Fortnite poll reveals most beloved mode and it’s not Battle Royale

Cande Maldonado
Battle Royale against Zero Build Fortnite Modes

Fortnite polled its player base, asking what their favorite playstyle was. As it turns out, Battle Royale is the black sheep of the game mode family.  

Fortnite’s game modes have been through quite the evolution. Battle Royale, the mode that put Epic Games’ Fortnite on the map, has been around since the game’s launch in 2017.

Zero Build arrived in 2022, eliminating the building element and focusing purely on combat. Then there’s the newest kid on the block, Reload, which debuted on June 22, 2024.

In July 2024, Fortnite decided to stir the pot with a poll on X. This poll asked players to pick their favorite playstyle, among other features. Note that LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival were left out of the poll.

Two hours after the poll was posted, only 8 comments voted for the Battle Royale mode, compared to around 30 for both Reload and Zero Build.

Leaving this Fortnite poll aside, even streamer Ninja refuses to play Battle Royale. He’s disillusioned by the Chapter 5 Season 3 vehicle meta and exclusively into Zero Build and Reload.

Fortnite in-game screenshot with player count

Current player stats paint a mixed picture. As of Wednesday, July 24, 3:00 PM EST, Reload boasts 238,000 players, Zero Build has 242,600, and Battle Royale leads with 305,900. Despite its decline in vote preference, Battle Royale still reigns supreme in player numbers.

Fortnite is navigating choppy waters. Fans are criticizing the user interface as “bad”, and slamming the Summer Road Trip quests for requiring party play.

That said, the Pirates of the Caribbean collab, Cursed Sails, gave players lots of pirate content to enjoy. This includes pirate pistols, pirate cannons, and four NPCs from the Disney movie franchise. The constant updates and new content may be what keeps the high player count coming back to Battle Royale, even if the polls say otherwise.