John Esposito
Here’s a list of the best free battle royale games that are available right now.
PUBG
Best Free Battle Royale Games
For many, PlayerUknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) was the first major battle royale title they got their hands on. Released in December 2017, the team at PUBG Studios set to invigorate the genre under the guidance of Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene, who was known for his time experimenting with modding which led to DayZ: Battle Royale. PUBG set the standard for every battle royale that were to release after it: a large number of players drop onto a locale where they fight others and scavenge equipment, a storm that shrinks the playable zone as time passes killing stragglers and forcing tighter encounters. Upon release, PUBG received praise for its realistic approach to the genre while being accessible to players of any skill level. Almost five years later, PUBG shows no sign of slowing down as it has gone free-to-play and has managed to maintain its compelling, realistic gameplay while giving players many different options for play. Not to mention the game does have a moderately sized esports scene and can be played on the go through your mobile device. Grab a group of your friends or drop in solo; that chicken dinner won’t get itself. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, Stadia, and mobile.
Fortnite
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Chances are if you’ve never heard of PUBG, you have definitely heard of the next big battle royale to follow it, Fortnite. Fortnite released in 2017 as a co-op mode known as Fortnite: Save the World. In Save the World players were tasked with the goal of surviving against hordes of zombies with weapons and unique ability to craft structures on the fly to defend themselves. After seeing the success of PUBG, Epic Games took it upon itself to create their own version of the battle royale with their formula infused into it. Build five-star hotels to defend yourself, ride vehicles to travel vast distances, show your emotion in-game with flashy celebrations; Fortnite set to create something unique and accessible to players worldwide. Most recently the game has removed the building component and garnered even more praise. Fast forward five years and Epic Game’s product has almost redefined gaming itself with multiple cameos from today’s biggest musicians, in-game cosmetics featuring almost every household video game or movie character and emotes based off of trendy dances uniting gamers worldwide. Fortnite is out on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Check out how to acquire some of the cosmetics such as Moon Knight and the Prowler.
Call of Duty Warzone
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Call of Duty: Warzone is the long standing shooter’s attempt at the battle royale genre and, given the state of the yearly release cycle of new Call of Duty titles, this attempt has been quite the success. First introduced in 2020, Warzone took the Call of Duty formula and injected it into the BR scene allowing players the chance to bring their custom loadouts from multiplayer in the war zone. It didn’t just stop there, however, as Warzone started integrating the gameplay features from the newer Call of Duty titles into the core formula with players fighting for survival with a variety of modern day/older weaponry, perks from different titles and equipment. Warzone saw immediate success as the Call of Duty formula still holds up strong after all these years. One of the main successes is that it was one of the first titles to incorporate cross-play allowing gamers on different platforms to squad up and win. It doesn’t stop there as this year will be Warzone’s biggest when two of cinema’s greatest forces clash in Godzilla vs King Kong in Operation Monarch and a new Warzone experience is set to launch later this year. Call of Duty: Warzone is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PC and will be getting a mobile port soon.
Apex Legends
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Fans have been begging Respawn Entertainment for a next entry in the Titanfall universe. Their response? Apex Legends. Apex Legends is a battle royale featuring hero shooter elements set in the same universe as Titanfall. Picture the characters from Overwatch fighting for survival with several nods from the Titanfall universe in the form of weapons, references and the superb gameplay/movement mechanics from Titanfall 2. That’s Apex Legends. Apex Legends surprise launched in February 2019 and hasn’t looked back since reaching over 100 million players by April 2021. The game started off with a meager eight character roster and, across 12 seasons, has seen the playable roster expand up to 20 characters each fielding their own unique abilities and backstories. The game has also expanded outside of the standard battle royale mode introducing a 9v9 Control mode, a 3v3 Arenas mode, ranked modes for all the competitive gamers and limited time PvE events enriching the game’s lore. Apex Legends isn’t Titanfall, but it’s the closest we’ll get to it for now, and that’s okay. You can play Apex Legends on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PC and mobile.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Based off of a shared universe that originated from a tabletop RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt lets players take control of vampires in Prague that are looking to survive the long night. What separates this battle royale from the others is how the game fully embraces the vampiric theme. Players choose from one of six vampire clans each with different abilities such as sending out a cloud of bats to spot enemies or straight up invisibility. Players can also feed on human NPCs that will grant them buffs, but if they’re caught feeding, it’ll mark them on the map for other vampires to see. There’s also a huge emphasis on verticality as you can leap over rooftop spaces and climb buildings making you really feel like a vampire. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt has been in early access for PC but will see a full release on Windows and PS5 on April 27, 2022.
Spellbreak
Best Free Battle Royale Games
It’s safe to say that Spellbreak has flown under the radar as a sleeper pick for a really good battle royale that doesn’t get the love it should. Much like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt tasks you with being a vampire, Spellbreak sees players become wizards. As a wizard, the playable area is littered with magical gauntlets that come in six different varieties of elements: fire, wind, ice, lighting, stone, and toxic. You start off with one of these elements equipped but, upon discovering other gauntlets, you can dual wield and create even stronger combos to defeat your opponents. Spellbreak has been out since September 2020 and features cross-play as well as cross-progression which is a nice bonus. Spellbreak is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch.
Fall Guys
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Fall Guys takes the battle royale genre and infuses it with elements from game shows like Wipeout to make quite a memorable experience. 60 jellybean-looking creatures are tasked with completing waves of mini-games as fast as possible. Those who complete them in the time given move on to the next stage while those who don’t are eliminated. The mini-games range from platforming tasks to team based efforts, and while it might sound easy, this game easily has some of the most wonkiest rag doll effects in modern day history. One false move while platforming can end your run to victory in an instant. Outside of competing, your performance will net you in game currency that can be used to purchase in-game cosmetics such as new skins and emotes. The game receives updates pretty frequently introducing new themes, mini-games and cosmetics such as Ratchet and Clank to mix up the standard formula. Don’t let the cute nature of the game fool you; everyone is out to win when the timer starts. Fall Guys is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PC and mobile.
Rogue Company’s Battle Zone
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Back in 2020, developer Hi-Rez Studios took to creating a third-person tactical multiplayer experience that took elements from popular games such as Overwatch and Counter-Strike. Rogue Company was the result of that experiment, and after a year and a half of new multiplayer modes and characters, Hi-Rez took to experimenting with battle royales. Battle Zone takes the battle royale genre and juices it up with the core multiplayer elements from Rogue Company. Instead of it being a sprawling open world where players duke it out, it’s a round based mode with two teams of four competing on the game’s standard multiplayer maps with shrinking zones. Similar to the core multiplayer experience, players can purchase equipment to bring into the round however it does not carry over from round to round so use everything you have. Players can also find mythic equipment to help get the edge over the opposition. After introducing Battle Zone as a limited-time mode, fan feedback was high so it was kept permanently. Rogue Company is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and mobile.
Totally Accurate Battlegrounds
Best Free Battle Royale Games
Do you ever find yourself tired of the overly serious nature of battle royales? Well, look no farther as Totally Accurate Battlegrounds is the answer you’ve been searching for this entire time. Drawing inspiration from games like PlayerUknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite, developer Landfall Games sought to create a parody of said titles with Totally Accurate Battlegrounds being the final product. The game is most known for its insanely exaggerated physics when it comes to weapon handling and player movement making your character flail about like the inflatables that are standing next to your local car wash. Totally Accurate Battlegrounds has been out for some time now having launched in 2018. As of 2022, the game has seen a few content updates come its way although content support has come to end. That being said the servers are still on, and while they stay on, don’t miss the chance to miss out on this comedic take on the genre. Totally Accurate Battlegrounds is out on PC.
BRUH.IO | Battle Royale
Best Free Battle Royale Games
With an art style reminiscent of the old Pokémon games, Bitfox Games created an old school battle royale that’s simple and quick to play. BRUH.IO Battle Royale is probably the most simplistic and accessible battle royale to date. 20 players launch into a playable area and look to be the last man standing with a mighty arsenal of weaponry at their disposal. The game is fast as the circle closes in quickly while you frantically scramble around looking for equipment. BRUH.IO features a topdown point of view giving it an interesting spin on what normally has been either a first person or third person experience, and that point of view boosts the game’s faster pace. BRUH.IO is only available on PC through the game’s website.
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