The “all against all” is a dynamic that has attracted the attention of video gamers since the dawn of time. Just think of the good old deathmatch, which has always proved popular in the shooter genre. It’s not surprising, then, that one of the genres that became most popular during the eighth generation of the console world, Battle Royale, is based on this type of competition.
The basic mechanic is simple: a large number of players are catapulted into a map. The last user or team that remains alive wins the game. In the midst of all this, there can be shooting, obstacles to dodge, knife fights and you name it, depending on the video game chosen. In short, I understand why you are looking for the best Battle Royale.
I would say that you’ve come to the right place, because I’m going to analyze the video game market, giving you all the details of the case on the productions belonging to this genre that has managed to carve out a place. Obviously, there will be a way to refer also to some “goodies” that maybe you do not know. If you’re ready, here below there are all the indications of the case. Enjoy reading and have fun!
Best Battle Royale Games for console
To begin the analysis of what is offered by the market regarding the best Battle Royale, it is interesting to start from the console world. In simple terms, if you’re wondering, for example, what are the best Battle Royale for PS4, this is the part of the guide for you.
Fortnite
You can’t refer to Battle Royale without mentioning Fortnite. The title of Epic Games represents in fact the most successful exponent of the genre, as well as the video game that has changed the market in an impressive way, creating in fact “fertile ground” for other large productions.
In fact, it was not exactly the first Battle Royale ever come to market since before Fortnite there were titles like PUBG and H1Z1, but certainly, Epic Games has been able to “ride” the popularity of the genre better than anyone else.
Fortnite is in fact a colossus difficult to undermine nowadays. The Battle Royale mode, which sees 100 players compete within a map in constant mutation from season to season, is the core of the gaming experience of the title of Epic Games, but in reality, the latter has become much more.
The success of the title has allowed the developers to forge important partnerships, bringing into the game not only the costumes related to fictional universes such as Rick and Morty but even virtual concerts performed by real artists (important from that point of view the event of 2020 on Travis Scott, who kept “glued” to the screen 27.7 million users at the same time).
Fortnite is also a unique title in its genre, as it gives users the possibility to exploit their creativity by building game elements, useful to defend themselves from enemy attacks, reach elevated positions, and much more.
In short, if you plan to “immerse” yourself in the world of Battle Royale, you should give Fortnite a chance. The title is free and can be downloaded via PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5), Microsoft Store (Xbox One/Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S), and Nintendo eShop (Switch).
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout can be described as “the game of summer 2020.” In fact, Mediatonic’s title has achieved incredible success also thanks to the chosen business model: in August 2020, i.e. at launch, it was possible to download the game for free on PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Plus subscription.
In any case, the “phenomenon of summer 2020” is not a “pure” Battle Royale, but rather a kind of party game that nevertheless tries to draw from the genre of the moment. The maximum number of players per game is 60 and users must pass various stages without being eliminated: the last player left wins.
The gameplay is varied: there are, for example, team soccer matches, in which all the players of the losing team are eliminated, and slippery arenas in which you have to get to the finish line safe and sound before a certain number of users do.
The “cartoon” style makes Fall Guys suitable for a wide audience, including the younger ones. In any case, the Seasons system is not missing, so the title is constantly being updated.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is available on the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5). It will also arrive later on Xbox and Nintendo Switch platforms.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Activision is always at the forefront when it comes to focusing on the fashion of the moment and in fact in 2020 arrived on the market Call of Duty: Warzone, the Battle Royale title dedicated to the historic series.
Call of Duty certainly needs no introduction and the transposition of the iconic gameplay in a Battle Royale environment can only make happy the fans of the genre, which in fact have flown to millions on the servers (in 2020 exceeded 100 million monthly users).
Activision, however, has not limited itself to placing a maximum of 150 players within a map, providing them with plenty of weapons to collect. In fact, Call of Duty: Warzone differs from other Battle Royale games due to its gulag mechanic. Simply put, once the user has been defeated, the latter has the possibility to earn his way back into the game.
How? By defeating another player using a random weapon provided by the game within a restricted area. This mechanic tests the real skill of the user and surely contributed to the huge success of the title.
Then there are equipment launches and much more, including possible puzzles to solve to unlock weapons, as well as new Seasons that are constantly being updated and characters from important narrative universes.
In short, you should at least try COD Warzone if you’re looking for a good Battle Royale. Activision’s title is free and can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5) and Microsoft Store (Xbox One/Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S).
Other good Battle Royale Games for consoles
Obviously, the ones mentioned are just some of the Battle Royale titles available on the market. In fact, the popularity achieved by the genre has allowed the arrival of other video games of this type.
It must be said that in reality there are few Battle Royale titles that have really managed to attract the attention of the public, as some productions have soon ended up in oblivion (some projects have been totally closed shortly after launch). However, some interesting productions have come out over the years. Below you can find some titles that you might want to try.
- Battlefield 5 Firestorm: those who have purchased Battlefield 5 can access the Firestorm mode, which arrived following launch with a free update. This is essentially Battlefield’s Battle Royale: if you’re a fan of the series, it might prove to be to your liking. Battlefield 5 can be purchased from the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5) and the Microsoft Store (Xbox One/Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S).
- Apex Legends: appreciated by those looking for a gameplay that is a bit more “strategic” than most other Battle Royale titles. Not surprisingly, the competitive environment is active. You can download it for free from the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5), the Microsoft Store (Xbox One/Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S), and the Nintendo eShop (Switch).
- H1Z1: Although it’s certainly no longer in its golden age, the H1Z1 Battle Royale is still available for free on the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5) and may be interesting to try out, if only to see what developments have been made to the historic game that contributed to the enormous popularity of the genre.
Best Battle Royale Games for PC
The PC world has seen the arrival of several Battle Royale titles over the past few years. In fact, even fledgling developers have launched into the creation of titles that follow what is in fact “the fashion of the moment”.
However, in reality, the “big names”, or projects that have really managed to attract the attention of the public and resist the passage of years, are few and “echo” almost entirely to the console world. For example, do you remember Hyper Scape by Ubisoft? After attracting attention in the first period, the project has not been able to return to the “crest of the wave”. In this context, it is clear that the best titles remain those described below.
COD Warzone
The description of COD Warzone that I made in the chapter about the console world obviously doesn’t change, but I want to briefly point out the reason why not a few people decide to play this title on PC.
Well, you have to know that the input method represented by the mouse and keyboard is able to give you a freedom of movement that you will hardly find on consoles. For this reason, the most competitive players are used to play Call of Duty Warzone on the computer.
If you’re interested in the topic, you might want to check out my tutorial on how to best aim on COD Warzone, in which I went into detail about the accessories and settings to consider.
Fortnite
Fortnite is also very popular on PC. I have already described its peculiarities in the chapter dedicated to consoles, but also in this case I want to provide you with a little more detail related to the experience offered by the title on PC.
In fact, the title of Epic Games is played on this platform by the main pro players. The reason is to be found in the fact that Fortnite, even more than many other Battle Royale titles, requires some planning in terms of accessories and buttons to use.
In fact, the ability to build is a not insignificant addition to the Battle Royale formula, and clearly, to defend yourself you need to construct large buildings in the blink of an eye. It is precisely in this context that techniques for building quickly and alternative keys come into play.
In short, the rhythms of Fortnite gameplay on PC are even higher than those of the console world and therefore you may want to take a look at my tutorial on how to improve on Fortnite for PC.
In any case, on this platform, the game can be downloaded for free via the Epic Games Store.
Apex Legends
If you plan to play a competitive Battle Royale on PC, you should consider Apex Legends, a video game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts.
The title has an interesting story to tell: the developers are the same as the Titanfall series, which fans of the shooter genre will surely remember with pleasure. Apex Legends, therefore, has solid gameplay, especially in the combat phase, which is also the result of the experience gained by the developers over the years.
Released in February 2019, the game has had ups and downs in terms of popularity. During 2020 at one point it almost seemed to “disappear” from the radar, only to surpass 100 million players worldwide in 2021.
One of the reasons why Apex Legends has gained some popularity is its more “strategic” gameplay compared to many other Battle Royale video games. It is also a title that relies heavily on team matches formed by three players, perfect for the competitive environment. There is a maximum of 60 users who can participate in a match.
Between loot, reanimation, and the possibility to choose characters with specific skills, Apex Legends is definitely a unique production in the world of Battle Royale. The competitive world then wins particularly to the PC community, which is why I recommend you to play it from this platform.
Other valid Battle Royale for PC
Excuse me? You’ve heard that there are other games of this genre that are very good for computers. They did not lie to you: below you can find other titles that you should try, at least from my point of view.
- Naraka: Bladepoint: perhaps the least known of the titles I’ve mentioned in this guide. It is an independent “gem” that focuses on hand-to-hand combat and parkour. The maximum number of players is 60. The title, which has its own Steam page, has attracted attention since the Beta phase. The long-term success of the production is far from obvious, but it is certainly an original Battle Royale, to try.
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout: the video game with “cartoon” graphics that requires you to overcome various stages is also available on PC via Steam.
- Realm Royale: Do you remember Paladins by Hi-Rez Studios? Well, Realm Royale is the Battle Royale inspired by the game, a sort of spin-off. You can download it for free in the early access version via Steam.
Best Mobile Battle Royale Games
There are many Battle Royale titles on digital stores for mobile devices, trying to capitalize on the popularity of the genre. However, very few of them are really quality. However, you don’t have to worry: if you’re wondering, for example, which are the best Battle Royale for Android or the best Battle Royale for iPhone, below you can find all the relevant directions.
Call of Duty Mobile
The platforms change, but the franchise’s “impact” remains the same. On mobile devices is in fact very popular the Battle Royale of Call of Duty Mobile, a free downloadable title both on Android (downloadable from the Play Store and alternative stores for devices without Google services) and on iPhone and iPad (from the App Store).
In any case, the Battle Royale Call of Duty Mobile should not be confused with Call of Duty Warzone, a title that I mentioned in the chapter devoted to consoles. These are, in fact, two different video games, although they obviously belong to the same genre and therefore share some of the main basic mechanics.
100 players challenge each other within the game map, but there are also some interesting aspects to take into account. For example, in some contexts, it is possible to go to specific points on the map to “summon” and try to defeat monsters, in order to get rare loot to use during the Battle Royale.
For example, in the past, it was possible to go to a cornfield to defeat a giant fiery wolf. Obviously COD Mobile is a title in constant evolution, but surely Activision has also tried to experiment a bit with this title (which doesn’t only include the Battle Royale mode).
PUBG Mobile
If there is a title that certainly needs no introduction in the mobile field as far as the Battle Royale genre is concerned, it is definitely PUBG Mobile. It is in fact one of the longest-running video games on this platform.
100 players are catapulted into a map and must do battle to the sound of gunfire and frying pans (those who have played PUBG will understand). This is one of the most classic games belonging to the Battle Royale genre, so it doesn’t need much more description.
Between vehicles and so on and so forth, the adrenaline-pumping action offered by PUBG Mobile’s gameplay could make you have a lot of fun using touch controls.
PUBG Mobile can be downloaded for free on Android from the Play Store and alternative stores and on iPhone/iPad from the App Store. The title is obviously constantly being updated.
Fortnite
I mentioned Fortnite essentially for each platform because the title of Epic Games is in fact one of the best Battle Royale ever and the huge success of the production only proves it.
The only aspect that you have to take into account on mobile is the fact that, due to some problems related to commissions, since 2020 Fortnite is no longer available on either Google’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
However, the Epic Games title can be found for free in various official ways on the Android platform. In fact, you can install it via APK through the official portal (via the Epic Games app) or through the Galaxy Store (pre-installed on Samsung devices). More information here.
Other valid Battle Royale Games for mobile
In any case, as already mentioned above, the Google Play Store (Android devices) and the Apple App Store (iPhone and iPad) are teeming with Battle Royale games. Below you can find some titles you might want to try out.
Retract: Battle Royale (Play Store/App Store): a free Battle Royale title that convinces mainly because of its technical aspect. It’s not exactly the best game on the market and the gameplay is a bit ‘immature, but you might want to at least try it.
Battelands Royale (Play Store/App Store): a free title with a top-down view to try in your spare time. Matches last only a few minutes and are played with up to 32 users.
Rocket Royale (Play Store/App Store): a free Battle Royale that is reminiscent in some ways of Fortnite, includes scooters, and can be played in Solo, Duo, and Squad. Need more to convince you to give the game a shot?
In short, now you have a good number of video games to consider regarding the Battle Royale genre. All you have to do is choose the title you like the most and go from there. I wish you a lot of fun!