The battle royal genre has been around for a while. The origin lies in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Hunger Games", which was rel...
The Beginning of the Hype
However, the battle royale genre really picked up speed with "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds", which is actually a mod for Arma 2. Shortly thereafter, Fortnite appeared, which is no longer just a game but has developed into a phenomenon of net culture.
Epic's company policy can be argued with. But it cannot be denied that they have hit the nerve of the times with Fortnite. Established game franchises such as Call of Duty have now also planned a Battle Royale mode into their concept. Black Ops 4 may not have sustained itself as a mass fanatic, but the trend was just too big not to jump on. In terms of sales, Black Ops 4 is still third in the Battle Royale genre.
In 2018, Battle Royale games generated nearly $2 billion in revenue. This year, that number is expected to grow to 20 billion. The top three earners alone have brought in over $4 billion. In addition to Black Ops 4, these include Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
Still a Big Deal
With at least 70,000 regular viewers on Twitch, the game is an established fixture in the gaming world. The Fortnite World Cup recently proved that. The 16-year-old American Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf just won three million dollars. A total of $30 million was paid out in the tournament.
Apex Legends, which was developed by EA, is also doing well on Twitch at the moment. But the top dog is still Fortnite. This will probably not change in the next few years either, because a team that puts in over a hundred working hours a week and looks after one of the best-selling games in the world does not stop with the content that quickly.
The game is available on almost every platform. In addition to the PC, Fortnite is also represented on the XBOX, the Playstation, and even the Nintendo Switch. The free availability and the easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master gameplay captivate millions of players worldwide.
The Right Gear
The PC gamers will have their favorite keyboard and mouse. Headphones are also included as a standard. It's a little different on consoles. Every device comes with the same controller and most of the time it doesn't even come with a headset.
The guys from SCUF Gaming can help you with the controller. They build controllers that not only look absolutely gorgeous but also offer a mechanical advantage. More buttons on the device mean more macro-management. If you want to learn more about SCUF controllers, we have already prepared a whole article for you here. You can keep the old controller as a spare if you have visitors.
Good headphones for consoles are a rare commodity. Either the console doesn't have a decent AUX port or the headset isn't compatible. Turtle Beach offers headsets for every console that Fortnite is available on. A lightweight and good wearing comfort are required here. Wearing a heavy headset all night can become downright painful towards the end of the session. You can find the PS4 variant of the Recon 70 headset here. Turtle Beach has other models in their range on their website.
Future of Battle Royale
Fortnite will definitely be the top-dog on the block as far as the battle royale genre goes for some time to come. However, games like Apex Legends are good competitors that push the genre forward with new influences. Black Ops 4 was a bit lacking in inspiration and that's probably why it wasn't able to keep its relevance. What else can follow remains to be seen? A game that will replace Fortnite, in the long run, will probably not exist any time soon.
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