedicated ‘sniper’ role in Squad, the marksman class is designed for players who understand the nuanced difference. Squad’s gameplay revolves entirely around teamwork, leaving no room for lone-wolf snipers. Instead, a marksman’s duty is to support their fire team, countering long-range threats and extending the team’s effective reach during both offense and defense.
Communication and cooperative play are paramount, even for aspiring snipers. Engaging targets beyond 500 meters yields limited success, but a high-magnification scope and superior stopping power ensure the marksman consistently holds the advantage in mid-to-long-range skirmishes – exactly as it should be in a great sniper game.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising offers a variety of loadouts, but when operating in a massive 200 square-kilometer sandbox, a sniper rifle becomes the logical choice. Especially when you can command a squad of AI soldiers to handle room-clearing and close-quarters combat, leaving you free to engage enemies from the safety of a distant, elevated position.
It’s possible to eliminate enemies from over 1,000 meters away, though you’ll need to master considerable bullet drop. Few sensations are as satisfying as dispatching an entire enemy squad without them ever pinpointing your location. After all, isn’t that what sniper games are all about? As a true war simulator, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising also presents plenty of opportunities to take down helicopters with a single, well-aimed shot.
Warzone
For skilled snipers, Warzone’s expansive maps offer the perfect stage to pick off opponents. With up to 150 players descending onto the island, those equipped with the best sniper rifles have ample opportunities for easy kills and intense long-range duels.
Featuring a diverse arsenal of powerful weapons that can be customized to your preference, you can eliminate players from hundreds of meters away, provided your aim is true. Few multiplayer titles provide the same thrilling sniper-on-sniper engagements quite like Warzone.
This concludes our roundup of the best sniper games on PC. If these titles haven’t quenched your thirst for precision, consider exploring the world of stealth games for more tactical approaches to combat. Many of these excellent games have also earned a spot on our broader list of the best PC games, so be sure to check those out as well.