Siege Is Unplayable—Here’s What You Should Be Playing Instead

We all know what the biggest issue in Siege is right now: cheaters.

They’re running rampant in Ubisoft’s flagship FPS, and the player base is fed up—many calling this the worst season for cheaters ever.

Ubisoft has rolled out multiple updates in an attempt to address it, including a recent patch that was supposed to be our saving grace. But let’s be honest—it didn’t work.
So now we’re left asking: what do we do next?

I’m not throwing the B-word around lightly, and maybe it’s still too early for a full-on boycott. But stepping away from the game, even temporarily, might be the healthiest move—for our sanity and for sending a message.

So let’s talk about it. What are our options?

Nothing

 Let’s start with the obvious—but wildly impractical—option: play nothing.
Yes, we could all “touch grass,” meet new IRL friends, and let our PCs gather a tasteful layer of dust while we heroically “move on” from gaming.

And sure, that one guy in every comment section will tell you it’s the “healthiest choice.” But let’s be real—if you’re reading this, you didn’t come here for life advice from a part-time philosopher, you came here for something to play that isn’t a cheater-infested mess.

So no, “nothing” doesn’t make the cut. I’m here to talk realistic alternatives—not fantasy scenarios where we all suddenly discover hiking.

Valorant

Another fairly obvious option, but still worth mentioning: Valorant.

It’s most famous for its anti-cheat, so if your main concern is avoiding cheaters, it might seem like the safest bet. But is it a good substitute for Siege players?

Honestly? I’d argue no.

Let’s start with the aesthetic—Valorant is about as far removed from Siege’s grounded, realistic style as you can get. Sure, visuals aren't everything… but they matter. And even if you could look past the vibrant, cartoonish art style, gameplay tells its own story.

On paper, there are some similarities: 5v5, plant-the-bomb mode, no respawns, and a roster of “operators” (called agents) with unique abilities. Sounds close, right?

Wrong.

The core of any tactical shooter with unique characters—whether you call them agents, operators, legends, heroes, or plankton—is how their abilities affect the game. And in Valorant, especially at higher ranks, one word defines the experience: chaos.

Even top streamers and pro players have said it—there’s just too much going on. Flashbangs, smokes, teleporters, walls, drones, lasers—it can be overwhelming.

Some players might love that chaos. They were born in it. Molded by it.
(Okay, I’ll stop.)

But for the average Siege player? Probably not. We lose our minds hitting an Ela mine and a Lesion trap at the same time. Now imagine that, plus a hammer strike from space, someone phasing through smoke with an RPG, and your eardrums being violated by three different voice lines and ult sounds at once.

Yes, it’s a tactical 5v5 with no respawns and bomb objectives. But those are surface-level similarities. Dig deeper, and Valorant just doesn’t hit the same.

Verdict: 3/10 in terms of Siege similarity. We have better options.

Counter Strike 2

Now here we’ve got something a bit more familiar—realistic visuals, tighter gameplay, and much less chaos than its flashy, ability-spamming cousin we just talked about.
But how’s CS doing when it comes to cheaters?

Better than Siege, right?
Right?
RIGHT?!

Unfortunately… not really.

You could argue that Valve is handling cheating just as poorly—if not worse—than Ubisoft.
Yes, Counter-Strike is more digestible than Valorant on a tactical level, and it offers that stripped-down, raw shooter feel that some players crave. But let’s be real: we’re trying to avoid cheaters, not trade one plague for another.

And for that reason, I’m not even going to bother giving this one a score.

CS ain’t it, sadly.

Apex Legends

Yeah, this might seem like an odd pick—but hear me out. Nobody’s had the guts to make a “Valorant” to Siege’s “CS,” so we’re looking at a different lane entirely here.

I’m not going to pretend Apex is cheater-free. Cheaters definitely exist. But here’s the key difference: cheating in Apex just isn’t as punishing as it is in Siege.

In Siege, getting wallbanged through two floors by someone with perfect info is enough to make you uninstall. There’s no running, no respawning—just frustration.
Apex doesn’t have destructible environments, and the time-to-kill isn’t instant. Yes, cheaters suck in any game, but in Apex, they’re far less oppressive. And if you're just switching over, your rank will probably be low enough that you won't see many (if any) cheaters for a while.

But let’s talk about the actual game. Because cheating aside… is Apex even comparable to Siege?

Not really.

It’s 3v3 instead of 5v5, respawns exist, there’s no bomb to defuse or objective to hold, and the movement system alone makes it feel like it’s on a different planet. Still, I included it for two solid reasons:

1. Operator (legend) abilities impact the game—but not in a chaotic way.
Abilities in Apex can give you an edge, but they won’t win you a gunfight on their own. You still have to land your shots. That balance between mechanical skill and utility is something Siege players should appreciate. It’s not spammy like Valorant or ability-stacked like Overwatch.

2. Teamwork is absolutely essential.
With smaller teams and a relatively fast TTK (especially with headshots or high-damage weapons), Apex punishes solo plays hard. You need solid communication, good positioning, and coordinated pushes—just like Siege. You can’t carry games on your own unless you're cracked out of your mind.

That said, it’s not all sunshine. There can be a lot of downtime. Running around massive maps, looking for a fight, only to get third-partied the second you take one—sound familiar? It’s kind of like being stuck as an attacker in Siege for 180 seconds while your teammates drone the same room four times.

Rating: 5/10
A surprisingly high score, mostly because of its reliance on teamwork and its non-chaotic use of abilities. But let’s be real—the core mechanics are completely different. Movement, aim style, and especially tracking are way more important here. For us Siege players? That’s a big shift.

Still, not the worst pit stop while Ubisoft tries to figure things out.

Overwatch 2

I’m only mentioning this one for a single reason: that one Reddit guy who insists it’s a viable Siege alternative.

Let’s be real—Overwatch 2 has every problem Valorant does, but with even more chaos. It’s now 6v6 instead of 5v5, the game mode is completely different, and honestly… the more I think about it, maybe even that guy wouldn’t have brought it up.

Still, it has respawns, flashy abilities everywhere, and yep—cheaters.

So once again: no score for you.

Marvel Rivals

If I mentioned Overwatch, I might as well bring up Marvel Rivals too.
There’s not much to say here—it’s best described as “Overwatch with superheroes.” If you disagree… fight me.
(JK, don’t. I’m fragile.)

But seriously, let’s talk about it.

Is it fun? Sure.
Are cheaters as frustrating? Not really—mainly because abilities and ultimates already give you wallhacks, aimbot-level targeting, and ridiculous mobility built into the game. There's also something less infuriating about getting melted when you're not even sure if someone’s cheating, because in this game, everyone kind of looks like they are.

Now let's compare it to Siege.

• Siege: 5v5, no respawns, plant-the-bomb.

• Marvel Rivals: 6v6, full respawns, escort-the-thing.

Any overlap? None.

Visuals?

• Siege: grounded realism.

• Rivals: a literal comic book exploded on your monitor.
  

But okay, let’s pretend we’re willing to look past the game mode and team size. Apex did it, right? So what about teamwork and communication?

Well... how important is communication when a single player can press Q, fly into the sky, and delete the entire enemy team with no counterplay?

If the sarcasm didn’t come through loud and clear: yes, this happens all the time.
Abilities in Rivals are so overpowered that one person can flip an entire match. And when people are constantly respawning, the impact of strategy, coordination, and planning becomes basically nonexistent.

You don’t need a mic—you need a main character moment.

Rating: 1/10
There’s almost nothing here that resembles Siege.
No tactics, no structure, no real teamwork. And let’s not forget—it’s not even an FPS.

The Finals

Okay—I’ll admit I’m a little biased on this one. But as someone who’s played Siege for the better part of a decade, I think that bias carries some weight.

Let’s start with the cheaters.
Is The Finals totally clean? Of course not—it’s not Valorant. But due to its smaller player base, it’s just not on cheaters' radar the same way larger titles are. Combine that with no wallbangable terrain and a slower time-to-kill, and even if you do run into a cheater, they’re A) less frustrating and B) actually avoidable in most cases.

Now let’s talk visuals.
Yeah, it looks a little cartoony—but as someone who can’t stand Valorant’s art style, I find The Finals more “retro-futuristic” than "Saturday morning cartoon." It has flair without looking like it belongs in a cereal ad.

From a gameplay standpoint, this is where The Finals starts feeling like a real contender. Like Apex, it's built on movement, coordination, and team play. You can't solo carry matches easily, and winning consistently means making a game plan, communicating, and sticking to your roles.

The big difference? It has actual objectives.
Instead of just running around a shrinking ring like Apex, The Finals forces you to either defend or attack cashout stations—effectively turning them into makeshift bomb sites. And while gadgets and abilities can be impactful, they’re not overwhelming like in Valorant. Utility helps, but skill and teamwork still take center stage.

Sure, like Apex, tracking and movement matter more than in Siege—but in The Finals, those mechanics feel easier to learn and more forgiving for new players transitioning out of Siege. There’s also something about the speed at which you move in the Finals that matches more with the movement in Siege than to Apex.

Rating: 7/10
Yeah, I’m a little biased. But this one earns its score. With defendable objectives, strong reliance on communication, tactical coordination, and meaningful utility—The Finals scratches a similar itch to what Siege used to be. It’s not a perfect replacement, but it’s the first game in a long time that gives me a bit of that old Siege feeling.

Conclusion

Let’s face it—nothing fully replaces Siege. Its blend of tight, round-based tactics, destructible environments, and intense team coordination is still unmatched. But with the current cheater infestation turning every match into a gamble, stepping away—at least temporarily—might be the best move for your sanity.

So, what’s the best alternative right now?

The Finals stands out as the strongest current contender. It’s not Siege—but it does bring back that focus on coordinated objectives, communication, and planning. The need to defend or attack "cashouts" feels like a spiritual cousin to bomb sites, and while the movement and gunplay are different, the emphasis on teamwork brings back a bit of what we’ve all been missing.

Apex Legends deserves an honorable mention too. Despite its battle royale format, it leans heavily on teamwork and smart positioning, and its ability-focused gameplay manages to strike a balance that still rewards pure mechanical skill.

Neither game is a true replacement. But if you're looking for something to fill the gap—something that still values strategy, communication, and gun skill—The Finals is the closest we’ve got right now, with Apex following close behind.

Until Siege returns to form—or something better rises up—we make do with the next best thing.
And for now, The Finals is holding that crown.