Battle Royale games offer a tense and unique challenge where you don’t just lose… You get kicked from the lobby! There’s something personal about removing an opponent from the server, and the genre owes itself to grand battles where you never know what to expect.
BRs are also an untapped resource in many titles we already enjoy. With this in mind, here are some existing titles that would make for a superb Battle Royale experience.
Just so I don’t anger the “not every game needs a Battle Royale” crowd, this list is just a bit of fun. It’s always amusing to theory-craft, even if it will never happen.
10Warframe
The War Within
Warframeis an impressive sci-fi title withelements from many genres, including Action RPGs and Looter Shooters.
One part of the game that’s universally praised is the movement mechanics. Techniques, like the Bullet Jump, sell the’space ninja' fantasy, and combat is furious and fast-paced.
We briefly see the Tenno in action in a cutscene right at the start of the game. It would be incredible to participate in an all-out war,Warframestyle, as there are many different Warframes with unique skill sets.
In fact,Warframealready has two PvP modes.Dueling in the Dojo and Conclave. They aren’t popular, but a grand-scale PvP mode requiring a mix of gunplay, movement prowess, and melee combat would be unbelievable!
9Burnout Paradise
Paradise City Revisited
Burnout Paradise Remastered
We’ve tragically not seen aBurnoutgame for a while, but the title has so much potential forchaotic multiplayer modes.
Burnout Paradiseis already beloved for itsfantastic crash systemand is evenavailable on Xbox Game Pass. Traditionally, the punishment for getting wrecked is the time lost while you watch your car fall apart. Now, imagine if the goal was tobe the last driver standing, and that wreck kicked you from the game.
Burnout Paradiseproves an open-world island is an excellent setting for a driving game. The city is overflowing with deadly intersections that players could use to set up a trap. Conversely, rural roads could be used for high-speed chases where the winner takes all.
Sure, the idea could use some work, but a BR would be a great fit for a stylish racer wherecrossing the finish line first isn’t the only objective.
8Marvel Rivals
Take Part In Civil War
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivalsis animpressive Hero Shooterand the first real competitionOverwatch 2has had in years.
The Marvel movies often show our beloved heroes and villains throwing down ingrand battlesacross the galaxy.Marvel Rivalshas already proved it can do the roster justice with hero abilities, and those could add a superb dynamic to a Battle Royale.
A Marvel Battle Royale would probablybenefit from some AI fodderaround the maps to really sell the vibe that the heroes and villains run the show. Balancing would be an absolute nightmare, but it could be chaotic fun if done right!
7Gears of War 4
An Epic Battle Between COG and Locust
Gears of War 4
Gears of Warused to be animmensely popular third-person shooterand one of the few that could stand up to the dominance ofHaloandCall of Duty.
The series isn’t nearly as relevant nowadays, butthat’s not to say it couldn’t be. Combat inGears of Warstands out because it’sstrategic, bloody, and visceral.
We already have an iconic pool of weapons like the Lancer and Hammer of Dawn, and deleting players from the game with those would be immensely fun.
We’ve already seen that third-person shooters can work in a BR setting, thanks to titles likeFortnite. The war between the humans and Locust is ripe for areimagining on a massive scale.
6Final Fantasy XIV
A New Threat Emerges In Eorzea
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Final Fantasy XIVis an immensely popular MMORPG and already boasts aserviceable PvP mode.
I honestly thought PvP would be dull in an MMO, but the numerousjobs and skills make combat pretty exciting. Players take part in grand battles in PvE, but the threat would be much higher with other players involved.
Some classes are clearly more adept for PvE, as there are Tank, DPS, and Support roles. With this in mind, maybe an arrangement likeApex Legendswould work withsmall teams instead of solos.
PvP is not as popular inFinal Fantasy XIVas it could be, but judging by the vitriol surrounding the Dawntrail expansion, I don’t think a Battle Royale would make it any worse.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: 10 Best Locations, Ranked
The open world of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has several charismatic locations and colorful regions to explore outside of Midgar.
5Battlefield 2042
It’s Time For Another Try
Battlefield 2042
Out of every FPS title on the planet,Battlefieldstrikes me asthe best candidate for a Battle Royale. We briefly hadFirestorm, which was an admirable crack at the genre, but it’s time for round two.
It’sfrankly bafflingto me thatBattlefield 2042didn’t release with a BR when the genre was at peak popularity. This is one I don’t think I need to explain too much.Battlefieldalready nails armyvehicles and contemporary weapons on a grand scale.
It wouldn’t take too much effort to repurpose what we already have into a tense BR setting where you’re removed from the lobby if you die.
Random ground loot would eliminate the dozens of snipers in every match, andBattlefieldvehicle combat is already some of the best in the business.
Battlefieldis the most likely to gain a working Battle Royale out of every title on this list, as while we don’t know the details, one is allegedly planned for the next installment in the series.
4Escape from Tarkov
The Streets Of Tarkov Just Got More Dangerous
Escape from Tarkov
Escape from Tarkovis an Extraction Shooter and is already known for itspunishing gameplay, where you can lose everything in a split second. You can evenruin friendshipswith a couple of stray bullets!
The player base is already accustomed to dying with no comebacks, so the title could potentially house a successful Battle Royale.
Escape from Tarkovalready has plenty of huge maps. If Scavs and Bosses were removed, and a small pool of players fought until only one squad was left, that could make for a tense game mode.
For fairness, players would have to spawn with arandom or restricted kit, but the allure of bringing powerful gear out of the carnage could offer something unique that would only work in Tarkov.
3Titanfall 2
Stand By For Titanfall
Titanfall 2
I always feel like I’mopening up old woundswhen I talk aboutTitanfall 2, as the series has been dormant sinceApex Legendscame out.
You could argue thatApexis theTitanfallBattle Royale, but itfeels more like a hero shooter, and we don’t have Titans.
Titanfallmultiplayer managed to masterfully blend mech and Pilot combat. Pilot vs Pilot battles are intense andreward slick movementand a steady aim.
We’ve already seen how goodTitanfallPvP is. We’ve also seen how well the universe translates into the BR genre. Personally, I’d take more generic characters if it meant we can roam the battlefield in giant hulking mechs.
2Destiny 2
What Could Top The Final Shape?
Destiny 2: The Final Shape
Destiny 2has had its fair share of ups and downs but has always providedcontent for PvE and PvP audiences. Despite current issues, the team at Dualshockersstill rates the title highly.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that gunplay inDestiny 2isamong the finest in the industry. Taking a Guardian’s head off with a hand cannon is deliciously satisfying, and class abilities add just enough sci-fi spice to competitive battles.
Bungie has proven they aren’t afraid to try new things with PvP. We already have a fun (if sweaty)PvPvE mode in Gambit, so translating that gameplay into a BR is not a massive stretch. I’d love to see some AI combatants in aDestiny 2BR, as the factions are well-established now.
We already have the framework, and an army of cracked Guardians is far more intimidating than The Witness ever was.
1Halo Infinite
You All Saw This One Coming
Halo Infinite
Regardless of whether you preferHalo Infiniteor theMaster Chief Collection, I think we can all agree thatthe universe is ripe for expansion.
The best part aboutHalois that itcaters to everyone. Competitive matches are intoxicatingly tense and sweaty. On the flip side, big team battle matches offerchaotic funwhere you can enjoy the series' iconic vehicle pool.
Now, imagine that on an even grander scale. We already have several established races. Failing that, we could haveSpartan squadsin an Apex-Legends-style arrangement.
The sky is the limit with aHaloBattle Royale, and who knows? Maybe it could put the franchise back on the FPS map.
We’ve seen what a grandHalobattle could look likein CGI cutscenes. It would be absolutely incredible to experience that as a player.
