According to a recent report from research firm Newzoo, the battle royale genre is experiencing a contraction, yet Fortnite remains a dominant force within it. The 2025 Newzoo PC & Console Gaming Report sheds light on various industry shifts, notably highlighting the decline in battle royale playtime from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. Utilizing their Game Performance Monitor, which tracks 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, Newzoo notes that shooter games and battle royale games together typically represent 40% of playtime. As battle royale playtime decreases, shooter games are seeing an increase in player engagement.
Despite the genre's overall decline, Fortnite's market share within the battle royale space has surged impressively. In 2021, Fortnite held a 43% share of the battle royale genre, which skyrocketed to 77% by 2024. This growth underscores Fortnite's resilience and increasing dominance, even as the genre as a whole experiences a downturn.
Additionally, role-playing games (RPGs) have seen a significant rise, increasing from a 9% share in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo reports that a notable 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was dedicated to major releases from 2023, including titles such as 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 presence, while other titles struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, both shooters and RPGs are capturing more of the gaming market and audience interest. The success of games like Marvel Rivals and Baldur's Gate 3 in their respective genres is a testament to this trend.
Fortnite's ability to adapt with continuous updates, new content, and an expanding array of gaming experiences and genres has likely contributed to its resilience amid the shifting landscape. As gaming trends continue to evolve, it will be fascinating to observe how audience preferences develop in the coming years.
