Battle royale
Also said as BR, Last man standing
Dozens of players land on a map with nothing, scavenge weapons, and fight until only one remains, while a shrinking safe zone forces them together. It promises that this match, you might be the one.
Without the zone, everybody would hide and nothing would happen. Being beaten by one of a hundred also stings less than losing a duel, and the slow start gives weaker players a moment of hope.
Say it
“Battle royale for 30 players: a match of about ten minutes, with a zone that shrinks in five stages. Damage outside it rises each stage, so by the end you cannot sit outside and wait.”
Where you’ve seen it
It takes its name from the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale. Brendan Greene's mods for Arma led to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (2017), with 100 players and a blue zone that closes in. Fortnite added its own Battle Royale mode the same year.
Not to be confused with deathmatch
In a deathmatch you respawn, and whoever scores the most kills wins. A battle royale gives you one life, and you can win it with very few kills.