Battle Royale interest wanes as Fortnite thrives: report

A new industry report from analytics firm Newzoo suggests the battle royale genre may be facing increased pressure, though Fortnite continues to dominate.

The PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 highlights several evolving trends, including a notable decline in battle royale engagement. According to Newzoo's data, the genre's share of total playtime has dropped from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024.

Using its Game Performance Monitor covering 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, Newzoo found that shooters and battle royale games combined consistently represent about 40% of playtime. While battle royale popularity has waned, shooter engagement has risen proportionally.

The most striking trend within the battle royale category is Fortnite's increasing dominance. Newzoo reports Epic's flagship title grew from 43% of genre playtime in 2021 to a commanding 77% share in 2024, effectively consolidating the shrinking market.

Role-playing games have demonstrated opposite momentum, expanding from 9% of playtime in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo highlights that 18% of RPG engagement came from major 2023 releases including Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.

The report underscores the intense competition for player attention. While genre leaders like Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends maintain strong positions, other titles struggle to retain audiences. Shooters and RPGs appear to be gaining ground, with successful recent entries like Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 driving this growth.

Fortnite's resilience likely stems from its continuous evolution, featuring regular updates and an expanding ecosystem of gameplay modes. However, the report suggests gaming preferences will continue evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for developers navigating these shifting trends.