Fortnite Dominates as Battle Royale Interest Declines, Report Says

A recent report from the research firm Newzoo sheds light on the evolving landscape of the battle royale genre, revealing that while the genre faces challenges, Fortnite continues to thrive. According to Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2025, the battle royale genre has experienced a decline in playtime, dropping from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024.

Newzoo's Game Performance Monitor, which analyzes 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, shows that shooter games and battle royale games together still account for 40% of total playtime. As battle royale playtime has decreased, there has been a corresponding increase in the playtime dedicated to shooter games.

Despite a 7% overall decline in the genre's playtime, Fortnite has remarkably increased its dominance within the battle royale space. The game's share of the genre has surged from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This indicates that even as the battle royale genre shrinks, Fortnite is capturing an ever-larger portion of the remaining market.

In addition to the shifts within the battle royale genre, role-playing games (RPGs) have also seen significant growth, rising from a 9% share of playtime in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo highlighted that 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was dedicated to major releases from 2023, including titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.

Newzoo's report emphasizes the intense competition for player attention and playtime. While stalwarts like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends continue to perform well, other games struggle to maintain relevance. Meanwhile, both shooters and RPGs are expanding their footprint in the gaming world, with standout titles such as Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 making significant impacts.

Fortnite's resilience can be attributed to its ongoing updates, diverse content, and the variety of gaming experiences it offers. As the gaming industry evolves, it's clear that Fortnite has successfully navigated the storm. However, as audience preferences continue to shift, future trends will undoubtedly bring new changes to the forefront of the gaming landscape.