So, battle royale – was it just a fad? Probably not, or at least, if it is, it’s not even close to being over. But maybe it’s not king.
While we’ve been tracking Fortnite’s revenue ever since its battle royale mode exploded back in 2017 – and indeed, last month, it was still topping the list for console – that doesn’t mean it’s claiming everyone’s attention. In fact, as The Esports Observer has noted, more eyes are on League of Legends, at least according to Twitch’s viewership records.
The 10-year-old Riot Games MOBA has seen revenue declines over the last few years, but it pulled in significantly more hours-watched on Twitch over the first six months of 2019. Fortnite, on the other hand, has lost about 13% of its viewership compared to the same period in 2018. The two games have just about swapped places.
Apex Legends clocked in at around a third of the time fans gave to League on the platform. And worth mentioning is that Blizzard’s core titles – Overwatch, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft – all made the top 10 for eyeballs, in spite of being outpaced in revenue.
