Back in the day, before we had Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends, Battle Royale enthusiasts only;y had two titles to choose from: PUBG And Fortnite.
PUBG, which stands for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, focused on realism while Fortnite attracted players through its cartoonish aesthetic.
But what exactly does Battle Royale even mean?
It comes from the 2000’s Japanese film Battle Royale. You might be more familiar with The Hunger Games, which follows the same plotline. A hundred players are dropped into the world with nothing but their parachutes and the clothes they’re wearing. Once they land, they have to start scavenging for weapons and get ready to fight the others. The winner is the last one standing.
With seven different playable maps, PUBG employs significantly more complicated dynamics than Warzone and Fortnite. This may seem intimidating for beginner players, but we’re here to help you out with a few tips and tricks that will give you the know-how to crush your enemies and enjoy a fantastic game.
How PUBG Works
Your goal in PUBG is simply to survive. It’s not about getting the most kills. You can even win the game without killing anyone. Stealth is the reigning meta. Many of the top players rely on ‘boring’ stealth methods, such as lurking offshore on boats until it’s time for the final gunfight at the end of a round. Instead of exposing themselves to risk, they’re first letting the other players kill each other, increasing their chances of competing in the upcoming tournaments.
But, as you would expect, it’s not as simple as that. Combat gives you a chance to train and improve. The combat mechanics in PUBG are a little strange, but understanding them will make a huge difference in how well you play once there are only a few players left.
Kills also give you a chance to upgrade your gear. For each season, PUBG has a ranking system based on kills and assists.
If you intend to camp the entire time, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the game does its very best to discourage this strategy. On the other hand, it does encourage players to team up.
Accessing PUBG
PUBG may be the hottest ticket in gaming right now, with over 70 million sales across all platforms, but it has triggered quite a bit of controversy, and some countries such as China, Iraq, Nepal, and parts of India have banned it on the grounds that it’s addictive and dangerous.
However, you can still play it with the help of a VPN. There are some really good ones on the market that can circumvent even the most rigorous geo-restrictions.
Even if you don’t live in a region where PUBG is banned, using a VPN can provide a number of additional benefits, such as reducing latency and lag while also shielding you from cyberattacks.
Hacking is a real possibility in PUBG, as it is in any online game. Connecting to any game server exposes your IP address and makes you vulnerable.
By connecting to PUBG servers through a VPN, you’re hiding your IP address and giving yourself an extra layer of protection.
Keep in mind that play PUBG on multiple platforms, you’ll need to find a VPN that not only offers high levels of encryption but that also allows you to connect multiple devices under the same license. This will come in handy if you like to invite friends over for team sessions.
Where to Land?
In PUBG, you spawn in a plane carrying 100 players across the map on a random path. Your first big decision is when to jump since this determines where you’ll land, which in turn determines your chances of survival. Big towns have good loot, but you might not even last thirty seconds before someone kills you.
Ideally, you want to land somewhere with a small cluster of buildings in an area that isn’t high traffic, so you have enough time to gather some decent gear. In any case, try to be aware of other people who may be parachuting in the same area and be ready to fight if they are.
When you’ve gathered your gear or have run out of items to loot before the electrical field gets too close, you’ll need to go where the white circle is, find safe spots to rest, loot, and protect yourself as the player count decreases, preferably to the last 10 or 15 players.
Looting
As soon as you land, you have to be on the lookout for weapons and equipment. You need your gear to survive. These items are always on the floor of buildings, and you want to grab your essentials as fast as possible. Here, luck plays a big part because sometimes you’ll come across a building crammed with high-end gear while other times it’s slim pickings.
With a wide range of weapons, PUBG offers something for everyone, including sniper and assault rifles as well as shotguns, submachine guns, and pistols.
You’re allowed to carry two main guns and a pistol, so you need to choose carefully. Pistols are almost completely useless after the beginning of the game. We recommend you only keep one if it’s the automatic pistol – P18C – which works like an SMG. Otherwise, you’re just wasting precious inventory space with the pistol ammo. It’s best to choose two contrasting guns like a submachine gun and a sniper rifle. The ammo is usually next to the guns. Attachments such as red-dot sights, foregrips, and larger magazines can be added to most guns.
Apart from weapons, you’ll require a backpack, a helmet, and a protective vest. The backpack lets you carry more gear while the helmet and protective vest absorb damage, increasing your chances of survival. There are also different types of grenades and health kits. The health kits help you heal after a fight.
Once you land, you should have a checklist in your mind: assault rifles, backpack, vest, helmet (with a high level), and healing kits.
But don’t get ahead of yourself. You need to always clear a building before looting. Sometimes PUBG players leave loot on the ground as bait. Then they shoot you in the back.
In terms of armor, keep in mind that high-level items that have been damaged are often worse than undamaged low-level items. You need to look at the number next to the item in your inventory.
The level of the helmet is extremely important. When a player with a Kar98, the most commonly found and used sniper, shoots you in the head, you die instantly if your helmet is Level 2 or lower. A Level 3 helmet, however, can withstand a hit.
