Highlights

• Battle Royale games offer intense competition with no real-world consequences, providing a grand scale multiplayer experience.
• There are plenty of free battle royale games available, allowing players to refine their skills before investing in paid titles.
• Each battle royale game on this list brings something unique to the genre, whether it's adorable aesthetics, inventive gameplay mechanics, or a twist on traditional shooting gameplay.

Battle Royale games allow us to experience intense competition without real-world consequences. This concept has been around for a while, predating global sensations like PUBG or Fortnite in the form of multiplayer deathmatches. However, their scale was never as grand.

Fast forward to today, with our continually improving internet and better game design, we now relish in hundred-player deathmatches. Needless to say, hopping on the battle royale train is easier than ever, and some of them don't even cost anything. So, if you want to refine your battle royale skills before investing time and money into a big paid title, consider trying out these free battle royale games first.

Updated on January 11, 2024, by Mohamed El Ouardighi: It's 2024, and many new battle royale games have been released. That's why we updated this list to include two more free battle royale games for you to enjoy with your friends.

10 Call Of Duty: Warzone

The followup to the relatively well-received Blackout mode seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Warzone differentiates itself as a standalone title separates from the standard Modern Warfare experience. While borrowing many of the mechanics from the base game's multiplayer, Call of Duty: Warzone feels like a remarkably fleshed-out experience, something that shouldn't be taken for granted in the early access era.

A free-to-play Call of Duty experience the likes of which we never thought we'd see given Activision's penchant for mobilization, this BR spinoff of the classic franchise, although fairly standard, should definitely have FPS fans' attention.

9 Bombergrounds: Battle Royale

Ever wonder what you'd get if you combined the battle royale features of Fortnite with the gameplay of Bomberman and the cutesy aesthetics of the Bananya anime? Of course you have—you're only human.

The result would almost certainly be Bombergrounds: Battle Royale, an adorable cat-based multiplayer Bomberman-like which tasks players with outlasting everyone else on an ever-shrinking battlefield. Despite its very mobile-game look and feel, we're confident that the developers can expand this into a title worth remembering in the coming weeks and months. Plus, it's totally free to try, so interested parties really have nothing to lose.

8 Tetris 99

Battle royale games, by and large, tend to be first or third-person shooters, and, while some creative devs out there have managed to break that mold, games like Fortnite and PUBG remain standard-bearers in the genre.

Yet, every once in a while, something as whacky as Tetris 99 throws a wrench in the established meta and delivers an experience that feels totally unique, even within such a diluted niche. Multiplayer Tetris which pits 99 players against each other, it's chaotic, strategic, and just plain outrageous fun. Seriously, Tetris hasn't been this much fun since the 1980s.

7 Valgrave: Immortal Plains

An inventive, medieval take on the battle royale genre, Valgrave: Immortal Plains feels quite a bit like Fortnite by way of either Mordhau or Totally Accurate Battlegrounds Simulator. Featuring melee combat, a suite of creative spells, and up to 40 other layers in a match, it's an inventive take on an all-too derivative genre.

Released in February of 2020, it's still fairly early days for Valgrave: Immortal Plains, and, while the player base isn't nearly as high as what you would expect to see in similar titles, it offers quite a bit of promise and definitely deserves a look.

6 CS: GO Danger Zone

Valve's Counter-Strike franchise has a long history of dominating the first-person shooter (FPS) eSports scene. This time around it seems the game has bent to the overwhelming will and call of battle royale. Last year, the game also introduced a battle royale mode of its own called Danger Zone. It's also not as huge in scale as your typical battle royale as it only supports up to 16 players solo or 18 in a squad of three.

However, that small number of players per match also does a lot for the game. Matches only last 10 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes for 100-player battle royale games (assuming you reach top 10). The best part about this battle royale, of course, is the shooting and gunplay mechanics of CS:GO which translate well into deathmatch gameplay.

5 Realm Royale Reforged

We've had a sci-fi battle royale game, so now, here's our fantasy variant of the genre, Realm Royale. Well, mostly fantasy, since it also has guns... that turn anyone you kill into chickens. Since it's fantasy, you also get to have some nifty spells to use against other players. It also introduces some interesting new mechanics such as magical weapon upgrades via forges in addition to the fantasy locale.

The best part is that movement and traveling in this game can be a breeze since you can summon your own mount. That's right, instead of cars, you get to ride horses (or sometimes raptors). Mounted combat is also a thing and you don't need a passenger to shoot other people while you drive (or ride) unlike in other battle royale games with vehicles.

4 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a distinctive battle royale, probably the cutest and funniest on this list. It stands out because it focuses on surviving rather than killing others by using guns. Across various levels packed with obstacles, the goal is to overcome challenges ahead and be the first to reach the final line for victory.

This game is especially enjoyable when played with friends, offering a full dose of amusement. While it's still a competitive game, the emphasis is more on laughter and good times with the cute customizable creatures.

3 PUBG: Battlegrounds

PUBG: Battlegrounds wasn't always free, but as of 2022, it became accessible to everyone for a try. Upon its initial release, it gained significant recognition and drew considerable attention as a major development in the gaming world as a battle royale game. It operates like your typical battle royale game, where you start the match by parachuting into different zones on the maps, loot, gear up, and fight your way to be the last survivor.

What sets it apart is its availability on multiple platforms, including mobile, and the ongoing support the game continues to receive. If you haven't given it a shot yet, definitely hop in and give it a try.

2 Fortnite

For a time Fortnite was the king of the battle royale genre and rightfully so. It was a more streamlined and casual-friendlier PUBG. The maps were smaller, making the matches a lot tighter and increasing the chances of players encountering one another in a session. Arguably, this makes Fortnite's matches a lot more exciting and frantic than PUBG's since the downtime between the encounters is less.

What will keep you coming back are the rewards and incentives to play. Fortnite: Battle Royale features one of the most robust and compelling rewards track and system among battle royale or even multiplayer games. Spending money is actually optional and you also don't feel cheated since you can see what you're working towards and you know what you'll get (they're all just cosmetic, by the way).

1 Apex Legends

When it first came out after being kept under a cover by the developers, Apex Legends took the gaming community by storm. It even managed to dethrone Fortnite: Battle Royale at one point and is now one of the most preferred battle royale titles at the moment. It's a futuristic sci-fi FPS that has enough polish and combat variety to put established titles like PUBG to shame.

Apex Legends' hook when it comes to differentiating itself from other titles in the genre, is the characters it has. Each of them has their own personality and specialization or skill that all make a huge difference in gameplay. Along with some quality-of-life improvements for communication and movement, Apex Legends makes battle royale more fun than any other title that tried out the formula... that is until the next big thing arrives which might happen soon.