Are wargames (simulation of real battles) still a thing ?
There was a weekly column at Rock Paper Shotgun that covered them (and adjacent stuff like simulation), and lately the writer has taken up residence at a new URL.
The old school Avalon hill style hex and counter wargames have mostly been replaced by computer games, though. For obvious reasons.
Tabletop miniature wargames are also still going strong, probably more so than board wargaming. Although the historical side of the hobby is definitely aging compared to fantasy/sci-fi themed gaming.