You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Battle Royale is all about the last player standing, and that is precisely what’s happening in 2025. The genre is in sharp decline, dropping down by seven percentage points over the last few years. However, this decline hasn’t affected Fortnite, which remains the king of battle royale games. At the risk of sounding cliché, one might say that Fortnite has achieved a Victory Royale over its competitors. A recent gaming report by Newzoo reveals many interesting details about the gaming industry. Among them is the decline in popularity of the battle royale genre, which no longer ranks at the top. Fortnite still dominates the battle royale genre, nearly eight years after its release Back in September 2017, when Fortnite Battle Royale was just released, it primarily competed with PUBG. Epic Games’ title didn’t take too long to take off, as it became a global sensation in mid-2018, hitting its first prime. Shortly after, many new competitors emerged, from Apex Legends to Call of Duty’s Blackout, but none posed a significant threat to Fortnite. In 2025, nearly eight years after Epic released its hit game, it still dominates the battle royale genre. Fortnite’s overall playtime increased by 17% in 2024, while Apex Legends’ decreased by 13%. PUBG and Warzone seem to have quietly faded and no longer pose a threat to Epic’s game. In total, the genre made up just 13% of playtime in 2024, a sharp decline from 19% in 2021. Despite the genre’s overall decline, Fortnite has solidified its dominance, commanding 77% of all Battle Royale playtime, leaving just 23% to be split among Apex Legends, PUBG, and the rest. Fortnite’s popularity keeps growing, despite the decline of its genre. Image by VideoGamer Millions of gamers play Fortnite in 2025, with its count of concurrent players exceeding 2 million on the weekends. This number has been relatively consistent over the past few months, and it’s safe to say that it won’t drastically drop anytime soon. Besides its regular Battle Royale mode, Fortnite also has the OG mode for players who prefer simpler mechanics. Furthermore, Epic has added many new non-combat modes, such as LEGO Fortnite and Festival, attracting different kinds of players. All of this has contributed to the game’s success, as well as to its bright future. Fortnite’s popularity on consoles Fortnite was the most popular video game in 2024, taking up 9.3% of the total playtime, up from 9.1% in 2023. To put this into perspective, Minecraft ranks second with 4.7%. The game was especially popular on PlayStation and Xbox, accounting for more than 12% of playtime last year, including spikes of over 20% in its last quarter. PeriodSystem% of playtime2024PlayStation13.8%2024Xbox12.5%Q4 2023PlayStation20%Q4 2023Xbox21%Fortnite’s popularity on PlayStation and Xbox On top of this, the popularity of Fortnite on PlayStation has increased by 53% since 2022. On Xbox, the game has been quite consistent, starting 2024 with 16% of total playtime and ending with 14%. Despite the battle royale genre’s steady decline, Fortnite continues to thrive, solidifying its position as the undisputed leader. Epic Games‘ ability to evolve the game, diversify its gameplay, and maintain a massive player base ensures that Fortnite’s reign is far from over, and we expect it to dominate the gaming industry for many years to come. Fortnite Platform(s): Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X Genre(s): Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter 9 VideoGamer Related Topics Fortnite Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share