The gaming world is slowly moving away from battle royale games, according to a recent study. Almost a decade ago, the little-known genre exploded in the gaming scene following the release of hits like PUBG, Fortnite and Apex Legends. New data suggests that players are now steadily moving towards sandbox games instead.

A recent report from NewZoo revealed that interest in battle royale games has dropped by 27%, measuring playtime in 2025 compared to 2024. By contrast, interest in open-world sandbox games increased by a massive 36% in that same time frame. There were also small declines in shooters and role-playing games, with adventure games also seeing minor growth. However, the steep decline in battle royale games stands out and it’s definitely a sign of the changing tides in the gaming industry.



For example, extraction shooters have also seen a bit of interest lately thanks to the releases of ARC Raiders and Marathon. Shooters still generally remain the dominant genre in the gaming space with role-playing games in second place but interest in open-world sandbox games is on a rise. The chart below shows the exact figures:



The decline of battle royale games can be monitored in real-time today. Epic Games recently increased the price of Fortnite’s V-Bucks in an effort to “pay the bills”, suggesting Fortnite was not at the height of its popularity anymore than just a few years ago. Since then, interest has steadily dwindled, not just in Fortnite but the genre at large. It’s no longer a massive priority for companies as trends now shift towards players seeking the thrills of sandbox worlds and shooters.

NewZoo’s study specifically mentions that Fortnite saw a 29% drop in playtime in 2025, alongside Apex Legends which saw a 24% drop last year. Interest in Call of Duty is also falling, last year reporting a massive 33% drop. Overwatch and Destiny 2 also sharply declined in playtime by 29% and 40% respectively.

So which sandbox games are steadily rising to dominate the gaming space? The data suggests titles like Project Zomboid, Minecraft, Terraria, and Roblox are as strong as ever with high playtimes in 2025. Other titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ghost of Yotei, and the upcoming Crimson Desert and GTA 6 – which has a tremendous amount of hype behind it – may also contribute to the rise of open-world games in the near future.

Source: NewZoo

Original article on GLITCHED