Battle royale has taken over online gaming in an unprecedented way. It should come as no surprise that most battle royale games todayare breaking records for player countacross all platforms. Companies are making the best of this trend by using the “games as a service” method of releasing their games, making most of their games free-to-play and monetizing them after release via season passes and in-game customizations. These are usually aimed at players and streamers who spend large amounts of time perfecting their skills at the game.
Considering the number of skilled players and the vast competition online, most of these games are difficult to play. However, the nature of battle royale games makes them even harder. The gradual decrease in map size, skill-based matchmaking, and steep learning curves means that new players often find these games hard to begin playing. That said, the wins make up for the difficulty, andplayers quickly learnthat the end result is worth the effort.
7Realm Royale Reforged
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.0
Realm Royaleis a fun, free-to-play third-person shooter that originated as a game mode in the 2018 shooter gamePaladins.Compared to similar art styles in games likeFortniteandOverwatch,Realm Royaleis noted by critics for de-cluttering its map and presenting a clean battle map. The game allows players to choose various magical abilities.
The2022 update was a major upheavalof the features of the game, bringing new content and class-specific abilities to the shooter, whereas in the past those abilities could be swapped with any other. This change in the abilities system means that new players will have difficulties adjusting from one battle to the next. However, the game makes it easy for newcomers by allowing them to respawn if they can survive for twenty seconds after being taken down. Overall, this game is a challenging yet fun title for newcomers to the genre.
6Darwin Project
Darwin Projectis a game that forgoes the traditional gunplay in a battle royale for an axe and a bow. Additionally, players are equipped with a unique crafting system that adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. Players are required to gather resources, and craft items such as campfires and arrows to survive along with nine others in an ice age environment. The game is run by an eleventh player who has special powers and grants equipment to the survivors to make the game more interesting.
Although the unique element of a controlling additional player makes this game a challenge, it is a fun and interesting interpretation of the battle royale genre. While the game has not been popular in recent years and updates have stopped since 2020, servers in the EU and US are still up, and players looking for a fun and lighthearted strategy battle royale will find this one enjoyable.
Make no mistake:Fall Guysis one of the toughest battle royales out there. Don’t be fooled by the cute jellybeans! The forty players will mercilessly push, grab, climb, dive, and jump to win a round to advance. The chaotic gameplay that players are immediately thrown into makes them quickly learn that it’s not as easy as it looks. Tough platforming, the movement of other players, and a variety of maps are what turnFall Guysinto a deceptively challenging title.
However, the visual style is an immediate draw for most players. The title takes inspiration from TV shows likeTakeshi’s CastleandWipeoutand is essentially a free-to-play online platformer with a battle royale element. The simplicity of the controls makes this game a fun recommendation for newcomers to the genre.
Fortnitestill stands strong as the king of online games and is probably the most accessible online shooter to hit the shelves in the 2010s. The fun art style, casual game modes, and in-game events help draw newbies in and also keep the game interesting for veterans. What makesFortnitedifficult, for most battle royale fans, is the building mechanic that lets players build 20-meter-tall forts to protect themselves while in a gun battle. This is a skill that just doesn’t exist and isn’t needed in many other BR shooters.
The inclusion of timed game modeswith popular franchiseshelps keep the game relevant even in 2024, andFortniteis an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a challenge in the battle royale space today—if they don’t mind the building aspect.
Apex Legendsentered the battle royale with a bang in 2019. Players and critics alike praised the movement mechanics, gun designs, legend abilities, and the size of the maps. It is still going strong and is as popular as ever, with new updates andchanges to the ranked and regular game modes.
With the release of Season 20, each legend has a unique upgrade system that has drastically changed the meta and upped the difficulty of the game. The pace of each battle has increased dramatically, and new players will have to learn legend abilities and map rotations much faster than before. This game has cemented its spot as one of the most popular titles in the battle royale genre, thanks in part to its roots in theTitanfalluniverse. The movement skills and legend abilities make this game one of the hardest to learn and master in the genre.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsstarted as a battle royale version of theArma 2modDayZand is credited with being the first to popularize the battle royale genre. It continuously remains somewhere around the top five or threeon Steam Chartsas one of the most played games andcontinues to provide major updatesseven years after release.
Of course, all this competition comes at a cost. It is commonly cited as one of the hardest games in the genre, and fans often claim that there is no better feeling than winning inPUBG. Gun recoil is difficult to learn and control. It is vital to plan movement and rotation, and patience is a virtue well rewarded. Relaxing for even a second usually results in instant death. This game is a treat for those who value positioning over raw aim, which is what makes it one of the most difficult battle royale games out there.
The developers ofCall of Duty,Raven Software and Infinity Ward, built upon the success of its first attempt at the battle royale genre inCall of Duty: Blackoutand came out withWarzonein 2020. It is a free add-on to the mainModern Warfareflagship without requiring the purchase of it. It took off immediately and has seen over 100 million players since its launch due to the popularity of the long-standing franchise.
Suffice it to say,Warzoneis one of the grittiest entries in the battle royale genre, sticking to its roots in theCall of Dutyfranchise with fast-paced action and skill-heavy combat rotation dynamics. The need for quick reflexes is imperative due to the aggressive player base and faster TTK (time to kill). Recently, the skill ceiling of the player base has seemingly increased due to the game’s dependence on skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), which many fans claimmakes the game less accessible to casual players. Even as the debate around SBMM rages on,Warzonealso brings in veterans from theCall of Dutymainline games, making it harder for newcomers to hone their skills.Warzoneis rightfully considered one of the hardest battle royales in the genre right now.
