A recent report from the research firm Newzoo suggests that the battle royale genre is facing increasing competition, yet Fortnite continues to thrive amidst these challenges. According to Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2025, the battle royale genre has experienced a decline in playtime, dropping from 19% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. This data, sourced from Newzoo's Game Performance Monitor which analyzes 37 markets (excluding China and India) on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, shows that while battle royale playtime has decreased, shooter games have seen an increase in playtime.
Despite the genre's overall decline by 7%, Fortnite's dominance within the battle royale space has significantly increased. Newzoo reports that Fortnite's share of the battle royale genre grew from 43% in 2021 to an impressive 77% in 2024. This indicates that while the genre as a whole is contracting, Fortnite is capturing a larger portion of the remaining market.
In addition to the shifts in the battle royale and shooter genres, role-playing games (RPGs) have also seen a rise in popularity, increasing from 9% of playtime in 2021 to 13% in 2024. Newzoo highlighted that 18% of RPG playtime in 2024 was dedicated to major releases from the previous year, including titles like 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 continue to hold their ground, other games struggle to maintain relevance. Meanwhile, both shooters and RPGs are gaining ground and capturing more of the gaming community's interest. The success of standout titles in these genres, such as Marvel Rivals or Baldur's Gate 3, underscores this trend.
Fortnite's ability to adapt with continuous updates, changes, and an expanding library of experiences across various genres likely contributes to its resilience against market shifts. As time progresses, it's clear that gaming trends will continue to evolve in response to changing audience preferences.
