A new report from research firm Newzoo indicates the storm may be tightening on the battle royale genre, but Fortnite is still holding strong.
Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2025 has detailed a number of shifts and trends across the industry, and one of those moving trends is the battle royale genre. Newzoo's tracking indicates the battle royale genre has shrunk in playtime, going from 19% of playtime in 2021 to 12% in 2024.
Citing its Game Performance Monitor which looks at 37 markets (excluding China and India) across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, Newzoo indicated that as a pair, shooter games and battle royale games routinely account for 40% of playtime. So as battle royale playtime has gradually shifted down, shooter playtime has been going up.
Despite the 7% shift, the difference within the genre might be the more surprising number. Per Newzoo, Fortnite went from a 43% share of the battle royale genre in 2021 to a 77% share in 2024. Essentially, even as battle royale games trended down, Fortnite ate up more and more of the space within the genre.
Role-playing games have also seen some noticeable growth, up to 13% in 2024 over their 9% share in 2021. Newzoo reported that 18% of RPG time in 2024 was spent in major releases from 2023, spotlighting Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Honkai: Star Rail, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield.
As Newzoo stated in its report, the fight for attention in playtime and hours is fierce. While games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends carry on, other games fall by the wayside. Meanwhile, shooters and role-playing games seem to be encroaching on more territory and mindshare. Looking at the success of standouts in those genres, be they Marvel Rivals or Baldur's Gate 3, it's hard to argue.
With its constant slate of changes, updates, and growing library of gaming experiences and genres contained within it, it might not be surprising that Fortnite has weathered the storm. Still, time passes, and we'll doubtlessly see trends continue to shift as broad audience interests change as the years roll on.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
