Fortnite Dominates as Battle Royale Interest Declines, Report Finds

A recent report from research firm Newzoo sheds light on the evolving landscape of the battle royale genre, yet Fortnite continues to dominate despite the challenges. According to the Newzoo 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.

Newzoo's Game Performance Monitor, which analyzes 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, reveals that shooter and battle royale games together typically make up 40% of total playtime. While the battle royale segment has seen a decline, shooter games have been on the rise.

Interestingly, despite the overall genre downturn, Fortnite has significantly increased its dominance within the battle royale category. The game's share of the genre has soared from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This indicates that even as the genre shrinks, Fortnite continues to capture a larger portion of its audience.

In parallel, role-playing games (RPGs) have seen a growth in playtime, rising from 9% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo highlighted that 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was dedicated to major titles released in 2023, including Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.

The competition for gamers' attention is intense, as noted by Newzoo. While stalwarts like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends persist, other titles struggle to maintain relevance. Concurrently, both shooters and RPGs are expanding their footprint and capturing more mindshare. The success of notable games such as Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 underscores this trend.

Fortnite's resilience can be attributed to its continuous updates, evolving content, and the inclusion of diverse gaming experiences within its ecosystem. As gaming trends evolve with shifting audience interests, it will be fascinating to observe how Fortnite and other leading titles adapt to maintain their prominence in the years ahead.