What makes the video game genre Battle Royale and game titles like Fortnite Battle Royale, Call of Duty: Warzone or Apex Legends so successful?
Hamburg – At least since the book “Tribute von Panem” by Suzanne Collins, the term Battle Royale has been known to a large number of people. Many game developers such as EA or Activision have long since reacted and released titles like Fortnite Battle Royale and Apex Legends that are all about one thing: survival!
| battle royale |
| being the last player left on the map |
| Battle Royale (Movie), Hunger Games (Book) |
| Minecraft: Hunger Games (Plugin) |
| PUBG, Fortnite Battle Royale, CoD: Warzone, Apex Legends |
Battle Royale is a popular game genre
The gameplay of Battle Royale is very similar in the different games: A group of players is dropped on a world, an island or in a city. At the beginning they usually have neither weapons nor first aid materials and things also look bad in terms of ammunition and protection at first. However, these items, which are sorely needed for survival, can often be found in the environment. And then it’s time to escape opponents and eliminate the competition.
There are always new challenges: Here, for example, the new Map Al Mazrah from Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 © Activision
The goal in Battle Royale is always to be the last one standing. Not only do the other players get in the way, the environment itself is usually against the participants. Often different areas on the map are forbidden zones. If you stay in it, your life energy sinks steadily – without external wounds or influences. You can take part as a single player or in multiplayer with a team (squad). By the way: The Battle Royale is now so popular that the game mode is synonymous with the game genre.
The original Battle Royale comes from Japan
The novel “Battle Royale” by author Koushun Takami was published in 1999, and the film adaptation of the same name followed a year later. The plot: In a future Japan, students must regularly participate in a life-or-death struggle. They are abandoned on an island and given collars with a GPS sensor and a sports bag made from randomly selected materials. Some are lucky and find an actual weapon inside, other students might just find a pot lid.
Battle Royale Movie: Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) Must Take Down Her Opponents in The Hunger Games © StudioCanal
The “Hunger Games” film series, based on the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins, followed a similar principle. While the Japanese original was only known to a comparatively small audience here in Germany, the first part of the series (“Tribute von Panem – Hunger Games”) was one of the most successful films of 2012. A development that the game developers are now also aware of plan called.
The History of Battle Royale Games
The Battle Royale began with the PC game “Minecraft” in 2012 with a server plugin called Hunger Games. Depending on the Minecraft server, there are now different starter classes that bring special items and talents.
In 2015, “H1Z1” followed with the mode “King of the Hill”. Developer Brendan Greene, also known as PlayerUnknown in the scene, was able to let off steam a bit in the Battle Royale genre. He then became really successful in 2017 with “PlayerUnknown’s Battleground” (PUBG) for Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, among others.
Brendan Greene is known in the gamer scene as PlayerUnknown and is the creator of the battle royale game PUBG. © ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/AFP
Together with Fortnite Battle Royale, PUBG became a real media hype. Videos and streaming on YouTube and Twitch reached an audience of millions and ensured high sales figures and a fan base that is still growing today.
The most popular battle royale games on the market
Today, Fortnite alone is one of the most successful names in the Battle Royale genre, with more than 200 million registered players.
Battle Royale: A gaming genre that spawned games like PUBG, Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends. © Epic Games / Activision / PUBG Corporation / EA
“Call of Duty: Warzone” from 2020, like Fortnite and Minecraft, is a free-to-play game and will soon be available for the PS5 with its version 2.0 (release expected November 16, 2022). Warzone was downloaded more than 50 million times in the first month alone and is one of the absolute favorite games of Battle Royal fans.
Console, PC or mobile – where does Battle Royale play best?
Which medium you best experience Battle Royale with depends entirely on your own preferences. Many of the games are now cross-console and can be played with an account on the go in a mobile phone app.
- Fortnite: Battle Royalefor PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC, Android
- Call of Duty Warzonefor PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Apex Legendsfor PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Stadia, Android, iOS
Whether you feel more comfortable with a controller from a Playstation or Xbox, or rely on the proven WASD control of the computer keyboard – each variant brings fun and a certain amount of thrill.
Battle Royale: USK and age rating
In Germany, the Entertainment Software Self-Control (USK) is responsible for the age-appropriate labeling of computer and video games. The various levels are laid down in the Youth Protection Act (Section 14, Paragraph 2). If a game does not have a USK label, it is to be treated as a game “approved for over 18s”.
The colorful USK labels on the games give parents an indication of whether they are suitable for their offspring © Andrea Warnecke
Since the goal of a Battle Royale is always to eliminate all opponents, there is also a certain amount of violence and the use of weapons. Depending on the game, however, the representation is more or less explicit.
For example, PUBG may not be played by young people under the age of 16. Fortnite: Battle Royale, on the other hand, is more colourful, has a comic design and offers quite funny moments. Nevertheless, the weapons are also shown very realistically here. That’s why experts advise that young people should be around 14 years old before playing this game – despite a green USK label (approved from the age of twelve). But that is at the discretion of the parents.
What does battle royale have to do with wrestling?
Basically, only the name is similar here, so you should always pay attention to the “e” in Royale.
| Video game mode, genre, life and death fight, up to 100 game ends, simultaneous start |
| a form of wrestling, opponents must be thrown out of the ring, from a number of participants of six wrestlers, possibly no simultaneous start |
Otherwise, instead of the latest gaming news, you’ll quickly have an article full of wrestling stars in front of you. (Anna Heyers)
