Fortnite Dominates as Battle Royale Interest Declines, Report Shows

A recent report from the renowned research firm Newzoo sheds light on the evolving landscape of the battle royale genre, revealing that while the genre is facing a contraction, Fortnite continues to thrive. The Newzoo PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 offers a detailed analysis of industry shifts and trends, highlighting that 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 tracks 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, shows that shooter games and battle royale games together still command a significant 40% of total playtime. As the playtime for battle royale games has declined, the playtime for shooter games has correspondingly increased.

The report highlights a striking detail within the battle royale genre: Fortnite has dramatically increased its dominance, surging from a 43% share of the genre in 2021 to a commanding 77% share in 2024. This indicates that despite the overall trend downward for the genre, Fortnite has managed to capture an ever-larger portion of the remaining playtime.

In addition to the dynamics 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 noted 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 is intense, with games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends maintaining their positions, while others struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, both shooter and role-playing games are gaining ground and capturing more of the gaming community's attention. Success stories like Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 underscore the vitality of these genres.

Fortnite's resilience amidst these shifts can be attributed to its ongoing updates, evolving content, and the diverse gaming experiences it offers within its ecosystem. As trends continue to evolve with changing audience preferences, it will be fascinating to observe how Fortnite and other leading titles adapt and continue to engage their player bases.