The best battle royale games are the ones that let you feel good whether you win or lose. Every game should teach you something new, and the more you play, the more you’ll accrue the skills necessary to make sure you start coming out on top more often than not. The genre is becoming more and more varied as time goes on, and while most of these games are still about throwing down, the fights themselves are becoming more nuanced.
The genre is becoming increasingly busy, and while it’d be easy to make a joke about having them all fight it out in a battle royale to discover the best battle royale games, we’re going to sidestep making it. We’re not above mentioning it to feel fancy though, so forgive us for that one. Some of these titles also land on our best Xbox games and best PS5 games lists, with many being some of the best free shooting games right now too. Anyway, here are the top battle royale titles to play.
The best battle royale games in July 2023 are:
- Fortnite
- Apex Legends
- Naraka Bladepoint
- Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout
- Super Animal Battle Royale
- PUBG Battlegrounds
- Call of Duty Warzone
- CRSED FOAD
- CS:GO Danger Zone
- Babble Royale
1. Fortnite
Fortnite wasn’t the first battle royale game around, but it may as well have been. It started as a game that put the focus on building structures from resources, allowing it to stand out among the standard military-sim-like battle royales, but quickly turned into something a lot bigger.
At this point, Fortnite offers both the standard battle royale mode as well as a zero-build mode for those who dislike the mechanic and just want to enjoy Fortnite’s movement and gunplay in a purer form.
These days, it’s the game’s remarkable content output that it’s best known for. Epic Games has worked with so many brands, bringing in crossovers from giant IPs like Marvel and Star Wars to fashion icons like Balenciaga and Nike, all the way to, well, pretty much anything you can think of.
2. Apex Legends
Apex Legends remains a triumph of shadow drops. Released unexpectedly a few years ago, it’s become one of the most exhilarating shooters around thanks to an excellent movement system, a diverse roster of ability-stuffed characters, and some of the best gunplay in gaming.
While the competitive Apex Legends ranked experience is solely based around the traditional battle royale, Apex has expanded its offering massively when it comes alternative game modes. If you’re a sucker for cosmetics, the game also boasts some of the most stunning content in that department too.
3. Naraka Bladepoint
Have you ever played a battle royale game and thought, “This is good and all, but what if we all had swords, spears, and it was also filled with waifus and husbands?” Maybe you haven’t but having read that, it sounds pretty good, right? We’re not saying that Naraka Bladepoint is the battle royale for weebs, but it certainly fills a niche.
Instead of focusing on ranged attacks, this is a game all about melee combat, parries, and absurd abilities like becoming a god for a few seconds. There’s also loads of visual customization for the characters too.
It’s currently only playable on Xbox consoles and PC, with a PS5 version expected to arrive soon. However, if you’re a Game Pass subscriber, it’s one you can check out with your subscription, which is a bonus!
4. Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout
Violence is all good and well, but sometimes you don’t want to be responsible for the death of hordes of other players. Sometimes, you just want to run around as a giant jelly bean and try and survive as the level itself tries to kill you off. Well, if that’s what you’re after, then Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout is the game for you.
Fall Guys offers a simple joy that isn’t easily matched by the other games on this list, and coming away with a win and a literal crown is a wonderful experience.
5. Super Animal Royale
Super Animal Royale might not be a game you’ve heard of, but as it’s free-to-play, it’s definitely one you should add to your library. It has all the classic staples of the genre with 64 players being dropped into a top-down 2D battlefield to try and find the best loot, and then be the best shot.
The perspective and cutesy look of the world make it a nice change of pace for many players, and it’s got some really great weapons and tools too.
6. PUBG Battlegrounds
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG, is now called PUBG Battlegrounds. We’re not 100% on the name change, but it doesn’t eliminate the fact that this was the first battle royale game to really make itself known to the wider world.
It’s a little more serious in places than something like Fortnite, but the hallmarks of the genre basically started here. Also, it’s going free-to-play from January 12, so if you’ve been wondering about it for a while, this is a good time to get involved.
7. Call of Duty Warzone
Call of Duty, irrelevant of your feelings about the stories it tells, is undoubtedly one of the best competitive FPS game franchises in existence. It features the kind of gunplay that comes from countless devs and their cumulative experience, and Warzone takes all of that and transplants it into the battle royale genre.
Warzone constantly evolves as new entries in the main series release with new weapons, and it just feels good to play. The sequel is now a lot like the original game and there is even more to enjoy including new maps, modes, and a host of new ways to play.
8. CRSED FOAD
CRSED FOAD is a bit of a weird mix-match of genres, with this being a massively-multiplayer online battle royale. Combining realistic weaponry with mystical powers, this is one of the more unconventional, but certainly fun, battle royale games.
You can choose between tackling enemies head-on, or sneaking past firefights to ensure your victory, but be warned; this is NOT an easy game to master.
9. CS:GO Danger Zone
Battle royale games can sometimes be a little bit overwhelming. There are always just so many players, and it’s good to be able to capture the tension with a lower player count. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Danger Zone does, as it only has up to 18 players.
The aim has you all fighting to the death by exploring, getting money, and then ordering new gear. It’s a fun take on the ideas of a battle royale game, and if you’re already a CS:GO fan, then you’ll likely adore this.
10. Babble Royale
If you’re looking for a truly unique battle royale, then Babble Royale might be for you. Combining the natural mix of the battle royale genre and scrabble, you have to try and type words to take out other players.
It’s incredibly hard to truly understand until you actually play it, but like a few others on this list, Babble Royale is free-to-play, so we recommend just giving it a go if you like the basic premise.
So there you have it, all of the best battle royale games in one place. If some of these are too competitive for you, you can always check out the best PS5 co-op games and best Xbox co-op games for something to play with friends. Have fun!
