After a lengthy tour in support of Appeal to Reason, Rise Against began recording Endgame in September 2010, with producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore.

Critical appraisal was mainly positive, with reviewers complimenting the music, and Rise Against's ability to integrate its hardcore punk roots with a mainstream rock sound.

[5] Bassist Joe Principe noted that although the band members booked the Blasting Room six months in advance, they left for the studio later than expected.

Once they arrived, the band members wrote and finalized song ideas Principe and lead vocalist Tim McIlrath had written while on tour.

[1] Endgame is a melodic hardcore album, with songs that feature aggressive movements, catchy hooks, and rapid drumming.

[6][7][8][9] Consequence of Sound's Alex Young described the music as "the missing link between Propaghandi-esque brutality and the easily consumed energy of something along NOFX lines".

Gregory Heaney of AllMusic wrote the change in sound was more of a logical progression as opposed to selling out, a sentiment which was shared by Kiel Hauck of PopMatters.

'"[1] Andrew David King of PopMatters expanded upon these statements, commenting how the album's lyrics tell of a frustrated generation, from creation to demise.

He wrote how the lyrics "personify the anger beneath modern malaise, and document what happens when the inability to discern right from wrong collides with the desire to do so."

[13] The song features the lines "Don't you remember when you were young / and you wanted to set the world on fire / somewhere deep down I know you do", which are similar to lyrics found the Against Me!

[11][14] The second song, "Help Is on the Way", is about the slow response time for providing disaster relief, with lyrics that allude to Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

[9] Critics wrote how "Make It Stop (September's Children)" best exemplified Rise Against's musical shift toward a more mainstream sound.

[1] McIlrath took inspiration from the Dixie Chicks song "Not Ready to Make Nice", which in turn was based on the events after lead vocalist Natalie Maines said that the band was ashamed that then-United States President George W. Bush was from Texas.

[2] John Fortunato of The Aquarian Weekly offered his interpretation of the lyrics, calling the song "a radical, working class, pilgrimage saluting hard-won freedom".

In the song, Judgement Day came, and the remaining survivors wonder progress has been made toward restoring peace and order, or if humanity is doomed to extinction.

[33] The video for "Help Is on the Way" plays on the natural disaster themes found in the lyrics, as it depicts an African-American family attempting to escape increasing floodwater levels that engulf their neighborhood.

[35] The video for "Satellite" features behind the scenes footage of production crews setting up the stage, soundchecks, and shots of fans at Rise Against concerts.

[37] Tim Newbound of Rock Sound wrote "'Endgame is bona fide awesomeness",[6] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said "Rise Against deliver another blast of driving, politically charged, melodic hardcore".

[7] Writing for AbsolutePunk, Thomas Nassiff liked how nearly every song was had a catchy and memorable chorus rooted in punk, but said how the formula ultimately became repetitive.

[9] Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic criticized the indistinguishable sound of the album, which believed was due to guitarist Zach Blair's use of recycled guitar licks and riffs.

[8] Scott Heisel of Alternative Press praised the lyrics, and wrote: "that's really why Rise Against are so important to rock on a large spectrum these days, and why it's a relief that they made an album as strong as their ethics and beliefs this time around.