Recently, the Battle Royale market has been thriving. The genre has consistently been in the top streamed games since the beginning of 2017. Games like ARMA 3 and H1Z1 topped the charts and generated hype about the genre, introducing traditional first person and third person shooter gamers to transition. Using the same style of gameplay as it’s base, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Battlegrounds, or PUBG, shot to the forefront in the latter half of 2017. Players from all over the globe enjoyed the game as it was a the first game to stray away from hitscan. Hitscan calculates the way bullets translate into damage in shooter style games based on the location of the target and the time the shot was taken. PUBG took the battle royale genre and added the same feature as in games like Battlefield where hitscan does not exist. It forced the player to use distance markers or estimate the time a bullet will connect when lining up a shot. The difference in gameplay and the realism attracted many players as the skill ceiling was high and it provided a more immersive experience.

Fortnite bursted out onto the scene in the early months of 2018, seeing huge growth spikes in player bases that were previously unheard of. The game focused around incorporating the single player mode’s aspect of building. Players could harvest materials from all of their surroundings to create bases on the fly or mix in building with gun combat. Unlike its predecessors, Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode was free to play and had a cartoonish style. This meant it was more accessible to a wider audience. After streamer Ninja played games with rapper’s Drake and Travis Scott and NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster, Fortnite’s popularity skyrocketed with the playerbase in their 20’s and 30’s. Currently, Fortnite sits atop the throne of Battle Royale games and they are continuing to solidify their dominance by attempting to establish an esports scene.

Recently, Battle Royale games are popping up left and right as developers are trying to be the next big thing. Large streamers like Shroud, Ninja, Summit, and TimTheTatman have been streaming Realm Royale. Realm Royale is an alpha in development that includes elements from mass multiplayer online titles with a fantasy game’s class system and crafting. The game has a playful style and has the potential to become one of the next battle royale success stories. Each battle royale game has its own quirks that makes it special, but we will have to wait to see which one stands on top and gains its longevity.