7 best battle royale games like PUBG & Fortnite (2023)

7 best battle royale games like PUBG & Fortnite (2023)
Images via PUBG Corporation | Epic Games

Written by 

David Coulson

Published 

22nd Sep 2023 12:12

Contents

If you've had your fair share of battle royales and are on the hunt (get it?) for something fresh to play, we've got a list of the best games that we'd suggest picking up in 2023 if you're a fan of Fortnite or PUBG.

The battle royale genre took the world by storm a decade ago, and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down thanks to games such as Fortnite and PUBG becoming part of pop culture, and some of them are now amongst the most popular games of all time. 

Over the years, many have come and gone, which is one of the main risks of live service games, but some stand tall above the rest and have so far stood the test of time.

So whether you’re a fan of first-person shooters, third-person shooters, or want a fresh take on the genre that doesn’t involve weaponry, here are the seven best battle royale games that you need to play in 2023.

Best battle royale games like Fortnite & PUBG in 2023

7. Forza Horizon 5 Eliminator Mode

key art for the eliminator mode in forza horizon 5, one of the best battle royale games
Click to enlarge
Image via Playground Games

  • Developer: Playground Games
  • Original release date: November 9, 2021
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Key features:
    • A change of pace compared to most traditional battle royale games
    • Is a mode within a much larger game
    • Not too difficult to win but a lot of fun nonetheless

A racing game might seem like an odd inclusion in a list of the best battle royales, but the Forza Horizon series does have its own mode called Eliminator.

In it, players will be tasked with driving across the map as it slowly gets smaller, much like in traditional battle royale modes. After upgrading your car, you can challenge other racers to be the first to reach a random location, with the winner staying in the game and the loser being eliminated.

This continues until there is one racer left standing - so if you're looking for something slightly different when it comes to battle royales, this mode in Forza Horizon 5 may be just what you're looking for.

6. CRSED: F.O.A.D.

Key art for CRSED: Foad
Click to enlarge
Image via Darkflow Studio

  • Developer: Darkflow Studio
  • Original release date: December 12, 2019
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android
  • Key features:
    • Combines realistic weaponry and superpowers for a unique experience
    • Is free to play across all platforms
    • Focuses on MMO-style gameplay in addition to battle royale

CRSED: F.O.A.D. is an MMO last-man-standing game that combines realistic weaponry with superpowers and abilities to bring a unique (and incredibly fun) experience that is definitely one battle royale game you'll want to try if you're a fan of Fortnite or PUBG.

One of the more unique aspects of the game is it can be played in either first or third-person, meaning you can tailor the experience to your liking. What's more, CRSED: F.O.A.D. is free-to-play across all platforms - so there’s no reason not to at least try it.

5. Free Fire

key art for free fire
Click to enlarge
Image via Garena

  • Developer: Garena
  • Original release date: December 8, 2017
  • Platforms: iOS, Android
  • Key features:
    • Is the most popular mobile battle royale game
    • Very quick matches
    • Easy to pick up and play as a beginner

If you’re a mobile gamer, there is one battle royale game like Fortnite and PUBG that you absolutely must download: Free Fire. Since it launched in 2017, it has seen more than one billion downloads and still sees millions of concurrent active players every day.

Compared to other games on this list, Free Fire is much faster-paced but is still easy to pick up for beginners, with 50 players competing in short 10-minute matches to come out on top. So, what're you waiting for?

4. Totally Accurate Battlegrounds

key art for totally accurate battlegrounds
Click to enlarge
Image via Landfall Games

  • Developer: Landfall Games
  • Original release date: June 5, 2018
  • Platforms: PC
  • Key features:
    • Is free to play
    • Not a steep learning curve to get started
    • Has a 90+ weapon loot pool

Totally Accurate Battlegrounds became free-to-play after three years of being a paid release, which has only helped to boost its popularity further.

The physics-based battle royale game may not be the best-looking game on the market when compared to titles like Fortnite or PUBG, but also has plenty of charm because of it. Due to it being free to play and having largely been abandoned by developers, it does have its share of hackers, but if you can navigate those, then it is an enjoyable experience.

3. Fall Guys

key art of fall guys, one of the best battle royale games like pub and fortnite
Click to enlarge
Image via Mediatonic

  • Developer: Mediatonic
  • Original release date: August 4, 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
  • Key features:
    • A very fun party game that you can pick up and play anytime
    • Doesn’t have a high skill ceiling which makes winning obtainable for beginners
    • Is fun to play with friends

Fall Guys is a fun change of pace from the endless shooters that occupy this list of battle royales. Instead of shooting your enemies to take them out of the match, instead, you'll be tasked with finishing obstacle courses faster than your opposition.

Split up over multiple rounds, each round in the game sees fewer players qualify until just one player remains, emerging victoriously. Fall Guys took the world by storm in 2020 and has since become free to play following the acquisition by Epic Games in 2022. 

2. Apex Legends

Click to enlarge
Image via Respawn Entertainment

  • Developer: Respawn Entertainment
  • Original release date: February 4, 2019
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
  • Key features:
    • Focuses more on team-based modes rather than a solo experience
    • Fast movement and gameplay make it very engaging from the beginning of the match
    • Has a variety of characters which allows players to craft their play style

Following the success of Fortnite and PUBG as battle royales, many publishers wanted to put their hat into the ring. EA was one of them, with Apex Legends releasing in 2019, and is set in the same universe as Titanfall.

Since then, it has become one of the most popular games in the genre and is still thriving today, having had plenty of different seasons all with their own new Legends and content to dive into.

Apex Legends focuses more on team-based modes rather than solo play and has a thriving ranked and competitive scene, making it a clear choice for one of the best go-to battle royales available in 2023.

What is the best battle royale game to play in 2023?

1. Call of Duty: Warzone

key art for call of duty's warzone 2, the best battle royale game
Click to enlarge
Image via Activision

  • Developer: Infinity Ward/Raven Software
  • Original release date: March 10, 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Key features:
    • Features the classic Call of Duty gameplay at a much larger scale
    • Warzone features many collaborative skins of entertainment iconic
    • Cross-progression between Warzone and the main games

If you're looking for a battle royale game like PUBG or Fortnite, you'll want to look no further than Call of Duty's Warzone 2. As Activision's foray into the battle royale genre, it takes the classic Call of Duty gameplay and pits 150 players against each other on one map to fight to be the last one standing.

Since its original release in 2020, Warzone has since been overhauled as Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, and with regular content updates there's always something new to check out in-game.

So that's our rundown of the best games like Fortnite and PUBG you'll want to play if you're looking for another battle royale to dive into.

For even more content on games to check out, our Lists homepage has everything you need to know.

David is a freelance journalist at GGRecon. Beginning his gaming journey in 1993 SNES as an avid Super Mario World fan, his passion for games led him into journalism in 2019. When he's not cranking 90s in Pleasant Park, he can often be found playing the latest releases including Resident Evil, The Legend of Zelda, and Grand Theft Auto.

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