PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), the battle royale sensation that's taken the PC gaming world by storm, is headed to Xbox One in the near future. Whether you're playing on PC or Xbox, there are certain mistakes that everyone makes that get them killed faster than they can say chicken dinner. Let's take a look at these common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Shooting at enemies out of range will get you killed
PUBG places you on an enormous island with varying elevations and environments. You can start the game on a heavily forested hilltop, make your way across wide fields of wheat, and end the game in the middle of a crowded city.
Along the way to the final circle and the final showdown between players, you'll no doubt encounter various other enemies vying for top spot. You might stumble upon a convention and you'll have no choice but to open fire immediately, or you might be stopped, scanning the horizon, when you see a player or group of players moving in the open.
No matter what weapon you're using — even a sniper rifle, silenced or otherwise — firing at enemies out of range will likely get you killed. Others in the vicinity can hear all gunfire, even suppressed if close enough, and they'll be alerted to your position.
If an enemy is out of range, there's really no sense shooting at them. Save your ammunition, keep your position a secret, and wait for the right time to engage.
Underestimating the circle will get you killed
At the start of a round, the encroaching circle of death doesn't do very much damage. As the round wears on, however, it does more and more damage, to the point where, if you're caught outside, you'll start losing large chunks of health every second.
Underestimating the killer effect of the circle at the end of the round will almost always get you killed. Take this scenario as an example: There are five players left, and you're pinned down behind a tree. The circle is right behind you, and it's about to close in further. Instead of staying behind the tree, you might as well jump out and put your chances in your ability to shoot straight. The circle will always damage you, no matter what; the enemy has a chance to whiff the shot.
Likewise, don't spend too much time looting outside the circle. You might be tempted to stop at one more compound to check for first aid, but if you're already outside and the circle has moved a few times, the health penalty is going to climb to a point where you can't keep up with stims. Even if you do make it to safety, you'll no doubt have less first aid than when you stopped to loot.
Unnecessary looting will get you killed
Not only should you not loot that last compound on the way to the circle, you should also not loot downed players when there's a chance of being killed. If you just killed a player who was running out if the open, you running down to loot their gear is putting you in the exact same position they were just in. You're now out in the open, plus the sound of the gunfire has attracted other players to the location.
Loot smart, and you'll stay alive much longer. At the start of a round, hit as many places as you can without ignoring the circle. During the mid-game, only loot players who were killed in cover. At the end of the game, don't loot at all unless your armor is badly damaged, you're completely out of first aid, or you're completely out of ammo. Entering the loot screen leaves you vulnerable and takes your head out of the game, and you'll end up dead more often than not when you loot unnecessarily.
Rushing for the supply drop will get you killed
You hear the plane flying overhead, you see the crate falling with parachute overhead, and you realize it's going to drop close to your position. Unless you're absolutely certain there are no other players around, don't rush for the red smoke once the crate lands.
Other players in the vicinity are no doubt also aware of the drop, and they might also be rushing for it. We've seen plenty of scenarios where the player(s) who keep back and wait for most of the lead to stop flying end up with the supply drop loot.
Instead of running for the crate and standing in the open next to it, watch what happens, plan out an attack on whoever ended up with the gear, and take it by force for yourself, away from the action. If you're sitting around and no one arrives, continue to tread carefully; someone else might have the same strategy in mind.
Not watching your flank will get you killed
In third-person mode, holding down the Alt key and moving the mouse lets you see all around you without actually moving the avatar's body. This is the best way to keep an eye on your flank, which is what you should be checking often.
Head-on encounters in PUBG are not wise, and you have a much better chance of eliminating enemies when they don't see you coming. Players who fail to watch behind them will have a much harder time earning a chicken dinner. Keep your head on a swivel and make sure no one is sneaking up behind you.
Not keeping track of remaining players will get you killed
Near the start of a round, keeping track of the remaining players isn't very important. Near the end, however, especially when there are ten or less players alive, not keeping track of the exact number can get you killed. This mistake has to do with having a good set of headphones, as you'll no doubt also need to hear properly.
Say there are two people shooting at each other to your right, and to your left, another player shooting away from your position. There are five people left alive, including you, so that means you can pretty safely assume that there's no one behind you or close to your position. This scenario will of course change drastically, but keeping track of the remaining players and paying attention to your surroundings can really help you get an edge on the competition.
More PUBG!
For more PUBG help, tips, and tricks, be sure to have a look at our ultimate guide.
