Two of the most well-liked and profitable battle royale video games are Call of Duty: Warzone and Fortnite. Both of them are free, iterative, and ever-changing, and each function compelling gameplay that retains gamers coming again for extra. If you’ve hung out with each of those video games, you’re most likely already conscious of which one is for you. Or maybe you want them each equally. But newcomers won’t be so certain.
Despite the rising success of battle royale video games, there are nonetheless hundreds of thousands of gamers who may both be on the fence about making an attempt them, or are intimidated attributable to their difficult nature. Since we’ve spent a substantial period of time with each Warzone and Fortnite, we’ve received all the small print on which one could be for you. Both are unbelievable video games that excel at various things, so it’s price being conscious of how they differ so you already know the place to spend your time.
Here’s our comparability of Fortnite vs. Warzone.
Recommended studying:
Ease of entry
Intimidation. That’s possible one of many causes that cease some gamers from leaping into both of these video games. Right off the bat, it’s clear Fortnite is simpler to get into as a result of it’s far simpler than Warzone. That isn’t a knock towards Fortnite — its simplicity is a energy. We think about a newcomer being overwhelmed with the sheer variety of issues to do in Warzone even earlier than beginning a match.
The greatest hurdle to beat in Warzone is the loadout customization, which lets you set your personal gear to make use of in a match. There are round 85 major weapons, dozens of secondary choices, perks, and numerous tools sorts — all of which should be unlocked. But past which can be the weapon attachments comparable to optics, muzzles, totally different ammo sorts, and grips to enhance recoil management. Many major weapons have round 40 to 50 totally different attachments to unlock, so issues can shortly get uncontrolled within the customization division. To a brand new participant, this could be a turnoff, particularly in case you’re going up towards different members with maxed-out weapons.
Fortnite additionally has a slew of weapons with totally different stats and options, however since all of them seem all through the map as ground loot, it’s simpler to easily bounce in and play — whereas Warzone gamers spend an enormous portion of time tweaking and leveling up totally different weapons to maximise their effectiveness. There’s a bit extra luck concerned in Fortnite because it all the time comes all the way down to what you’ll find out on the earth, however in case you play your playing cards proper, you possibly can receive higher gear.
Ultimately, there’s benefit to Warzone‘s deep systems, but unless you have an experienced friend to walk you through everything, it’s simple to see why gamers would drop off early.
Constantly altering
Battle royale video games are interesting as a result of they all the time change. If you performed Fortnite when it first got here out after which tried it out at this time, it’d really feel like two utterly totally different video games. The map has advanced, the story itself seems like one thing you’d see in a significant blockbuster film, there’s a slew of latest modes, and there are extra cosmetics than you possibly can depend. On prime of that, quite a few in-game occasions happen semi-regularly, drawing hundreds of thousands of concurrent gamers collectively to expertise every.
Warzone has modified lots since launch, as nicely, although it was gradual to begin evolving. The essential map, Verdansk, has transformed to a 1984 model to correlate with Black Ops Cold War, although the general structure remained largely the identical. Interestingly, every annual Call of Duty launch will coincide with Warzone going ahead, that means the battle royale will undergo main adjustments to its setting and weapons, relying on the mainline installment that launches every fall. The greatest difficulty is that — though the sport does bear substantial adjustments typically — they aren’t as frequent as those that seem in Fortnite.
It looks as if every week, Fortnite will get one thing new, whether or not it’s a contemporary NPC to work together with across the map, an occasion, a mode, or a focal point to go to. While most of those additions aren’t game-changing, they’re frequent sufficient to make the sport really feel contemporary. And each few months, a brand new model of the map is added, with numerous updates to landmarks that tie to the story.
The most frequent varieties of adjustments Warzone receives are to its weapons, which isn’t as noticeable as a brand new map, NPC, or mode. While there’s one thing to be mentioned concerning the sport’s meta continuously shifting, it’s powerful for a brand new participant to get enthusiastic about an assault rifle gaining a slight enhance to recoil management. Looking at each video games on the entire, Fortnite‘s updates are frankly more frequent, more exciting, and better executed than what you’d discover in Warzone. It’s doable Activision will begin implementing extra causes to take a look at Warzone every week, however because it stands, Fortnite takes the cake on this class.
It’s all within the presentation
The most evident distinction between each video games is how they give the impression of being and sound. Fortnite consists of vibrant, flat colours with much less of an emphasis on realism, whereas Warzone is the precise reverse (although nonetheless has its personal model). Evaluating each video games’ aesthetics is far more durable to do because it comes all the way down to choice, however it’s price declaring that Warzone feels extra immersive because it seems to be nearer to actuality. Though, immersion doesn’t all the time equal enjoyable.
Fortnite is nice as a result of its visible model permits it to incorporate skins and cosmetics from many well-known TV exhibits, films, comics, and video games. What different sport helps you to play as Kratos from God of War, Batman, and Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty? Because of the artwork model, Epic Games can just about get away with including any well-known character to Fortnite. Warzone has its justifiable share of licensed characters comparable to Billy the Puppet from the Saw sequence, Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and even Judge Dredd. But as you possibly can see, there’s much less room for variation in Warzone than in Fortnite on this regard.
When it involves aesthetics, it’s powerful to pick a winner, as we recognize each for what they bring about to the desk. It finally comes all the way down to realism vs. selection. Fortnite positively will get factors for its huge variety of characters, although taking part in as Die Hard’s John McClane in Warzone is an absolute deal with.
Moment-to-moment
Above all else, arguably a very powerful side of a battle royale is its gameplay. Is it enjoyable? Is the moment-to-moment expertise compelling and value revisiting? Frequent updates, lovely artwork, and fan-favorite character skins imply little if the sport isn’t truly enjoyable to play. Warzone and Fortnite are each a pleasure to play, however the experiences you’ll have throughout every are vastly totally different.
The essential takeaway is that Fortnite is simpler than Warzone, due partly to the skill-based matchmaking. We want we might dive into the specifics of how skill-based matchmaking works throughout every sport, however their builders don’t reveal any details about it, in order to not permit gamers to take advantage of the system. From our expertise, the matchmaking in Fortnite appears to be lots looser, whereby you’ll get paired up with a wider talent hole of gamers. Warzone, alternatively, tends to pair you with gamers who’re a lot nearer to your personal talent stage. There are professionals and cons to each of those strategies, however on the finish of the day, your tastes will dictate which you like.
Aside from sheer problem, Warzone tends to be extra complicated than Fortnite, mechanically talking. Utilizing weapons is more durable since they’re extra nuanced, and your view is restricted because it’s in first-person, versus the third-person perspective in Fortnite. Cash/forex is far more necessary in Warzone since your survival is commonly primarily based on the weapons you may have, and it is advisable to purchase sure gear all through a match. There’s a larger sense of verticality in Warzone, which provides to the nuance, as nicely.
Fortnite does get a little bit extra in-depth with its constructing mechanics, however even at its peak, creating constructions doesn’t scratch the floor of how difficult Warzone can get. You need to account for therefore many issues within the Call of Duty battle royale, comparable to your personal footsteps (or your teammates’), whether or not or not a purchase station has already been visited by your opponents, the location of autos, the place gamers are throughout a UAV, and numerous different conditions. Even after placing an absurd period of time into Warzone — over a thousand hours — it’s possible to proceed to come back throughout new mechanics you won’t have recognized about earlier than.
Warzone feels just like the stakes are increased, and it finally ends up being a extra rewarding expertise attributable to how deep its techniques are. The feeling of pulling off a well-timed snipe or a sneaky split-second resolution that results in a victory by no means will get previous in Warzone, and for that, it takes the sting over Fortnite. There’s magnificence in Fortnite‘s simplicity, however for us, Warzone‘s depth is way extra satisfying.
Other variations
There are a number of different key variations to make word of earlier than developing with a verdict. Fortnite has a transparent benefit as a result of it’s out there on extra platforms. Pretty a lot each trendy gaming machine possible helps Fortnite, comparable to iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Warzone, alternatively, is simply out there on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. So from a pure practicality standpoint, it’s simpler to get your arms on Fortnite because it’s out there on extra gadgets. Not to say Warzone has a comically massive set up dimension throughout all platforms, making it a tricky tablet to swallow.
Additionally, Warzone‘s cheater problem is notorious. Things have gotten better, and Activision plans on implementing a sophisticated anti-cheat system toward the end of 2021, but it’s nonetheless one thing that might push potential gamers away within the meantime. Fortnite is not any stranger to cheaters, however it’s much less frequent to come back throughout them.
Verdict
Both of those beloved video games are for 2 barely totally different audiences. One is aimed toward everybody whereas the opposite is supposed for extra mature gamers (although, that doesn’t cease immature individuals from taking part in). From a polish perspective, Fortnite comes out on prime, with way more updates that really feel significant, and fewer cheaters. There’s a ton of enchantment in Fortnite, with references to so many fashionable characters from popular culture. And it’s frankly simpler to get your arms on Fortnite than Warzone, because of the variety of platforms that assist it.
Which you select comes all the way down to talent, private style, and the platforms you may have at your disposal. If you’re extra into FPS video games, we suggest Warzone. If you want getting down into the nitty-gritty of weapon stats, and aren’t afraid to take a look at spreadsheets and perhaps even do math, we suggest Warzone. If you’re merely on the lookout for one thing to dive into semi-regularly with out having to maintain up with the present meta and different components, Fortnite could be for you.
Both are unbelievable, providing vastly totally different experiences which can be price trying out.

Editors’ Recommendations