It’s almost Christmas, folks. We are closing out 2025, and if you’re an Android gamer, your thumbs are probably tired, your battery is crying for help, and your storage is definitely full.
This year was defined by one thing: The “Console-ification” of Mobile. We didn’t just get mobile spin-offs; we got full-blown AAA shooters that (somehow) run on our phones. But let’s be honest – between regional betas and “incompatible device” errors, half the fun was just figuring out how to install the APKs.
Based on global download charts and community hype, here are the Top 5 RPG Shooters that dominated 2025.
1. The Heavyweight Champion: Destiny: Rising
- Released: August 28, 2025
- Vibe: “Eyes up, Guardian… on the bus.”
This was the big one. NetEase and Bungie finally dropped Destiny: Rising in late August, and it actually lived up to the hype. Set in an alternate post-Dark Age timeline, it introduced hero characters with unique backstories rather than just blank-slate Guardians.
Why it’s on this list: It successfully translated the “Looter Shooter” loop to touchscreens. Whether you played in first-person or the new third-person mode, the grinding for Exotic weapons felt just as addictive as on console.
The APK Factor: If you live in Belgium, the Netherlands, or parts of East Asia, you had to sideload this. The game was officially excluded from these regions at launch due to loot box regulations and publishing rights. For millions of players, the APK was the only ticket to the Red Sea Rift.
2. The Survival Hit: Once Human (Mobile)
- Released: April 23, 2025
- Vibe: “SCP Foundation meets The Sims, but with guns.”
After blowing up on PC in 2024, the mobile port arrived this past April and immediately crashed servers. Once Human isn’t just a shooter; it’s a “New Weird” open-world survival RPG where you fight interdimensional monsters (Deviants) and build territory.
Why it’s on this list: The cross-progression was a game-changer. You could farm resources on your phone during your lunch break and use them to build your fortress on PC that evening. It also introduced three new story scenarios exclusive to the 2025 launch: “Code: Purification,” “Code: Deviation,” and “Code: Broken”.
3. The Tactical King: Delta Force
- Released: April 21, 2025
- Vibe: “Battlefield, but free and in your pocket.”
Okay, technically this is a “Tactical Shooter,” but with its operator progression and extraction modes, it scratches that RPG itch. Delta Force (formerly Hawk Ops) launched globally in April and quickly replaced Call of Duty: Mobile for players who wanted larger-scale warfare.
The APK Factor: While the global launch was smooth, the “Havoc Warfare” mode updates in late 2025 were massive. Many users with older phones (looking at you, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 users) had to resort to modified “Lite” APKs or specific texture packs to keep the framerate stable without turning their phone into a hand-warmer.
4. The “Beta” Everyone is Playing: Warframe Mobile (Android)
- Status: Closed Beta (Started Nov 28, 2025)
- Vibe: “Ninjas play free… eventually.”
iOS users got this ages ago, but Android users finally got invited to the party last month. The Warframe Android Closed Beta kicked off on November 28, just in time for the “The Old Peace” update.
Why it’s on this list: Despite being in “Closed Beta,” the APK for this has been shared more times than Christmas cookie recipes. It supports cross-save right out of the gate, meaning your 10-year-old PC account works on your Android. If you see someone bullet-jumping through a level on a Galaxy S25, they are likely running the beta APK right now.
5. The “Forbidden Fruit”: The Division Resurgence
- Status: Regional Soft Launches / Closed Tests
- Vibe: “Saving New York, one disconnect at a time.”
Ubisoft has been teasing us with this for years. While a full global release is pushed toward 2026, 2025 was full of “Regional Betas” (like the one in Romania in September) and “Developer Updates”.
The APK Factor: Because it was only officially available in select countries for testing, The Division Resurgence became the “VPN Special” of 2025. Hardcore fans sideloaded the regional APKs to get an early taste of the Dark Zone on mobile. It’s buggy, it’s incomplete, but the graphics are undeniable.
Honorable Mention: Valorant Mobile. We are still waiting for a proper global date, but the “China Version” APK has been keeping competitive players busy all year.
So, there you have it – the shooters that drained our batteries in 2025. Whether you downloaded them from the Play Store or had to hunt down an XAPK file to bypass a region lock, these games proved that mobile gaming is finally catching up to the big leagues.
