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The battle royale genre has become a household name since the 2017 surprise hit, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Since then has only increased in popularity with games like Warzone, Apex Legends and the high and mighty Fortnite. The battle royale genre is here to stay and for a long haul, with some really good free-to-play titles constantly taking center stage.
Despite the massive outreach to the genre, there have been a number of titles from some very high-profile studios that tried to jump on the battle royale trend but failed to captivate players either due to a lack of originality or substance that kept players coming back to their games over the competition.
These battle royale titles failed to captivate players
5) The Culling 2
Developer Xaviant's The Culling, at the time of its release, was somewhat of a cult classic among players. The game was one of the very first battle royale titles but distinguished itself from the competition by relying more towards melee combat over traditional shooter gameplay.
However, The Culling 2 was not what fans of the original game expected from the title and not in a good way. The Culling 2 was a straight-up rip-off of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, ditching any semblance of originality the first game had. Adding to that, the game was marred by many technical issues.
Despite how poorly The Culling 2 was received, the developers tried to resurrect the series with The Culling Origins, which was even more problematic. The game was built for nickel and dime players as it featured a new and laughable pay-per-match mechanic.
Suffice to say, players were not interested in the game and the game quickly died off. The Culling was pulled from sale on Steam just months after its release.
4) Realm Royale
Hi-Rez Studios and developer Heroic Leap Games' Realm Royale was an example of a game failing due to the developers abandoning it much sooner than expected. Realm Royale was presented as a unique take to the battle royale genre with a very vibrant and colorful art style.
The game was marketed as a class-based battle royale, much like Apex Legends, where each character has a distinct set of skills that affect gameplay drastically. The game also allowed players to ride mounts like horses to speed up traversal on the Battlefield.
The game had potential if it got supported with regular updates and content drops by the developers, but instead, Hi-Rez abandoned it much too soon; thus, the playerbase quickly died down for the game.
3) Radical Heights
Radical Heights, on paper, sounded like a fun multiplayer game, but as soon as players got their hands on Boss Key Production's last-ditch effort, they quickly realized the game was not what it was advertised.
Radical Heights was like any battle royale title with little innovation or originality other than its somewhat unique art direction.
The game's launch was criticized due to its lack of innovation and technical polish. The game was a result of rushed development. After Lawbreakers failed to capture the hero-shooter market, Boss Key Production's final efforts at cashing in on the battle royale trend did not fit well with the players. Just like its predecessor, Radical Heights also died sooner than expected.
2) Battlefield V: Firestorm
Saying Battlefield V had a troubled launch would be an understatement. The game was expected to follow in the footsteps of the phenomenal Battlefield 1, but with DICE and EA trying to capitalize on the Call of Duty market using their Battlefield franchise, it tarnished the series for many, many players.
Battlefield games were always about a realistic warfare setting where players can experience the horrors and hardships of war. With Battlefield V, however, DICE tried to push towards a more modern and arcadey style of first-person shooter gameplay, and players were not pleased with that decision.
It's tough to imagine modes like battle royale having a place in a more realistic shooter experience like Battlefield. Yet, with Battlefield V, developers introduced Firestorm, a traditional battle royale with the Battlefield skin.
The gameplay here was nothing different than any standard genre game, with players starting on an ever-shrinking map, scavenging for loot, and trying to survive for the longest.
Although a battle royale mode seemed very out of place in a Battlefield title, its top-notch gunplay, weapons, and diverse maps made for a fun match. Due to poor marketing and a severe lack of support from EA and DICE, the Firestorm mode of Battlefield V lost players much sooner than expected.
1) Hyper Scape
Hyper Scape was Ubisoft's first foray into the free-to-play battle royale genre, with a colorful and distinct art style that set itself apart from the competition. The game is set in a neon-drenched sci-fi world. The game's unique feature was its reliance on parkour traversal, which made it fun to play.
The weapons and perks system was unique in Hyper Scape as players can upgrade them multiple times during gameplay to increase their efficiency and usefulness.
At the launch, Hyper Scape did well for a new free-to-play title, but the playerbase for the game never reached the likes of Apex Legends or Warzone, let alone Fortnite or PUBG, which led Ubisoft to shut down the servers for the game on April 27, 2022, in less than two years after its release.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
