Battle Royale games are all the rage these days, so it made sense that gaming’s biggest franchise,Call of Duty,would want to cash in on the trend with its newest entry in the FPS franchise,Black Ops 4.Their take on the genre, Blackout, has done well with both fans and critics who seem to enjoy the mode’s fast-paced gameplay, so it makes sense that there would be some players leaping off thePUBGboat to check out the uncharted waters ofBlack Ops 4,but it appears that isn’t the case.
In fact,PUBGonly had a drop off of 4% overBlack Ops 4’sopening weekend, a surprisingly small sum considering thatBlack Ops 4broke digital sales records for Activision. This drop in players wasn’t even as severe as some ofPUBG’s other weeks without competition, such as one in May 2018 that saw a startling drop of 20%. This is good news for the PUBG Corp, as it means that they now have a dedicated fanbase of gamers who are in it for the long haul.
Despite its minimal effect on its competitor,Black Ops 4has been an impressive beast. It was the most viewed game on Twitch over the weekend, and many streamers are beginning to abandon their usual games to check out the newCall of Dutytitle. Whether or not the mode will have staying power, especially considering the franchises annualized nature that could turn off some Battle Royale fans if handled incorrectly, remains to be seen.
One thing is for sure, Blackout has made a giant splash in the genre. It likely won’t be the death of any other titles, but it will almost certainly be able to carve out its own niche and be a long-term success for Activision. Or maybeBattlefield V’sBattle Royale modewill come in to steamroll the competition and assert itself as the new king of the genre. Hopefully, PUBG is also able to maintain its popularity in a shifting and everchanging genre of video games.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
