Battle Royale (BR)
When it comes to esports there are four main genres of games that cover most top titles. One of those is the ‘Battle Royale’ genre that centres on a last-man-standing competition, where a large number of players, either as individuals or in small teams, fight to be the sole survivor.[1] Typically, players start with minimal equipment and must scavenge for weapons, armour, and other resources while the play area gradually shrinks, forcing encounters and increasing tension as the match progresses.
Battle Royal is unique in that one can pinpoint the start of the genre. The genre’s name and concept originate from the Japanese novel Battle Royale (1999) by Koushun Takami, which was later adapted into a manga and a film.[2] The story involves a dystopian scenario where a class of high school students is forced to fight to the death on a remote island, with only one survivor permitted. This novel laid the conceptual foundation for the genre by exploring themes of survival, scarcity, and the psychological effects of being pitted against peers in a life-and-death struggle.
The Battle Royale genre is evolved from various influences, including survival games, open-world exploration, and multiplayer deathmatch modes.[3] The genre gained significant traction in the early 2010s, with modders introducing Battle Royale-style gameplay in existing games. For example, Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene, a key figure in the genre’s development, created a Battle Royale mod for ARMA 2 and ARMA 3, which later evolved into the standalone game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in 2017.
PUBG was pivotal in popularising the genre. It featured a large-scale map, 100 players parachuting onto an island, and a shrinking safe zone, forcing players into closer confrontations. The game’s success demonstrated the potential of the Battle Royale formula, leading to a surge of similar games.
Another major example is Fortnite Battle Royale, released by Epic Games in 2017.[4] Initially, Fortnite was developed as a cooperative building game, but the addition of a Battle Royale mode propelled it to immense popularity. Fortnite distinguished itself with its vibrant, cartoony art style, unique building mechanics, and frequent updates that kept the gameplay fresh.
Since then, the genre has expanded further with games such as Apex Legends (2019), which introduced hero-based mechanics and refined team play, and Call of Duty: Warzone (2020), which integrated traditional first-person shooter elements with Battle Royale gameplay.
The Battle Royale genre continues to evolve, incorporating elements from other genres and pushing the boundaries of competitive multiplayer gaming. Its appeal lies in the high-stakes tension, strategic depth, and unpredictable nature of each match, making it a mainstay in modern gaming.
[1] J Gregory, Esports: Games and Genres (United States: Cherry Lake Publishing); J Gregory, History of Esports (United States: Cherry Lake Publishing); The Different Types Of Video Game Genres That People Can Experience, The Best Type Of Video Game Subgenre For People To Experience, The Benefits Of Playing Real-Time Strategy Video Games As A Heroic Faction, And The Challenges Of Playing Real-Time Strategy Video Games As A Heroic Faction. The Epic Books Of Dr. Harrison Sachs (2022); W Jang and K Byon, ‘Antecedents of esports gameplay intention: Genre as a moderator’ (2020) 109 Computers in Human Behavior 106336. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106336; D Lee, Answer the Call of Duty: The Complete History of the Gaming Franchise (AGI Publishing 2024); L Sherlock, ‘Gaming Genre: Serious Games, Genre Theory, and Rhetorical Action’ (2008) Michigan State University. Digital Rhetoric & Professional Writing.
[2] K Takami, Battle Royale (San Francisco: VIZ, LLC 2003).
[3] See also ‘What are battle royale games’ (Juegostudio, 18 October 2023) < https://www.juegostudio.com/blog/what-are-battle-royale-games> last accessed 12 September 2024; A Buckwell, ‘A brief history of the battle royale genre’ (Acer, November 2022) < https://blog.acer.com/en/discussion/358/a-brief-history-of-the-battle-royale-genre> last accessed 12 September 2024.
[4] Epic Games, Fortnite: ‘Battle Journal’ (Headline Publishing Group, London 2019)
