Here are three other battle royale games coming in 2018 that gamers should pay attention to. There's nothing like the thrill of taking on opponents in an ever-decreasing killzone and claiming the title of being last man (or woman) standing. From the tail end of 2017 and bulldozing into 2018, battle royale games are bigger than ever. Even with huge console titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, and Red Dead Redemption 2 all rumored to put their own spin on the subgenre in their games, battle royale as an industry is largely held up by the two big players - PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite.
Other games like H1Z1 and Radical Heights have attempted to grab headlines away from PUBG and Fornite, which has proven to be a tough mission to complete. Barely a day goes by without another battle royale title popping up on consoles or online. So for those looking for something a little different, here are three more battle royale games that everyone should be looking out for.
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Fractured Lands
Developers at Unbroken Studios include impressive talent that have worked on the likes of shooter series including Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, and Battlefield. These days, they have now thrown themselves into what has been described as Mad Max meets PUBG. With Fortnite introducing the likes of shopping carts and an array of weird and wonderful ways to travel, Fractured Lands takes it one step further with an improved focus on vehicular combat.
Not just resigned to putting the pedal to the metal, Fractured Lands will still include the classic on-foot action so as not to distance itself from a classic battle royale experience. Launching on Steam in early July, those who want to be their own road warrior can try the Fractured Lands beta version on June 8, 22, and 29.
Mavericks: Proving Grounds
Go big or go home is the motto of Mavericks: Proving Grounds. Forget 100 to 1 PvP battle royale, Mavericks doesn't stop at 400 and even has hopes of reaching 1000 players crammed into the 12km squared battleground. Thankfully, instead of being a style over substance experience, Mavericks has a densely populated backdrop that is effectively living and breathing alongside the player. Disturb a branch or trample some leaves and gamers run the risk of leading opponents right to where they are hiding.
Fortnite and PUBG may be all fun and games, but Mavericks seems to have spared no expense on the reality of what a real-life battle royale could be like. Alongside this, developers Automaton hope to deliver a compelling storyline that evolves into more of an RPG over the next few years while promising a hub where gamers can trade goods and join ranks. Comparisons have been pulled between Mavericks and titles like Warhammer Online, RuneScape, APB, and EVE Online, but that's probably because some of the minds behind this latest adventure have worked on all of the above.
Fear The Wolves
What may sound like the title of a Blumhouse horror movie, Fear The Wolves is another battle royale game with its own unique selling point. As the video game industry is still obsessed with apocalyptic wastelands in the likes of Fallout, Fear The Wolves takes the action to Chernobyl. Developer Vostok Games has another trick up its sleeve thanks to a dynamic weather system that affects gameplay. Weather can turn in an instant as previously habitable zones become a radioactive death trap. Sure, they can be explored, but only if players are one of the 100 who have managed to scavenge the right protective equipment first.
Just like Mavericks, gameplay is tactical as the weather organically shifts radioactive clouds towards the dwindling number of survivors. Elsewhere - and again similar to the scorched lands of Fallout - AI is rumored to play a part in Fear The Wolves. As well as warding off opponents, radioactive mutants are baying for blood out there. Whether teaming up in squads or being a "lone wolf," the developers behind S.T.A.L.K.E.R are again looking to raise the bar when it comes to battle royale. Vostok Games promises more from this year's E3, teasing a 2018 release on PC and consoles at some point in the future.
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While the roots of battle royale gaming can be traced back to Minecraft's unofficial The Hunger Games mode (later named Survival Games) in 2012, the beast has continued to grow. With PUBG held as the turning point in the genre, developers are now busy suing Epic Games over intellectual copyright, meaning that new battle royale games are forced to adapt. As the industry continues to grow, more and more imaginative titles are set to join the swelling ranks of battle royale games while vying for the attention of gun-toting players. The big question is, how long can the big two hold onto their crowns?