The List: The Best Extraction Shooters to Play in 2026

Extraction shooters are a type of shooter that put player tension at an all-time high. You go in with valuable items, complete your objective, and extract with the hope of progressing one way or another. Die, and you lose everything you brought into the match. This concept started with Escape from Tarkov, and its influence has spawned a variety of new games with their own twist.

Whether you’re looking for a PvP-focused extraction shooter or something more casual-friendly, here are the best extraction shooters available in 2026.

What Are Extraction Shooter Games?

Extraction shooter games are multiplayer shooters where players enter a map with gear, complete objectives, collect valuable loot, and attempt to extract safely.

The whole concept revolves around big highs and lows. Successfully extracting from a raid or winning a fight in PvP can feel exhilarating, but the opposite is just as true when things go wrong.

The risk is what makes the genre so intense. Dying in a match can set you back significantly, especially after multiple deaths where you lose everything you brought with you. Some games soften the blow with secured inventory slots that protect certain items, ensuring not everything is lost.

Surviving and extracting successfully allows you to keep your loot and continue progressing.

Popular examples of extraction shooter games include Escape from Tarkov, Marathon, and ARC Raiders, each offering their own take on the formula.

Escape from Tarkov

I’m going to get this one out of the way first, as Escape from Tarkov is the obvious choice for this list. It’s the game that birthed the subgenre and still remains at the top after its official release last year. Even today, thousands of players are still logging in daily.

It remains the most intimidating and punishing version of the formula thanks to its complex inventory system, realistic gameplay systems, and slow but tactical pacing.

You will die a lot in this game, and despite years in development, it still doesn’t hold your hand much when it comes to learning what you’re supposed to do.

It’s no joke that players spend hours just trying to find decent success with the game, as it continues to have a steep learning curve for newcomers to the subgenre.

Not for the faint of heart, but easily the most challenging extraction shooter you’ll come across in 2026.

Arc Raiders

On the other side, we have ARC Raiders, which released in 2025. Compared to Escape from Tarkov, it did the impossible: it attracted a good chunk of the casual crowd.

It’s a third-person extraction shooter that’s still punishing in its own right, as players face robot enemies called the ARC, and they’re deadly for a variety of reasons. On top of that, you’ll have other players trying to kill you for your loot.

But the big surprise is that after weeks of release, the community seems split in half. One side is eager to get into fights with other players, while the other is willing to team up, gather resources together, help a fallen Raider, or take down the larger ARC enemies roaming the map.

In ARC Raiders, you never know what kind of players you’ll encounter. You might meet someone who shoots you in the back, or someone who asks to team up and extract together. It’s a weird but fun mix.

It’s a strange but fun dynamic.

An anomaly in the shooter space as they do matchmaking different in this game. Aggressive players tend to be grouped with more PvP-oriented players, while those who focus on fighting AI are more likely to encounter friendlier players.

It’s not an exact science as its unpredictability makes it difficult and fun at the same time, but it still ends up being one of the most welcoming titles in the subgenre.

Marathon

Marathon just came out, and based on my time with the game in its first week, it feels like it leans closer to a Escape from Tarkov experience thanks to its difficulty.

Fights are brutal and chaotic, and despite having a class system, positioning feels more important than fluid movement.

When playing solo, it almost feels like a horror game. Everyone keeps a low profile and shoots on sight, and you never know what’s around the corner. This is especially true with classes that can go invisible or ping your location and track you down.

The gameplay feels like Halo and Destiny meshed together. The gunplay is easily the game’s biggest highlight, and once it hooks you, the gameplay loop becomes hard to put down. This game can raise your heart rate the same way Tarkov does, and I already see a lot of potential in it early on.

It also has a unique art direction that you’ll either love or hate, along with story mysteries being teased in a way only Bungie can deliver as the game ramps up toward the eventual release of its fourth map.

It’s the closest thing to a AAA extraction shooter right now, with Bungie spending years developing it and Sony backing the project since they now own the studio.

It’s getting a lot of flak at the moment, as some players are hoping the game fails on the level of Concordor Highguard. I just don’t see that happening, but if it does, those spending time spreading hate will have helped bury a game that had something special going, and proving that a trend has evolved that could potentially hurt the video game industry’s creative side.

Arena Breakout Infinite

If you want a modern extraction shooter that isn’t as complicated as Tarkov, Arena Breakout: Infinite is a good alternative.

It’s probably the closest Tarkov-style experience available today and is a competent shooter in its own right. Itemization and management are easier to understand than in Tarkov, while still maintaining the slow, methodical gameplay that fans of the genre enjoy.

It’s also free-to-play and likely the most accessible extraction shooter available for those looking to experience the formula, giving newcomers a good idea of why Escape from Tarkov’s concept became so popular.

Hunt: Showdown 1896

If you want pure extraction shooter gunplay without heavy itemization or complex looting systems, Hunt: Showdown 1896 might be the game for you.

It’s not a traditional extraction shooter where you’re running around gathering various items to bring home,. It still follows the same concept: go in with your loadout, complete the objective, and try to extract alive. The difference is that everyone in the match is chasing the same objective, which is hunting a monster and extracting with its bounty.

It’s one of my favorite shooters overall, as it’s set in the late 1800s. That means revolvers, rifles, repeaters, shotguns, and other old-school weaponry that makes every shot feel like it should count. Positioning is key here, as are your ears, since the game features some of the best audio design in the shooter genre.

With enough experience, you can tell by sound alone if someone is walking on mud, rooftops, or the second floor of a building. These small details add to the immersion and tension as you move through maps filled with monstrous enemies. If a monster is making noise, chances are a player is nearby. And when a gunfight breaks out, expect your hands to sweat and your heart to start pounding.

Delta Force

Among all the extraction shooters available today, Delta Force is probably the fastest-paced one. It clearly leans toward players who enjoy shooters like Call of Duty or Battlefield.

It’s also far less intimidating than Tarkov or similar games. The systems are easy to understand, making it simple to jump right into a match.

The interface is one of the most user-friendly in the genre. Players can save loadout templates and spend less time managing inventory in menus and more time actually playing.

The game also features a class system like Marathon, where each character has unique abilities that support team play.

It’s free to play as well. However, compared to other games on this list, Delta Force’s extraction mode is just one part of the package, so the developer isn’t laser focused on just this part of the game.

The game features Operations, its extraction shooter mode, and Warfare, a large-scale Battlefield-style mode focused on all-out combat.

Gray Zone Warfare (Early Access)

Gray Zone Warfare is still in early access but is one of the best extraction shooters focused purely on PvE.

There’s no PvP, as it’s more open-world with the tension-filled tactical gameplay against deadly enemy AI that can take you out or overwhelm you if you’re not careful.The game focuses on teamwork and tactical planning, making it ideal for players who want to experience the genre at a slower pace with friends while still maintaining the immersion of operating as a unit.

It’s a great option for players who don’t enjoy the pressure found in PvP extraction shooters.

As of this writing, the developers are working on update 0.4, which will add a significant amount of new content.

Escape from Duckov

This one surprised almost everyone.

Escape from Duckov isn’t a first-person or third-person shooter. Instead, it’s a top-down extraction shooter where you play as a duck.

The game is PvE-only as well and plays like a simplified version of Tarkov with less of the stress, though there’s still plenty of tension when trying to extract safely.

To everyone’s surprise, the game launched with a surprisingly addictive gameplay loop and a good amount of content to back it up. Players can spend over 50 hours completing the game, with features like crafting and base building giving the experience more depth than expected.

---

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.