PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Solo Player’s In-Depth Guide

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Solo Player’s In-Depth Guide by Yoosin

TL;DR Play passive early on and focus on looting. Late game play decisively and focus on positioning to win the game.

Hey guys, Yoosin here. I’ve been playing this game nonstop for a month now, and I want to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained with people who are struggling in solo and newer players. I’m nowhere near the skill level of a pro, but currently I’m at #226 on the NA ladder and still climbing.

DISCLAIMER: Although this guide is for everyone, its aimed towards players who want to (and enjoy) climbing the ladder and who don’t mind playing slower. Don’t sacrifice your fun for a couple of points on ladder. Additionally, don’t change your playstyle if playing aggressively works for you.

Early-Game:

• Memorize the plane path so you can have a rough idea of where the most players will be.
• Find a good looting spot. Ideal places include cities like Lipovka, South Georgepol, and Severny. Even big compounds and places like villa or firing range will make do as long as you have a set plan on where to loot next. The trick is to go to a place far away from the plane path by floating or car which segues into my next point.
• Grab a car. Early on in the match, going anywhere in a car is fine because there is virtually no punishment. The freedom of having a car pretty much guarantees you top 50. Don’t worry too much about gas since if you have chosen a good loot spot, there is a high chance of getting a gas can.
• You can pretty much ignore the first circle unless you are lacking meds. Alternatively, if you have plenty of boosts and first aids, take your time in choosing where to go next to secure a good position in the circle. However, spending too much time in the circle looting can potentially hurt your chances of winning.
• Although you really shouldn’t be near anybody during the early game, don’t take unnecessary fights. If you have done everything successfully, you should be well kitted and getting in position for the mid game.

Mid-Game:

• The middle of the match is when most people, including myself, make mistakes. You may be geared for a fight, but play passively. Engage only if the situation allows for so (easy head shots, nobody around, the player is actively trying to fight you).
• If your loot spot is already in the circle, move to the opposite side of where players should be coming from. If you had to move into the circle, approach it from the side where you think fewer players are. You want to place yourself not directly in the middle, but close to it. The point of this is to insert yourself smoothly into the late game, without relying on pure circle RNG to come to your end.
• Avoid crates. These things are a beacon to aggressive players, and will attract a lot of attention. The risk definitely outweigh the rewards. Situationally, if you know you can get an early crate based on plane path and circle, go for it.
• Around the end of the mid game, ditch the car. With around 30 left, you shouldn’t be trying to attract attention since players are getting closer together. Hopefully you have around 1-2 kills by now and are in a good position for circle in late game.

Late-Game:

• This is when your positioning and awareness need to really be spot-on. Not a single person can win every game of PUBG they play. There are too many variables to take into account like final circle position, player count, and loot.
• The single most important tip for the late stages of a match is to BE DECISIVE. Every single player is placed under the same burden as you, so don’t stall out and risk death by circle. Remember, the early bird gets the dinner.
• Grab the best cover you can, and try and play near the edge of circle. Something you need to prioritize is clearing an area. Don’t be afraid to go eliminate players if it helps you establish an area of the map where you are in less danger.
• The top 10 can be nerve-wracking but if you keep your cool and think logically you can drastically improve your chances of winning. For example, If you are placed in an awkward situation involving no cover, you can still win. PUBG players are human and make mistakes, find your outs and take them rather than giving up.
• Every game is unique, if you analyze your games with the right mindset, you can climb even if you are an average player like me.

Other Important Tips:

• Use the ALT key (or whatever you have binded to your freelook) all the time. To really play well, you need to take advantage of the 3rd person mode.
• Get familiar with each weapon. You don’t need to be the next MrGrimmmz, but if you have basic aim and a have a rough idea of how to lead shots, you can easily climb with a 1 KDA.
• Don’t get tilted. If you have a bad game, play another queue/region or an entirely different game. You don’t want to make a loss even worse and continue to play while not on your A game.
• Warm-up before your first game, get your juices flowing so you play as well as you can to secure your well deserved wins.

I hope you enjoyed the guide. Also, if you have any questions let me know, I’ll try and answer all of them!

My stats: https://pubg.me/player/Yoossin

EDIT: I know some people are surprised/confused as to why this sort of guide exists when you could simply play a couple hundred matches dropping Pochinki to improve, so let me reiterate my point. I made this guide aimed towards people who enjoy the competitive nature of the game and who want to climb. By dropping in a hot zone every game, not only do you hurt your chances of climbing, but you only get to experience one part of the game. Since the chance of you living while having to decimate whoever else dropped is lower than if you had dropped in an isolated part of the map, you wont get to experience end game as much. In my case, having no previous experience in Battle Royale games, I dropped in hotly contested areas for fun when I started playing. At around 70 or so games, I got bored and played more passively to experience other parts of the game other then just dying for a couple of games and having one good game where i would get top 10. I found out I enjoyed playing more slowly and that also helped my rating go from 5000-8000 to top 500. This is why I created the guide because I figured if you liked the strategic aspect of PUBG (predicting circles, being stealthy to outplay opponents) these guidelines/tips would be helpful. Additionally, you could be great at aiming or horrible at it, this guide helps you guarantee a spot in the top 20 through strategic planning, aiming is just a skill that helps you secure wins more often. Sorry that “playing like a pussy” for the first 20 minutes of the game is a viable strategy in PUBG.