The best battle royale games

One of the most popular game on the planet, Fortnite found success by taking an existing game and introducing battle royale elements rather than creating something from scratch. Originally only a player-versus-environment “Save the World” mode focused on building, Fortnite evolved into a competitive multiplayer game, as well, but it kept the building elements that made the first version stand out. Dropped onto an enormous map, you must scavenge the environment and nearby buildings in search of weapons to use, all while your enemies create their fortified structures and search for targets to kill. That was only the start, as Fortnite has become a platform all on its own, with new modes, skins, events, and even other games added to this community hub experience.

You wouldn’t think there’d be room for yet another battle royale shooter, but Call of Duty: Warzone somehow manages to capture the attention of millions of players — even in such a saturated market. The Call of Duty name alone prints money for Activision, and with it being free to play, it’s an enticing offer. There’s nothing quite like how a Call of Duty game feels — something that other shooters have tried and failed to replicate. Combined with the massive budget of an Activision game and a high degree of polish, Warzone refines the genre completely. It borrows many beloved mechanics from the base version of 2019’s Modern Warfare, like perks and weapon progression, and successfully melds it with what you’d expect from a battle royale game. It features 150 players across small teams of up to four players — all competing to gather cash, loot, and XP while avoiding the deadly gas that slowly closes in on you. And with constant updates courtesy of Raven Software, Warzone has been evolving alongside the mainline titles.