At Digital Tech Explorer, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed on the latest shifts in the tech landscape, including the ever-evolving world of gaming. A new report from game industry research firm Newzoo offers fascinating insights, revealing that interest in the battle royale genre is on a downward slope.
By TechTalesLeo for Digital Tech Explorer
Fortnite’s Dominance and Evolution Amidst Genre Decline
This observation might seem counterintuitive when major titles like Fortnite, Warzone, PUBG, and Apex Legends are still huge games. However, Newzoo’s Game Performance Monitor indicates that battle royales‘ share of total hours played dropped from 19% in 2021 to just 12% in 2023 and 2024.
Interestingly, Fortnite‘s portion of that playtime has significantly increased, soaring from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This surge is partly attributed to the highly successful Fortnite OG event in 2023 and the subsequent expansion into non-battle royale modes within the Fortnite ecosystem. These include Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. It is presumed that Newzoo includes all of Fortnite‘s diverse audience in its calculation of the battle royale genre’s share, not solely those playing the traditional battle royale modes.
The Fading Landscape of Battle Royales and Developer Shift to Extraction Shooters
The decline in the broader battle royale genre is also evident as most new battle royale games launched between 2020 and 2024 have since gone offline, a notable example being Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt. Consequently, new entries in the genre are becoming rarer.
Developer focus appears to be shifting, with efforts previously dedicated to battle royales now often redirected towards creating the next major extraction shooter. This newer subgenre of shooters is still emerging, with current mainstays being Escape From Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown. Upcoming titles like Bungie’s Marathon or Embark’s Arc Raiders could potentially become significant enough to warrant their own “extraction shooter” category in future Newzoo reports.
Redistribution of Player Hours and Stability of the Overall Shooter Genre
The 6% of player hours that shifted away from battle royales were primarily redistributed to other shooters and RPGs. This trend aligns with 2024 being a significant year for Call of Duty (partially due to its availability on Game Pass), breakout successes like Helldivers 2 and Marvel Rivals, and a strong lineup of action RPGs.
Despite the fluctuations within subgenres like battle royales, the broader shooter genre exhibits remarkable stability. When battle royales are grouped with other shooters, this unified category has consistently accounted for 40% of total playtime every year since 2021, as highlighted in the Newzoo report.
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Overall, while specific trends like the battle royale decline are noteworthy, the shooter genre as a whole maintains a strong and consistent presence in the gaming landscape, adapting through innovation and the rise of new subgenres. At Digital Tech Explorer, we’ll continue to track these developments to keep you informed.
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