Fortnite Dominates as Battle Royale Interest Declines, Report Finds

A recent report from research firm Newzoo suggests that the battle royale genre may be facing some challenges, but Fortnite continues to stand firm amidst these shifts. According to Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2025, the battle royale genre has experienced a notable decline in playtime, dropping from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. This data was collected using Newzoo's Game Performance Monitor, which tracks 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.

The report highlights that shooter games and battle royale games together typically make up 40% of total playtime. As the playtime for battle royale games decreases, there has been a corresponding increase in playtime for shooter games. Despite the genre's overall decline, Fortnite has remarkably increased its dominance within the battle royale category, growing from a 43% share in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This indicates that while the genre as a whole is shrinking, Fortnite is capturing a larger portion of the remaining market.

In addition to 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 notes that 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was devoted to major releases from 2023, including standout titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.

The competition for player attention is intense, with games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends maintaining strong positions, while others struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, both shooters and RPGs are expanding their influence and capturing more player interest. The success of notable titles in these genres, such as Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3, underscores this trend.

Fortnite's ability to adapt and thrive amidst these changes can be attributed to its ongoing updates, evolving gameplay experiences, and diverse range of in-game content. As gaming trends continue to evolve, it will be fascinating to observe how audience preferences shift and which games will emerge as the next big hits.