How do I win in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS?
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS recently hit Steam Early Access and has seen an exponential player-base growth. It's been consistently in the top three streamed games on Twitch and Beam due to it being about as much fun to watch as it is to play.
Here's everything you need to know.
What is PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS?
The premise is simple: similar to the Hunger Games, you're dropped from an airplane with 99 other people onto an enormous island, and it's up to you to loot the buildings for weapons and armor. You can team up in pairs or squads, as well as going solo.
A circle is shown on the map, and you have to move into it before a timer expires. If you're caught outside, an encroaching wall of death will drain your health until you die. Sound easy? It isn't. Those other players are all trying to get to the same spot, and the circles keep getting smaller.
To help you last longer and potentially be the final survivor, here are five tips that every player should follow.
Operate outside the flight path
When the game starts, you'll find yourself in an airplane flying high over the island. If you look at your map, you'll be able to see the exact direction of the plane, and you can get a pretty good idea of where people will be going to loot. Military bases and cities are the most popular because they have great loot, but they're also the deadliest because of the high concentration of players.
Once you have an idea of the flight path, jump out someplace that might have a vehicle. As soon as you land, jump in and start driving in a direction perpendicular to the flight path. There will be way fewer people around, and you'll be able to loot mostly in peace. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to get back into a good spot for dealing with the circle and wall of death.
Only use a vehicle at the start of the game
Vehicles are a great way to get around the map at the start of the game. You'll oftentimes drop into an area that's quite far from the safe circle and will need one to escape the wall of death, or you'll take one off the beaten path for some safe looting. Most people are so preoccupied with gearing up at the start of a match that they won't pay any attention to the noise of a car driving by.
Later on, however, when the circle is small, and there are only a few of you left, a vehicle is basically an alarm telling everyone exactly where you are. In most cases, you'll want to ditch your vehicle after the first couple of circles and go the rest on foot. You're much less likely to be shot when you're silent.
Don't get greedy
Looting the person you just killed is often necessary at the start of a round. They might have that ACOG scope you're looking for, or they might have a better vest or backpack. Looting at the outset is fine, but in an end-game scenario, it is almost always unnecessary. By the time 10 or fewer players are remaining, you should already have the gear needed to win. You generally want at least Tier 2 armor, a short-range weapon, a long-range weapon, and first aid kits and stimulants.
If you shoot a player on a mountainside because they were silly enough to run down blindly, don't make the same mistake and loot their gear. Some other player might be watching, and in that case, you'll end up in the same position as the person you laughed at moments earlier. If you down someone who was hiding in a bathroom, though, you're probably safe to have a look through their stuff.
Use Free Look to check your surroundings
By default, you can hit Alt on your keyboard and move your mouse around to get a view of your surroundings without changing your direction. This is especially important when running through open areas. You don't want to waste time in getting to your destination, but you also don't want to ignore the hills on either side of you or the house behind you. Get used to holding Alt while running or even while stationary and you'll have a much better chance of spotting enemies before they spot you.
On this note, rather than going prone while hiding in a bush, simply crouch down. Using the Alt key when prone will often cause your player's body to move around when you release it, making you visible to other players. There isn't as much movement when crouched and you'll have a much easier time staying hidden.
Choose a circle strategy and stick with it
There are basically two main strategies when it comes to dealing with the deadly circle. You can stick to the outside and move in with the circle, as this mostly prevents anyone from shooting you in the back. Unfortunately, it can also lead to you getting caught outside the circle and watching your health drain away as you chase the safe boundary.
The other option is to stick near the center of the increasingly smaller circles. This strategy works better if you already have all the gear you need for an end-game scenario; you can pick a position inside a house or other fortified area and hold out against enemies, only moving when absolutely necessary. This is a popular strategy for squads, but you run the risk of seeing far more enemies than if you were on the edges of the circle.
What you don't want to do is choose one strategy and switch mid-game. Running in the open is the last thing you want to do. Decide on a strategy near the start depending on your initial jump position and play smart.
Are you battling to the death?
Have you had a chance to give PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS a try? How did it go? Be sure to leave us your top tips in the comments section.