Quick definition:A multiplayer game mode or genre in which many players fight in a shrinking arena until only one person or team remains, with everyone starting with little and collecting weapons and supplies.
Meaning
In a battle royale, a large number of players are placed in the same map, usually around fifty to one hundred. Everyone begins with minimal equipment, so success depends on finding weapons, armour and healing items, and deciding when to fight and when to hide.
To prevent players from hiding forever, the playable area shrinks over time, through a closing storm, a rising flood or a spreading hazard. This pushes survivors together and creates a rising tension, and each match ends when one player or team is the last remaining.
Many versions allow solo play or small squads, and they combine shooting, exploration and quick decisions. A single match lasts around twenty or thirty minutes, with no second chances, which gives each fight high stakes. Some games add building tools, vehicles or special abilities to vary the formula.
Origin:The name comes from a Japanese novel and film of the same title, released around the turn of the century, in which a group of students is forced to fight until a single survivor is left. The idea was adapted into mods and later full games in the 2010s, and the phrase became the name of the genre.
Example:One hundred players drop from an aircraft onto an island and scramble for weapons. As the minutes pass, a storm closes in and forces them towards the centre, where fights break out. Stefan hides in a house, waits for two rivals to exhaust each other, and finally wins the match with a single lucky shot.
Did you know?The genre was popularised through community-made modifications for existing games before dedicated titles took off, and it quickly became one of the most-played styles online. Free versions with cosmetic purchases helped it spread to consoles and phones as well as computers. 