2017 was truly the year of Battle Royale as the genre became one of the popular types of games in the video game industry. With different styles to each game, players are able to pick which game suits their tastes the most and pour their time and effort into it. The amount of popularity and interest that Battle Royale games garner has motivated esports organizations and tournament organizers to develop esports scenes for each competitive based title. Let us take a look at the best Battle Royale games on the market and their respective esports scene. 

Arma 3 Battle Royale Mod

The grandparent of modern Battle Royale games, Arma 3's Battle Royale mod was the first major implementation of this kind of game design. Created by PlayerUnknown himself, Brendan Greene, before PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) was even a thought, the Battle Royale mod for Arma 3 was the developer's first dive into creating a last man standing player versus player expereince. While the mode has not become massively popular in the same way as its descendants, it is the reason they are all here and it still stands up to being one of the best games of the genre, especially if a realistic military gameplay style is more your cup of tea.

There has not been or probably will ever be a established esports scene for Arma 3's Battle Royale mod, but many of the pro players that call PUBG home today honed their skills in Arma 3, such as Team SoloMid's Colton "Viss" Visser.

H1Z1

Another Battle Royale title worked on by PlayerUnknown, H1Z1 was the king of the genre, until PUBG and Fortnite bursted onto the scene. Featuring high paced action and exotic skins, H1Z1 caught the eye of millions of players and even with an increased amount of competition, the game still holds true as being one of the best of the genre. If you are looking for a faster paced and less loot cluttered title, H1Z1 is the Battle Royale for you.

The esports scene for H1Z1 is easily the most developed out of the big names of the genre with the H1Z1 Pro League, as it will be the very first established esports league for a Battle Royale game. With 15 teams of five players battling it out on an arena in front of a live audience and scheduled seasons, the H1Z1 Pro League is looking to challenege the likes of esports leagues and arenas even outside of the Battle Royale genre. 

Fortnite

Fortnite began as a zombie horde defense game that focused on fortifying your structures to with stand the endless waves of enemies. With the success of PUBG, Epic Games decided to create their own Battle Royale game mode, but include their building mechanic to create an expereince like no other in the genre. With different loot tier levels, fast paced action, constant updates, and the variability that the building mechanic adds, Fortnite is a top dog of the genre right now. A price tag of zero dollars also helps, as the game's Battle Royale mode is completely free.

An established esports scene has not taken hold in Fortnite, but there is an interest as organizations like Team SoloMid have signed full rosters of players to act as their competitive Fortnite teams. There is also a competitive tournament scene growing for the game on UMG, the same website that is used by a large majority of the Call of Duty competitive community. Players are able to enter different kinds of tournaments for a chance to win cash prizes. It will not be surprising to see Fortnite's esports scene bust out in an official capacity before too long.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

The starchild of PlayerUnknown himself, PUBG was where Brendan Greene had complete creative control and it allowed him to create a game that has taken over the entire video game industry. Now featuring a island and desert map, PUBG gives players massive landscapes to fight on, while also providing the most loot a player can find in a Battle Royale game. Players can find different scopes, grips, muzzle attachments, stocks, and many other attachments to customize their weapons and make them more powerful. If you are looking for a Battle Royale game with a more slow paced tactical style that includes over a dozen kind of different weapons to find, then PUBG is the title for you. 

PUBG is slowly growing an established esports scene, as tournament organizers like ESL have been putting on tournaments for the game with large cash prizes, such as IEM Oakland 2017 and the upcoming $50,000 IEM Katowice 2018 event. Popular esports organizations, such as Team SoloMid, eUnited, Cloud9, FaZe Clan and OpTic Gaming, have created teams to compete in PlayerUnknown's Battle Royale. The professional scene for PUBG is still in its infancy, but has the potential to continue to grow into a top esports arena in the industry.

2018 is promising to be an even better year for the Battle Royale genre, as these four giants will continue to update their games to entice new players and to keep old ones happy, while their repsective esports scenes look to become the next big thing in the industry. Other developers are now looking to cash in on the phenomenon and create their own take on the genre as well. Whether you're a fan of Battle Royale games or not, these kinds of games are firing on all cylinders and seem set to continue growing in prosperity for the forseeable future.