Did battle royale actually kill something worth keeping from classic deathmatch shooters?

[DigitalNomad62]

Battle royale completely took over the multiplayer shooter genre for years, and while the format genuinely brought new tension and unpredictability, something about classic deathmatch's fast, constant respawn action seems to have quietly gotten pushed aside in the process. Deathmatch let you jump straight back into action after dying, testing pure mechanical skill repeatedly within a single short session, while battle royale's single life format rewards a genuinely different, more cautious style of play. Curious whether people think something genuinely worth keeping got lost in that shift or whether battle royale is just a straightforward improvement

The case for battle royale usually centers on the genuine tension a single life format creates that constant respawning simply can't replicate. The case for deathmatch usually comes down to pure repeated mechanical practice and faster paced sessions that don't require an entire lengthy match commitment each time

What's your actual take, and do you still play classic deathmatch modes at all these days. Genuinely curious what people think got lost or gained in this shift