It's a no-holds-barred deathmatch with three bloodthirsty contenders trapped in the ring. We played the hottest upcoming multiplayer shooters to see who's got the will to survive the carnage.

By CGW Action Editor, Robert Coffey
design by Ethan O'Brien

Quake games, the undisputed master of the first-person shooter and the deathmatch, has always stood hip-deep in the gory offal of its competitors. Repeatedly setting the standard for brutally enthralling action, the demented geniuses of id Software have spawned a rabid community of gamers who revel in the virtual fragging of both friends and strangers across LANs and the Internet. But in the wake of new stars like Valve's Half-Life and id's own surprising decision to focus gameplay strictly on the multiplayer side of the equation, Quake III: Arena (Q3A) is the first id release to beg the question, "Will it be worth it?"

Quake III	Team Fortress 2	Unreal Tournament

The short answer? You bet your ass.