Ever since PUBG made the genre mainstream, The battle royale genre has only continued to maintain its momentum. The basic concept is simple — dozens of players are placed on a map and fight it out until only one remains standing. It’s led to countless different games offering their own take on the formula.
The Culling introduced crafting weaponry, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds slowed down the action with its stealth and precision shooting. Eventually, the genre expanded to include games that look drastically different from each other, and it can be overwhelming to choose one. Fortunately, we’re here to help! These are the best battle royale games.
Fortnite
68%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy
Developer
Epic Games
Publisher
Epic Games
Release
July 25, 2017
One of the most popular game on the planet, Fortnite found success by taking an existing game and introducing battle royale elements rather than creating something from scratch. Originally only a player-versus-environment “Save the World” mode focused on building, Fortnite evolved into a competitive multiplayer game, as well, but it kept the building elements that made the first version stand out. Dropped onto an enormous map, you must scavenge the environment and nearby buildings in search of weapons to use, all while your enemies create their fortified structures and search for targets to kill. That was only the start, as Fortnite has become a platform all on its own, with new modes, skins, events, and even other games added to this community hub experience.
Apex Legends
78%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter
Developer
Respawn Entertainment
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Release
February 04, 2019
Respawn Entertainment may have shelved development on Titanfall 3, but the studio avoided angering most of its fans by releasing the free-to-play Apex Legends in its place. Set in the Titanfall universe, the battle royale game is, on a fundamental level, similar to its peers. You still drop down onto a map and gather weapons and gear from loot boxes, and a circle gradually shrinks to kill those not active in the fight. However, it also introduced respawning to the formula, allowing teams to revive their friends killed earlier in a match. This small change wouldn’t be enough to cause Apex Legends’ massive success, however — Respawn’s excellent gunplay is responsible for that. Smooth, snappy, but still weighty, the weapons in Apex Legends feel nearly perfect, and they make it easy to sink dozens of hours into the game in a single week. With classes offering their own unique abilities, as well, you can always try a new strategy.
Call of Duty: Warzone
72%
4.5/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter
Developer
Infinity Ward
Publisher
Activision
Release
March 10, 2020
You wouldn’t think there’d be room for yet another battle royale shooter, but Call of Duty: Warzone somehow manages to capture the attention of millions of players — even in such a saturated market. The Call of Duty name alone prints money for Activision, and with it being free to play, it’s an enticing offer. There’s nothing quite like how a Call of Duty game feels — something that other shooters have tried and failed to replicate. Combined with the massive budget of an Activision game and a high degree of polish, Warzone refines the genre completely. It borrows many beloved mechanics from the base version of 2019’s Modern Warfare, like perks and weapon progression, and successfully melds it with what you’d expect from a battle royale game. It features 150 players across small teams of up to four players — all competing to gather cash, loot, and XP while avoiding the deadly gas that slowly closes in on you. And with constant updates courtesy of Raven Software, Warzone has been evolving alongside the mainline titles.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
75%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia
Genre
Shooter, Indie
Developer
PUBG Corp
Publisher
Bluehole Studio, Microsoft Studios
Release
December 20, 2017
The game that served as the catalyst for the battle royale phenomenon, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has nonetheless avoided very many pure imitators. A remarkably slow game in comparison to its competitors, a typical match of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds involves players sneaking into shacks and houses, finding a weapon or two, and carefully crawling through the grass to avoid detection. Chaos can still break out at any moment, with grenades going off as players scramble for cover. It isn’t a game of excess, but it rewards smart play like few other battle royale titles. Despite making full use of controllers on console and mouse-and-keyboard on PC, the game was even translated to phones and tablets as the excellent PUBG Mobile. Free-to-play, the mobile version’s use of motion aiming helps to keep your shots precise, and it has even received in-game tie-ins with franchises like Mission: Impossible and Resident Evil. It doesn’t have the same fidelity as its big sibling, but that’s about the only tradeoff you’ll deal with.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
77%
4.5/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Platform, Sport, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Mediatonic
Publisher
Devolver Digital, Epic Games
Release
August 03, 2020
Fall Guys was another hit that skyrocketed in popularity throughout 2020 to become one of the most popular battle royale games in the world — and it’s easy to see why. The game eschews the weapons of other popular royale designs for a series of platform-heavy racecourses instead. Every race starts with 60 players, and with each match, the number of players drops until the winners are declared. There are several different types of races involving various chase situations and multiple tactics to help out friends or knock off foes. It’s a zany combination of battle royale and the rollicking fun of Mario Kart, and the ability to customize your Fall Guy in so many ways (primarily via a cosmetics shop and currency earned from wins only) is just icing on the cake. While winning is nice, the true fun is in the journey, and thanks to ongoing updates that add new races, that journey will keep going on for quite some time.
TETRIS 99
82%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Arcade
Developer
Arika Co., Ltd., Alper Sarıkaya
Publisher
Nintendo, Nintendo of America, Nintendo of Europe
Release
February 13, 2019
Yes, it’s a battle royale game, and yes, it’s one of the best games in the genre. Released without prior announcements as a free-to-play Nintendo Switch game, Tetris 99 takes the classic puzzle game and turns it into all-out chaos by pitting 99 players against each other. You still play Tetris as you normally would, but have the choice of where to send your cleared lines, such as a random player or a player attacking someone else. Play too aggressively, and you’ll find multiple players launching attacks on your board, which can result in an early defeat. Play too defensively, however, and you risk leaving too many other players alive when the action begins to speed up. Knowing when to attack is just as important as mastering your piece-spins and hard drops, and even the best Tetris players will find a challenge when playing against so many others.
F-Zero 99
71%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Racing
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
September 14, 2023
Nintendo did it again. Just like with Tetris, it made a game (and genre) we never would’ve thought could fit into the battle royale mold work like a charm. This time, it’s F-Zero 99. Featuring graphics ripped right out of the SNES title, you will race, boost, and jocky for position against a swarm of other crafts. This one is all about maintaining your lead, which is much harder than you expect with so many other players on the track. It’s a bit on the simple side, but easy to jump into and have a blast with.
Naraka: Bladepoint
65%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Fighting, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
Developer
24 Entertainment
Publisher
NetEase Games Montréal
Release
August 12, 2021
The majority of games on this list all center around guns and shooting, but what about a battle royale that focuses on melee combat? Naraka: Bladepoint is all about picking a unique hero, somewhat like Apex, but specializing in hand-to-hand, bladed, or blunt weapons. Flowing seamlessly between light and fluid exploration and almost fighting game-style encounters, this game is a true test of skill. Each character has their own moves, equipment, counters, parries, and more to learn and master. It is a welcome and refreshing take on the genre that is well worth experimenting with if you get tired of the standard shooters.
