Best Battle Royale games ranked (2021): Apex Legends, Warzone, more

The battle royale genre is absolutely brimming with great titles to choose from, but what are the best BR games you can play in 2021? 

Battle royale games continue to be incredibly popular in 2021, with developers constantly bringing new titles to the table. However, like all games, not every BR is worth your time. While some of these highly competitive games stand out for their fun mechanics, there are others that often fail to hit the mark. 

Whether you’re looking for a new battle royale title to sink your teeth into or just want to see where your favorite game ranks, then our tier list has you covered. From Apex Legends to Fortnite, we’ve ranked the BR titles that should be on your radar. 

6. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt

Bloodhunt is a free-to-play battle royale game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. As the name suggests, players take control of a vampire with supernatural powers that range from deadly AoE smashes to supportive moves that restore allied health bars. 

• Read More: When is Bloodhunt coming to console?

Feeding upon the game’s helpless NPCs to power up your abilities, then unleashing them onto your fanged foes makes for thrillingly fun combat. This is especially true when you stealthily take down your foes before vanishing into the darkened city streets. 

With up to six characters to choose from and plenty of firearms at your disposal, Bloodhunt provides plenty of ways for players to hunt down their enemies. 

5. PUBG

By today’s standards, PUBG can feel like a step back in many ways. Its combat feels incredibly slow and even a little janky at times, while the maps themselves look rather sparse when compared to the other titles on our list. Despite this, there’s no denying just how influential PUBG has been to the BR genre. 

There may be more competition than there was at its launch in 2017, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had. Unlike other popular BRs, PUBG’s firefights are more methodical in their approach. 

In fact, players will need to master weapon recoil patterns, account for bullet drop, and even manage various attachments. Winning a Chicken Dinner doesn’t come easy in PUBG, which makes claiming a final circle victory all the sweeter. 

4. Naraka: Bladepoint

Naraka: Bladepoint was one of our sleeper hits of 2021. Not only did it impress us with its melee-focused take on the BR genre, but it also features enough variation to help it stand out from the well-established crowd. 

• Read More: Naraka Bladepoint character tier list: Best heroes ranked

Unlike other 60-player arena games, Naraka puts a huge emphasis on melee action. While you can pick up crossbows, canons, bows, rockets, and flamethrowers to defeat foes – the real magic is found in the game’s deadly clashes of steel.

It’s here where Naraka’s combat truly shines. Each encounter with an enemy player becomes a deadly battle of wits, where well-timed parries, dodges, and attacks can be strung together in order to defeat your foe. Mastering combos and learning when to use your hero’s skills makes for some brilliantly intense fights. 

3. Fortnite

Fortnite’s frantic building and third-person shooting continue to be a popular choice for those looking to flex their skills. With seemingly never-ending collaborations, star-studded in-game events, and an ever-evolving map – Fortnite continues to go from strength to strength. 

From alien invasions to mecha vs kaiju fights, Epic is constantly finding new and exciting ways to entertain its playerbase. The whacky nature of its guns and traps also ensures that gunfights feel distinctly unique from other battle royale games. 

While the high emphasis on the building aspect of the game can put off a lot of players, it does make for some nail-bitingly exciting firefights. 

2. Warzone

Call of Duty is known for its snappy FPS action and fast-paced multiplayer lobbies, where high kill scores reward players with devastating streaks. However, Warzone takes this game-winning formula and cranks it all the way up to 100. With a total of 150 players dropped into a large map, things can get incredibly tense in a matter of seconds. 

• Read More: Warzone reports suggest Pacific map won’t have WWII setting

While Warzone shares are the familiar trappings of other BR titles, its unique use of custom loadouts and purchasable killstreaks is what makes it stand out. Unlocking new guns and attachments is all part of the fun, especially when you find a killer combo that can chew through enemy healthbars. 

With the arrival of the Vanguard integration, new anti-cheat, and pacific-themed map, Warzone aims to deliver even more frantic firefights into 2022. 

1. Apex Legends

Apex Legends crowns itself as the champion of the arena thanks to its fluid movement system, unique cast of characters, and excellent variety of futuristic weaponry. Not only do the game’s environments and characters pop with both color and vibrance, the Titanfall-themed guns feel greatly distinct from one another – an area that other BRs often struggle with. 

From the laser-accurate shots of the Charge Rifle to the beefy barrage of the M600 Spitfire, Apex Legends’ weapon design is incredibly distinct. Throw in an ever-expanding roster of characters with game-changing abilities, and you have an incredibly fun BR that can keep you entertained for hours on end. 

Honorable mentions

Fall Guys and Tetris may not be the first games that come to mind when you’re thinking of BR titles to play, but both these games ditch the guns for party-style gameplay. If you’re a fan of TV shows like Takeshi’s Castle and Wipe Out, then the platformer-style mini-games of Fall Guys will enable you to live out your very own gameshow dreams. 

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Next up, is Tetris 99 – a free-to-play Switch game that pits 99 players against each other simultaneously to complete rows with falling tetrominoes. Completing combination moves will enable you to launch attacks towards your opponents, filling their Tetris board with garbage that can quickly knock them out of the competition. 

Both these games may seem more casual in their approach to the BR formula, but Fall Guys and Tetris 99 are entertaining nonetheless. If you don’t have time to commit to long play sessions or just want something to play at a gathering, then both games will offer plenty of laughs.