Battle Royale, brands and the experiential video game economy

Abstract

This article explores how the Battle Royale (BR) format in video games positions game users within unique articulations of play, where fully formed narratives in each game conjoin players and brands within the BR format. This game mechanic has allowed game developers to tell customized and interactive stories while also enabling companies to forge branded experiences within these games. Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone are three of the most popular BR titles analysed through an autoethnographic approach in this work. These games have developed story worlds and unique characteristics within their playable maps where players forge affective ties through gameplay and develop a sense of ownership. Understanding how and why BR games create these experiences is vital to an emergent experiential gaming economy manifesting in branded, experiential digital spaces. BR games curate branded experiences for their players, whether through gameplay or in-game events, cultivating a gaming format that has influenced the emergence of a branded experiential mode of gameplay.