Despite the general interest in battle royales dropping, Fortnite continues to thrive. In its sixth chapter and with a boatload of different game modes, the hit from Epic Games hasn’t seen a dropoff despite other games in the genre fading out of the picture. It’s a testament to the staying power that the game has had since it burst onto the scene almost eight years ago.
Image Credit: Epic Games
Fortnite Sees Increase in Interest Despite Battle Royale Falling
Overall, people aren’t playing battle royales as much anymore. What was once the most dominant genre in gaming has since begun to fall off. According to Newzoo’s PC & Console Gaming Report 2025, the battle royale genre has dipped in playtime. Gamers spent 19% of their time playing the genre in 2021 but are down to just 12% in 2024. Shooter games are grouped with battle royales, and shooter playtime has gone up.
Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Fortnite’s grip on the genre has only tightened. In 2021, the game was still by far the top dog, but it accounted for just 43% of the battle royale playtime. It now has a 77% share in 2024. Anyone who’s playing a battle royale game is undoubtedly going to Fortnite despite Warzone and PUBG still remaining relevant games.
Fortnite has remained a constant in the video game landscape. It was initially responsible for the boom of battle royale games, with so many popping up to try and emulate the game’s success. They largely failed, though some good ones, like Apex Legends, have stuck around as long as Fortnite.
Thanks to a devoted player base and a dedicated developing team making sure those players have everything they want, including secondary game modes like OG, it has remained a top game despite a lack of interest in the genre. Shooters are up slightly, but RPGs are on a major rise as well. Still, Epic Games’ biggest game to date is still supremely popular despite player interest heading elsewhere.