Uploaded July 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Podcast (iTunes) - itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/writing-on-gamescast/id1124674245?mt=2
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
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Call of Duty had multiple games under its belt before capturing the zeitgeist with Modern Warfare. Minecraft took a few years to become the household name we know it as today. In a fraction of that time, we've seen the genre of battle royale thrust into the spotlight thanks to the release of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, the seemingly unstoppable rise of competitor Fortnite, the inevitable imitators trying to cash in on the hype, the catastrophic failure of those imitators (with one studio closing within a month of their release), all while fatigue sets in with an increasingly disgruntled playerbase.
As someone whose interest in battle royale games has long faded but whose fascination at their cultural impact has only grown as its popularity has, I thought it might be interesting to examine where the genre stands one year on from PUBG's release; examining why genre mechanics and release models might be responsible for the situation we find ourselves in, and why any further competition faces an unbelievably steep uphill battle.
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Intro text animation by Draz: twitter.com/DrazGames
youtube.com/channel/UCd3x2o76QHYNy4Vh6rkRtfg
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Also apologies for failing to credit Noclip in the video for their Brendan Greene internet footage - youtube.com/watch?v=4e9EjExsMvI
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Thank you so much for your continued support!
Production work by Nico Bleackley
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Podcast (iTunes) - itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/writing-on-gamescast/id1124674245?mt=2
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
---
Call of Duty had multiple games under its belt before capturing the zeitgeist with Modern Warfare. Minecraft took a few years to become the household name we know it as today. In a fraction of that time, we've seen the genre of battle royale thrust into the spotlight thanks to the release of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, the seemingly unstoppable rise of competitor Fortnite, the inevitable imitators trying to cash in on the hype, the catastrophic failure of those imitators (with one studio closing within a month of their release), all while fatigue sets in with an increasingly disgruntled playerbase.
As someone whose interest in battle royale games has long faded but whose fascination at their cultural impact has only grown as its popularity has, I thought it might be interesting to examine where the genre stands one year on from PUBG's release; examining why genre mechanics and release models might be responsible for the situation we find ourselves in, and why any further competition faces an unbelievably steep uphill battle.
---
Intro text animation by Draz: twitter.com/DrazGames
youtube.com/channel/UCd3x2o76QHYNy4Vh6rkRtfg
---
Also apologies for failing to credit Noclip in the video for their Brendan Greene internet footage - youtube.com/watch?v=4e9EjExsMvI
---
Thank you so much for your continued support!
Production work by Nico Bleackley
