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, suggesting a contraction, yet highlighting Fortnite's robust performance. The Newzoo PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 delves into various industry shifts and trends, with a particular focus on the battle royale sector. According to Newzoo's data, the genre's share of total gaming playtime has decreased 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 games and battle royale games together make up 40% of playtime. As battle royale playtime has declined, shooter games have seen an uptick in player engagement.

Despite the overall decline in the battle royale genre's playtime by 7%, Fortnite's dominance within this category has grown remarkably. The report indicates that Fortnite's share within the battle royale genre surged from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This suggests that while the genre faces challenges, Fortnite continues to capture a larger slice of the remaining market.

Role-playing games (RPGs) have also experienced significant growth, increasing from a 9% share of playtime in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo's findings show that 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was dedicated to major titles released in 2023, such as Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.

The battle for player attention is intense, as noted by Newzoo. While stalwarts like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends maintain their ground, other games struggle to retain players. Meanwhile, both shooters and RPGs are gaining more ground and capturing greater mindshare. The success of titles like Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 underscores this trend.

Fortnite's resilience can be attributed to its continuous updates, new content, and the integration of diverse gaming experiences and genres. As player preferences evolve, Fortnite has adeptly adapted to these changes. However, as time progresses, we can expect further shifts in gaming trends as broader audience interests continue to evolve.