What is a PUBG game and how to play it?

Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG as it's often known, is the hottest ticket in gaming right now. It sold over 33 million copies on PC last year and has already paved the way for over 70 million sales across all platforms. So it's no wonder everyone is trying to copy PUBG's battle royal style of play.

Essentially, it's a riff on the 2000 Japanese Battle Royale movie or, for a more recent example, The Hunger Games. One hundred players drop into the world with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a parachute, and once they've successfully landed, they scavenge for weapons and gear and fight to be the last one standing.

It may sound intimidating but fear not. These are our tips on how to survive in this game of kill or be killed.

PUBG tips and tricks for beginners.

Here is a simple list of things you need to know before you play.

Get the point.

So any shooting game has the same goal, right? Well, not necessarily. The idea behind PUBG is survival. Whether that means camping or fighting, that's your ultimate goal. Survive everyone else using any means necessary (by the way, we mean the game). PUBG has a ranking system for each season and those whom complete kills, assists, and personal location objectives stay alive.

If you plan on camping all the time, you'll be dismayed that the game doesn't exactly support that. Another feature of PUBG is that it forces players to form teams. We'll talk more about this below, but essentially, it's best to get to weapons and medical supplies early on without getting killed.

Know when to let go.

Every PUBG game starts with all 100 players packed into a transport plane that flies a random route around the map. Deciding when and where to land is your first big decision and you can easily determine whether it will last 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

Once you jump, you have two options: run as fast as you can towards towns, cities, and military bases, where the best weapons and equipment can be found; or try to get as far out of the plane's flight path as possible and loot remote buildings in peace. Either way, try to keep an eye out for other people parachuting around you and be prepared for a fight if they're around.

Always look for the essentials.

As soon as you land, you need to look for weapons and equipment that will help you survive. Everything can be found on the ground of buildings, so don't waste your time looking elsewhere. You'll want to get to the essentials as quickly as possible, but luck always influences what you find. Sometimes you'll find a building full of high-end gear, other times you'll be lucky if you find a weapon.

PUBG also features a decent selection of weapons, from snipers and assault rifles to submachine guns, shotguns, and pistols. You can carry two primary weapons and one pistol, so you're better off choosing two contrasting weapons, such as a sniper rifle and a submachine gun. You'll also need ammo for each, but it's usually found next to the weapon. You can also upgrade most weapons with attachments like red dot sights, fore grips, and expanded magazines.

In addition to weapons, you'll want a backpack so you can carry more gear, and a helmet and protective vest to help absorb damage. Health kits are also vital for recovering after a fight, and there are a variety of grenades to look out for.

Choose your battles.

The biggest part of surviving in PUBG is knowing when to fight, and being aware of your surroundings. If someone is shooting at you from a distance, it's better to run for cover instead of trying to fight. On the other hand, there is absolutely no point in shooting someone using a gun without enough range. An SMG is useless at 200m.

It's also worth remembering that each shot can be heard from a great distance, revealing your position. If you have surround sound headphones or use Windows Sonic and Dolby Atoms for spatial audio, you'll be able to take full advantage of them in PUBG as this will help you identify distant gunshots. Of course, the choice to rush into action or just let it take care of itself ultimately rests with you.

Stay in the safe zone (and out of the red zone!).

Like other Battle Royale games, PUBG divides the map into a safe zone, a red zone, and a deadly danger zone. The Safe Zone is marked by a blue line on the map that slowly contracts, bringing people into a smaller play area over time. If you're stuck on the wrong side of this blue barrier, your health will gradually deplete and you don't want it to hit zero.

You'll also want to keep an eye out for Red Zones that appear on the map. Here artillery fire will bombard the ground, making survival reasonably unlikely. If you find yourself in a red zone, run or drive to get out as quickly as possible. If that seems impossible, seek shelter in nearby buildings so you can wait until the shelling passes.

For those fleeing the encroaching edge of the Safe Zone or the Red Zone bombardment, be aware that vehicles make a lot of noise, so choose your escape route wisely!

Learn the strange control system of PUBG.

Regardless of whether you play on Xbox One or PC, PUBG has some slightly strange controls that you need to get used to if you want to be successful. Here are some of the most important to remember:

1. On PC, clicking the right mouse button points down. On Xbox One, quickly press the left trigger to activate it.

2. Holding down the right mouse button on the PC activates an over-the-shoulder view. On Xbox One, holding down the left trigger activates this view.

3. Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard to activate a free view camera that won't hinder your movement. On Xbox One, this can be activated by holding the right side button.

4. You can change your weapon's rate of fire by pressing the B key on your keyboard or the left button on your Xbox One D-pad.

Thankfully, PUBG lets you remap controls on PC, and there's now a "Type B" control system on Xbox One that lets you hold down the left trigger to activate iron sights, rather than flipping your sights over the top. Shoulder. It's also worth memorizing your inventory and inventory navigation controls so you can dive in and reorganize while you're on the go.

Team up with friends.

Being a lone wolf in PUBG is great, but you can also play in a duo or squad of up to four. Joining doesn't dilute your experience, far from it. It significantly changes how PUBG feels as you'll try to jump out of a plane together, share resources, and call in other groups you've seen on your journey. They can also revive each other after being down, so they have a better chance of surviving as well.

There is strength in unity, but the other side of the coin is that your enemies will probably be a little more organized too.

Always watch your replays.

Ever since PUBG reached version 1.0 for PC, excellent replay function and Killcam were included. From seeing how you got eliminated to learning how other players handle certain situations, you'll get a lot of insight from watching these replays. Heck, you could use it just to relive the glorious moment you got your first chicken dinner!

Improving your PUBG game.

There is a lot to consider when playing any game and PUBG is no exception. Keep these tips and tricks in mind as you play and you'll be climbing the leaderboards in no time.

Do you have some tips to share? Comment below!