A recent report from the research firm Newzoo sheds light on the evolving landscape of the battle royale genre, which appears to be facing increasing pressure. However, amidst this storm, Fortnite continues to thrive robustly.
Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 highlights various shifts and trends within the gaming industry, with a significant focus on the battle royale genre. According to Newzoo's tracking data, the genre has experienced a decline in playtime, dropping from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. This data is drawn from Newzoo's Game Performance Monitor, which surveys 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Interestingly, while battle royale playtime has decreased, the overall playtime for shooter games has seen an uptick. Together, shooter and battle royale games consistently make up 40% of total playtime. The report notes a 7% shift away from battle royale games, but the internal dynamics within the genre are even more telling. Fortnite has significantly increased its dominance within the battle royale space, escalating its share from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This indicates that even as the genre's overall popularity wanes, Fortnite is capturing a larger slice of the remaining pie.
In parallel, role-playing games (RPGs) have also experienced growth, with their share of playtime rising from 9% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo's data shows 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.
The competition for player attention remains intense, as noted by Newzoo. While stalwarts like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends continue to draw crowds, other games struggle to maintain relevance. Both shooters and RPGs are expanding their footprint and capturing more of the gaming community's attention. The success of standout titles such as Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 underscores this trend.
Fortnite's resilience amidst these shifts is perhaps not surprising, given its ongoing updates, evolving content, and diverse in-game experiences. As gaming trends evolve with changing audience interests, it will be fascinating to observe how the landscape continues to transform in the coming years.
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