The battle royale genre has revolutionized the gaming world, offering fiery, intense, and multiplayer action where players battle to be the last one standing. From this genre, PUBG is often credited the most for popularizing this category.
However, the standard query among the gaming ponder is, ‘Is PUBG the first battle royale game?’ or was there any other trailblazer? Don’t worry! We will unveil the truth in this article. So, keep reading to learn more!
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What is a Battle Royale Game?
In battle royale games, multiple players start on a large map and combat against each other to be the last team or the last person standing. At the beginning of the game, players are dropped into the map, where they search for weapons and supplies.
The map keeps shrinking as the game progresses and insists players come closer, increasing the chances of intense combat. At first, players spend time equipping themselves with supreme gear, but as the game ends, the battle becomes fierce, and at last, the winner prevails.
Games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends have made their mark in this genre because they demand strategic thinking with innovative action to win the ultimate battle.
Brief History of Battle Royale Games
The history of the battle royale game format is young, as the genre has been evolving for a decade only. Inspired by the 2012 movie, ‘The Hunger Games,’ the battle royale games started with mods for multiplayer games like Minecraft. It became famous quickly and inspired other games like Arma III and DayZ.
Z1 Battle Royale (also known as H1Z1) is officially considered the first standalone battle royale game. The game was released as an early access on Steam Deck in January 2015, which set the stage for the growth of this genre.
The developers of DayZ and Arma III figured out the growth potential of this genre and finally came up with the most famous battle royale game, Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG). Shortly after this, Epic Games also launched Fortnite: Battle Royale, which made the battle royale genre more competitive.
Again, in 2019, Apex Legends came into existence, attracting more than 50 million players in its first month only. The trend continued, and in 2020, Call of Duty: Warzone and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout were launched for mobile users to enhance the battle royale experience.
The Amazing Stats of Battle Royale Games
Soon after the popularity of this genre, it showed impeccable growth and success. The battle royale genre was valued at approximately $10 billion in 2022. The numbers are expected to reach $18.80 billion by the end of 2030, with a CAGR of 9.28%.
Some individual games like PUBG have also seen remarkable growth, reaching a lifetime revenue of $10 billion. Fortnite has also touched an estimated value of $26 billion, which highlights the massive financial impact.
Also, the engagement stats of Battle Royale games are solid. For example, In 2021, the day 2 retention rate was 52%, which grew annually by 2.5%. These games have noticed high login rates monthly and daily.
Although the game doesn’t ask players to purchase anything for extensive enjoyment, the in-app conversion rate has grown significantly over the past few years.
Final Words: Is PUBG the Pioneer of the Battle Royale Games?
Upon learning that, despite PUBG’s popularity in the battle royale genre, it wasn’t the pioneer of the battle royale games. Some other games like H1Z1 and Minecraft have shaped the genre even before the arrival of PUBG. Although PUBG wasn’t the first, its success helped boost the genre’s popularity. It helped set the tone for battle royale games to grow in the upcoming era.