5 Most Anticipated Battle Royale Games Coming Out in 2023

Battle royale games are so popular right now, ever since PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) made its debut in 2017, and Fortnite stole the show a mere few months later. Thanks to the rampant success of these two pioneer games, the battle royale impact on the gaming industry grew so strong. So much, so that new battle royales continue to release almost every other week while, all along, the staples continue to thrive.

As much as Fortnite and PUBG are hands down the best battle royale games you can play, you’re completely welcome to want to dip your toes in fresh waters. Especially now that battle royales don’t necessarily stick to the ever-shrinking map and shooter recipe. If you’re curious to know which upcoming battle royale games have caught the most attention, we’ve compiled the five most anticipated battle royale games coming out in 2023 that you wouldn’t want to miss.

5. Hit and Boom

You may already know the Hit and Boom 3v3 brawler robot fight game. However, there’s an upcoming Hit and Boom battle royale with an expected Q3 2023 release date. The new game is free to play with blockchain integration, allowing play-to-earn mechanics. Gameplay-wise, it’s a top-down, skill-shot-based game where animalistic robots called Boombots fight off against one another until the last robot standing wins.

Although there isn’t much, we know about the gameplay specifics so far, integrating the game with blockchain technology seems to suggest ownership of in-game assets, a minting theme for NFTs, and an online marketplace for trading. There are also leagues and tournaments set up where the winners will possibly earn token rewards. 

Some of the robots you’ll play as include fun animals like pandas and turtles. Each character has unique cosmetics that can be bought as NFTs. The website also suggests the ownership of NFT pets. It’s all so exciting. Since there seems to be a closed beta already underway, perhaps we’ll have more specific information. However, you could wait for the open beta, which is currently set to launch in Q3 2023. 

4. Rainy Neon: Baku

Alternatively, you could take your chances in 2121 Baku, where a grim, dark cyberpunk future has become the new norm. At first glance, Rainy Neon: Baku looks absolutely gorgeous, possibly giving Fortnite a run for its money. It also plays in pretty similar ways, like choosing your character at the start and having access to a wide array of special abilities. 

As you move about the city, either on foot or by driving a fast car, you’ll need to track down deadly cyborgs representing corrupt capitalist corporations and take them down. When you successfully win the battles, you’ll earn profits and have saved the people of Baku from harm. Of course, it’s not just cyborgs that pose a threat. You’ll also need to fight against human players made up of up to 32 fighters and up to two cyborgs.

The “Rainy Neon” tag name also holds significance to the game’s mechanics. Besides the overall neon-lit cities and gloomy weather, it turns out that getting your cyborg suit wet has dire consequences. So, ideally, you’ll need to throw on a shield to stay dry. While you can expect the game in Q4 2023, feel free to check out the trailer here in the meantime.

3. My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble

So far, most battle royales apply a relatively similar gameplay pattern, whether it’s the setting, gameplay, or overall look and feel. However, if you’d like a complete, drastic change of scene, you can always try out the upcoming My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble battle royale game. It’s the first-ever battle royale to adapt the hit My Hero Academia anime/manga series. 

Players can choose to play as the hero or villain against other players. Depending on the class you choose, you can have access to an array of special abilities, like zero gravity, to create floating hazards or cause unexpected chaos on the battlefield. You can also team up with two other players and fight off up to seven opposing teams.

Because you’ll be playing in teams, wandering off by yourself may not always work in your favor. So, cooperating with one another and devising a plan that maximizes your skills and environment could be the way to be the last one standing. At the moment, a closed beta is underway, and an official release date is unclear. Hopefully, the game will release sometime in 2023. Let’s wait and see.

2. Shattle

Set in Cold War Sweden, Shattle takes you back to 1970, where up to 25 players get trapped in a warzone. The only way out? To fight to the death until the last-man-standing wins. It gets more complicated when, besides needing to survive against 24 other players, you risk getting obliterated by random air strikes or buildings crashing down on you. 

Fortunately, Shattle is a survival game that offers the tools you need to stay alive. Through shooting, looting, and crafting all sorts of weapons, the deadlier, the better, you can protect yourself against any looming threat that comes at you, all while staying clear of the bombs falling from the sky.

Unlike other large-scale maps like PUBG or Fortnite, Shattle puts players within close-quarters maps. So, really, there isn’t someplace safe to hide, at least not for too long before someone sniffs you out. Such compact spaces make Shattle that much more exciting. You’ll essentially have to fight to the death throughout the game if you’re to have any luck at being the last man standing. 

Although there isn’t much we know about Shattle’s release date, platforms, and other gameplay information; Steam seems to suggest the game will be “coming soon,” hopefully sometime in 2023. In the meantime, feel free to check out the official trailer here.

1. Off the Grid

Back to the cyberpunk lifestyle. Off the Grid looks enticing with its dystopian, covert corporate war cyberpunk future. It’s also quite unique for wanting to focus on narration. Through both PvP battles and PvE storyline missions, players can fight in real-time across a map that other online players can access.

While exact details remain unclear, it seems developer Gunzilla Games plans to throw the ball out of the park on this one. Their intent is to design a map larger than any we’ve seen before. Plus, they plan to host up to 150 players. With the full story campaign, 3D scanned skins, loadout customization options, and more ambitious moves to come, all running at full speed, I certainly can’t help but wonder if Off the Grid will pioneer the next stride in battle royale.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up any of the five most anticipated battle royale games coming out in 2023? Are there more games we should know about? Let us know down in the comments or over on our socials here.