PUBG Guide To Improving Your Game

PUBG Guide To Improving Your Game by zdzy

INTRODUCTION

Greetings Pubg-players! I’m DoozY, a huge fan of gaming (specifically the FPS-genre). I have been playing video-games for as long as I can remember and most recently been devoting most of my time to Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, so hopefully this will help a few players.

Having been grinding the leaderboards, specifically solo, for multiple seasons with consistent top 50 finishes, I feel like I can offer some valuable insight and a simple guide to all you would-be Chicken Dinner-winners!

Without further ado, let’s get right to it:

Solo/Duo/Squads

The first thing you have to decide on is whether to play solo/duo/squads.

Solo

Solo is one of the harder brackets to play, because there’s no safety net in form of knocks and no teammate to give you information, get kills and make tactical decisions for you. Usually a single mistake is punished harder in this game mode, but it’s also the reason it’s way more rewarding to play, because you only have yourself to praise when you do perform well! It’s also one of the best brackets to improve as a player, because you have to do everything yourself and will immediately be reminded (in the form of an untimely death) about which aspects of your game is lackluster.

Duo

Duo is my favorite bracket because of how the game flows. You can get away with playing extremely aggressive if you have a like-minded teammate, because of how you can strategically outplay the opposing team by getting into advantageous positions and by how good flanking is in this game. It’s also a huge bonus of having a friend to talk to, to make the looting phase less tedious and having someone to enjoy the legendary moments with!

Squads

Squads can be extremely rewarding to play if you’re finding yourself on a premade, well-functioning team. The sheer amount of ways to outplay the enemy teams when you have four individual strong players playing well together as a team is devastating.

It’s also something for the players who enjoy those random chaotic games. Because of the nature of how random squads work, it’s also my experience that this is the easiest bracket to play in, if you’re just looking for those chill, down-to-earth games where anything goes. It’s also really great for the players who don’t like to make call outs during games.

A little side note: if you do end up embarking on the adventure of playing with random people, please don’t be that guy with a terrible microphone without push-to-talk. We all know the dread of playing with a person who sounds like he’s talking through a lawn mower and the only thing you can really distinguish from his never-ending waterfall of loud noises is his dog barking in the background. Make sure your microphone functions properly and your teammates will love you for it!

Remember – no Russian

Maps

Once you’re sitting comfortably on the plane and instead of an inflight-meal you’re handed a parachute and a map, your next decision is finding a suitable place to land and loot up to prepare you for the inevitable slaughter that will inevitably come your way. Depending on which map you find yourself on, there are different places to look for loot.

Erangel

The first and primary map of PUBG. There are several go-to locations on this abandoned Russian military island. Depending on the flight path the places that you’re looking to go for a quick loot up are as following in no particular order:

Georgopol

Being a huge city with plentiful loot (even for squads) this is a highly sought after location and will, without a doubt, be extremely popular in game with a nearby flight path. There are three major parts of Georgopol to loot:

1. The south-western part consists of mostly individual houses and is my go-to place on this map. The two-story red building with the open kitchen inside has a lot of loot spawns and high tier loot. There are 12 of these buildings in SW Georgo which makes it extremely efficient to loot, because they’re right next to each other. 12 of these and the three hangars on the southern parts and you’re good to go!
2. The south-eastern part consists of mostly containers and six hangars. This is also a great place to find loot, but having the south-western so close by, I don’t really find myself landing here too often, because I find looting containers a tedious endeavour and you risk getting spotted easily when you jumping around on top of them.
3. The northern part consists of a few good houses, but mostly the huge apartment buildings. While these do offer good loot, I find them inefficient to loot and unnecessary in solo and duo. Unless you’re playing squads and wanna make sure each player leaves with a fighting fit load out, I would dissuade anyone from looting there.

Yasnaya Polyana

Being a large city like Georgo you will find plentiful loot here and is usually not as popular as Georgo. Yasnaya do have some of those awesome two-story red buildings, but it consists mostly of large apartments and low tier buildings, so I don’t usually land here either, unless the other choices are terrible. Exception to this is if you’re playing squads and wanna make sure everyone has a great kit (just like northern part of Georgopol).

Pochinki

Good old Pochinki! Definitely one of the most fun and rewarding places on Erangel for those early game fights. Nothing beats flying around on the rooftops like Batman and picking off people from weird angles. In terms of loot, this place only offers a few good buildings and it’s very inefficient to loot fast, because you’re most likely gonna have company. The upside is that you’re all set for the zone (and the famous ‘Chinki red zone!).

Primorsk

Mostly overlooked by the majority of players, because it’s usually far from the flight path and most players prefer getting into some action immediately. This place has a lot of great buildings though alongside three hangars. If you’re willing to pull the chute early or diving to find a vehicle this place is a gold mine in terms of loot. Not only this, but you’re also set for an easy entry into a military island circle. Definitely recommend this one!

Mylta Power (along with factory)

Power plant and factory both offer outstanding loot, but you usually have to fight for it depending on the flight path. The upside is the loot, it takes no time to loot and just like Primorsk it has quick and fluent access to military island as well, should the situation arise.

Military Base

While military base does offer high-tier loot, it’s usually extremely packed (depending on the flight path) and a highly sought after location because of how fun it is to hot drop there – especially sided with the possibility of a bridge camping game. Usually I only land here if I’m looking for early action, because in terms of loot Georgo offers a better and more effortless looting phase.

Novorepnoye (also known as Novo)

This place resembles Georgopol a lot. It has a normal looking town part and a container part. It offers decent loot and the upside is that it’s not too popular and it offers easy access to main island if you can find a boat.

Other

The only upside of the likes of Rozhok and School is the center location and definite hot drop potential if you’re looking for some early action. Other smaller towns across the map do have decent loot, but I would not recommend these places unless you’re playing solo and even then, I would much prefer to just long chute or find a vehicle and drive to any of the previous mentioned locations. The small clusters of houses spread around the map do offer great and mostly uncontested loot, but it requires a vehicle and intricate knowledge of specific looting paths. This is not for this guide.

Miramar

The second map introduced in PUBG. Contrary to Erangel this map offers a lot of city-centric fights with open desert plains and lots of rural area. These are my go-to locations on Miramar in no particular order:

El Pozo

This huge city, alongside Los Leones, offers some of the best loot on the map. Western part has lots of god-buildings (gray concrete buildings that consists of an open part and a two-story part along with a flat roof) that are highly sought after because of its high-tier loot. These combined with the green warehouses, fire stations and work shops (red brick buildings) makes this place an extraordinary place to loot. Ultimately god-buildings, warehouses, fire stations and work shops are the places you wanna look for loot on this map and El Pozo has all four.

Los Leones

Being the largest city on all of the three maps, this place, just like El Pozo, has all the loot you could hope for. Unless you’re particularly into tall buildings fights in the middle of Los Leones I would recommend the western part of the city. It is riddled god-buildings, green warehouses and the red brick buildings. Easy and effortless to loot, but beware of the open spaces between the buildings if you notice company while landing, as you can easily get picked off if you’re not paying attention.

Chumacera

Smaller town, but does offer some great buildings on the southern and western part. Combined with a central location this is a great, little town to find some fast loot – especially in solos.

El Alzahar

Not as good as it used to be, since they removed a lot of the god-buildings that made up the southern part of this town, but it’s still a decent location with accessible roads going towards the center of the map.

Hacienda del Patrón

The one and only. Every pubg player knows this place and fears this place – rightfully so! This place offers some of the most hectic early game fights. If you’re up for the challenge of competing against the slew of other players landing in this location and want to fight while also getting geared I highly recommend this place. If you do end up winning the Hacienda fight there’s a good chance you’ll end up leaving with a great kit. This place has the most high-tier loot per square meter on Miramar and with the center location this makes it an awesome place to land for that early game action. Just watch out that you don’t end up as just another kill stat for someone else!

Pecado

Just like Hacienda, this place has a reputation for hot dropping. Contrary to Hacienda and other places on this map, it doesn’t offer outstanding loot though. I would stay away from Pecado unless you’re really looking to rack up the kill count from an early stage in the game.

Campo Militar

Miramar’s version of military base. While it does offer some very neat loot, it doesn’t really make up for the atrocious location in the north eastern part of Miramar. I find myself dropping less here, but if you do decide on giving it a go, make sure to have a vehicle nearby, unless you’re prepared to get punished by an unlucky circle.

Other

Compared to Erangel, Miramar actually has a lot of smaller places that are worth it to loot (especially in solos). Early game fights at Water Treatment or Power Grid can be extremely fun, but it doesn’t come with the best loot, especially in duo or squads.

Basically any place on Miramar with god-buildings, green warehouses and the red brick buildings and you’re all set.

Sanhok

The third map released and also the smallest. This map offers more frequent fights because of the nature of jamming the same amount of players on a map that’s half the size of the others. This jungle map does come with a different loot table than the previous two and slightly varying circle settings. You can basically land anywhere on this map and expect to find loot right off the bat. Your landing locations will only vary upon what kind of game you’re looking for (slow paced, hot dropping etc). That said below are my go-to locations on this map, but it’s basically only because I play Sanhok to warm-up or rack up high kill games with relentless hot dropping:

Bootcamp

This place is right in the center of the map and you’ll almost always find yourself in the first circle if you land here. This place offers some chaotic early game fights being one of the most popular places on the map. I prefer landing on the roof on the middle building, because you (and even your entire squad) will find more than enough loot if you manage to secure it early on.

Paradise Resort

Same as Bootcamp this place offer fights right off the bat and extremely good and efficient looting paths, since most of the loot is just lying on the ground and you don’t have to search buildings with individual rooms for loot. Most of the time – especially if you’re landing western or northern part of the resort – you’ll be able to spot a weapon before you’re even on the ground. Unless weapons spawn late and the guy parachuting in late behind you loots the AR that weren’t rendered on your screen and proceeds to empty the whole magazine into your back. Thanks again pubg.

Ruins

Not as fun as the other two places, but definitely easy to loot, since everything is packed neatly together. If you do end up dropping here with a bunch of others, be wary of people landing on the outskirts of ruins, as they will most likely start picking distracted people off on the roof and outside the main building if given the chance.

Other

Basically anywhere on this map is fine since any place will have an abundance of loot.

​Loadouts

Your loadout, especially on Erangel and Miramar where loot is more scarce, is gonna wary from game to game, but it’s still a great start to have a broad idea of what you’re looking for on the different maps. Usually my loadout is gonna consist of an AR (Assault Rife) and a SR/DMR (Sniper Rifle/Designated Marksman Rifle). I feel this setup offers great versatility and the best setup to practice since you’re gonna be able to get your hands on this setup in most of your games. Having said that, I’m gonna break down the upsides and downsides of a few of the most prevalent and most used weapons in this game.

Assault Rifles

Great all-around option for your main weapon slot. The different rifles offer different strong points:

Scar-L

This 5.56 rifle offers a great all-around weapon for CQB and medium range tapping. It’s my go-to rifle on Erangel and Miramar, especially in solos, because the SRs are extremely good on these maps. If running with a bolt-action sniper, you really need the tapping power on longer ranges and the 5.56 rifles offer exactly that. It takes the same attachments as the M416 minus the tactical stock. If you have a tactical stock available, I suggest running with the m416, since it becomes a powerhouse when fully equipped.

M416

This 5.56 rifle offers the same all-around strong weapon like the Scar-L and takes the most attachments of all the rifles in the game. Fully equipped, it’s easy to control spray and great bullet velocity makes it a very sought after rifle.

M16A4

This 5.56 rifle doesn’t offer the same versatility as the two previous mentioned rifles, but what it lacks in attachments slots and full-auto, it brings with its remarkable bullet velocity and outstanding tapping potential. Paired with a scope and you can tap fast while maintaining precision. Great for medium range to long range fights, hence the reputation as a poor man’s DMR.

AK-47

After thousand of hours of Counter-Strike one can only love this rifle. It packs a serious punch with its 7.62 bullets and deals truck loads of damage, even to higher level armored opponents. While it excels at short to medium range fights it is lackluster on longer ranges, since its bullet velocity is not that great and it has serious damage drop off (meaning the damage each bullets deal decreases greatly across longer distances). Usually I would only pick up this rifle if I have a DMR, since you’re gonna miss out on the medium to long-range tapping power that the 5.56 rifles provide if you run this alongside an SR.

Sniper Rifles

Excellent for long range precision shooting and great for those nasty highlight one-taps. It’s an extremely strong second weapon option, especially if you have the patience and skill to line up those perfect headshots. They offer a terrifying threat to any opponent (even with level 3 gear) and a superb way of downing or downright killing unsuspecting opponents. Other than the fact that they’re both extremely loud and will attract not just nearby enemies with their noisy, reverberating shots, there’s not a huge difference between the two options:

Kar-98k

The most common SR in this game and you will never regret getting some practicing with it. While it does suffer from a long reload time and bolt-action between each shot, it does make up for this with its one-shot potential against a level two helmet wielding opponent. Make sure to spend that extra time lining up the perfect shot, especially against an unsuspecting enemy.

M24

It doesn’t make a huge difference whether you’re equipped with a Kar98 or an m24. While the m24 has more flexibility in terms of reload times and the capacity for an extended magazine, the extra two bullets gained from this is not enough to make it a lot better, but it does have the best sound in the game when wearing a suppressor.

DMRs

While their shots headshots aren’t as lethal as with SRs, they do pack a serious punch. The ability to shoot more bullets in the same amount of time will often be enough to land a kill or a knock. This will come in handy when your enemy is in a position where he needs to cross larger stretches of open fields where a few SR shots, unless meticulously placed, probably won’t seal the deal. They’re also more forgiving when you’re given a kill window of either getting 5-6 DMR shots off or 1-2 SR shots.

SKS

While the SKS does deal a truckload of damage it also requires quite a few attachments to really each its potential. Usually attachments in forms of grips, cheek pad and scopes can be scarce, especially in squad games. It’s definitely a DMR you want to get some practice in with, because it can be absolutely devastating in the hands of a good player.

Mini-14

While it does deal less damage than the SKS, the mini-14 doesn’t need a lot of attachments to get going, because it already comes with a 20 bullet magazine. Compared with the ability to shoot faster without sacrificing precision and an initial bullet velocity of 990 m/s (faster than the AWM!) this gun is seriously good. Throw on a suppressor and laser down people from a far while drawing little to no attention to yourself and you’ll soon start realizing the true potential of the Mini-14.

QBU (Sanhok only)

Basically the same as a Mini-14 with a slower bullet velocity, a little more damage and the look of a Tusken Raider weapon from Star Wars. This is the Sanhok version of the Mini-14. You can even prone with it for more accurate and faster tapping.

SLR

The SKS on steroids…. Times 10. This is one of the best weapons in the game. I never not pick up this weapon, no matter what weapon setup I am currently running. If you carefully place your shots you’ll bring down any opponent in just a few bullets.

SMGs

The SMGs do serve a role in this game – especially in the early game where you don’t necessarily get to choose weapons right off the bat – by killing people. Fast. They rip through level 1 armor and allow you to stay on the move while shooting to make it easier to dodge those pistol and RNG shotgun volleys that indubitably comes your way. I don’t, however, feel that they serve a purpose in the mid and late game. Rarely do I find myself in a position where I’d rather have an SMG than an AR, but it can definitely work for some players. Especially if you pair it with a DMR so you don’t sacrifice your mid range and long range engagement potential.

Attachments

Grips

I always pick the Vertical Grip over any other, because it functions perfectly for tapping while also making the vertical recoil (obviously) more manageable. I would also use the Vertical Grip for DMRs and SMGs. Half Grip also gets the job done, especially if you like to spray short bursts of 5-6 bullets, stopping and then shooting again. Usually I would just tap-tap-tap in that scenario, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Suppressor

This little fellow can prove very useful, especially in solo, because you’ll be able to squeeze in a few extra shots before your enemy figures out your position. A neat little trick if you start shooting at your enemy and he doesn’t realize where the shots are coming from, is to stop shooting for a little while. When he hears you stop shooting he will think he’s safe and out of line of sight, will most likely begin healing and then you can line up that perfect headshot and finish him off. This also works if he’s actually behind the cover and out of line of sight. Shoot a few bullets around his sides and he might think you still have an angle, change position and then resulting in you still landing that perfect last shot.

Compensator

This is my go to front attachment for the ARs – especially paired with the likes of an AK-47. It lowers the horizontal and vertical recoil significantly and makes it much easier to consistently land those sprays. You have to decide between the stealth of the suppressor and the reduced recoil from the comp. Usually a compensator on an AR and a suppressor on an SR or a DMR is the best option.

Flash Hider

What is this? You should never pick this up unless your weapon has nothing else equipped in that slot.

Other

Shotguns and pistols

These don’t really serve any purpose outside of the early game, since shotguns are really close range and pistols do almost no damage. So unless you’re going for that Hitman achievement of getting a dinner with a suppressed pistol, put it back in the trash can and it won’t gobble up your Red Dot mid fight neither.

Grenades

Smoke grenades are life saviors. Literally. Your teammate got knocked in a bad spot and is crying for help on Discord? Smoke it. You’re finding yourself in a spot with little to no cover and you need to move before the circle closes? Smoke it. Wanna create a diversion to allow yourself to pan the last guy standing? Smoke it. The possibilities are endless and there’s never a reason not to pick up smokes. I usually carry at least three, depending on how many you have available across your team.

HE grenades are a valuable tool as well to get to those enemies who duck behind cover or are currently reviving their teammate in a room with unfortunate window placement. They’re also great at deafening your enemies and maximizing how much your enemies are panicking in a fight. Remember to cook it for a little while before throwing it to make it far less likely that your enemy will be able to react in time.

Stun Grenades can be valuable in certain scenarios, but the largest draw back is that you don’t really know whether or not you actually blinded your target(s) until you actually peek them. For what it’s worth they also sound like HE grenades when they land nearby, so you might be able to trick your opponent(s) into thinking they have to move at once.

Engagements

Whether you’re a hot dropper trying to get a kill score in the double digits or a proning snake attempting to avoid every engagement possible you will inevitable come across a bad guy trying to eliminate you and snack your loot. Before engaging in any fight you should ask yourself whether that fight is necessary and what kind of outcome that fight might have. How is your equipment? Do you need to move closer to him in order to secure an easy kill because of your lack of scopes? Is it better to not take a shot at all and wait for a better moment to strike and gather some useful information while your presence remains unnoticed? Do you have a get-away plan in case things go south or if another player decides to third party you? All these questions matter greatly to the outcome of any given fight.

If you fail to hit your initial shots – or the guy engaging you misses his – it’s important to not tunnel vision on the fight with him. Never be afraid to give up on a fight if things start turning sour. It’s better to fall back, reposition yourself and then engaging at a later time than it is to die, because you got greedy or tunnel visioned on only one outcome. Live to fight another day. If you’ve been loud for an extended period of time others might be starting to creep up on you. Always beware of your surroundings – if you control your surroundings you control the pace of the game around you and this will greatly work to your advantage.

If you do hit your shots and he dives behind cover to heal up, you should immediately reposition yourself and start flanking him. In some cases – especially on Sanhok – you will be able to get off more shots on him while he’s healing. Having your enemies making guesses about your position and your next move will definitely throw them off and work to your benefit.

Early, mid and late game

Early Game

When parachuting into your chosen location you should keep aware of your surroundings as you might have company. Scanning your immediate vicinity and the general area for other parachutes will give you valuable information about the player count in your area. In the early game of any given match you’re gonna want to avoid any early confrontation until you get yourself a suitable weapon and at least level one armor + helmet. Having just a little bit of equipment available before any fight can absolutely mean the difference between you scrambling to find a new match or you remaining in the game with another guy’s loot. While looting you should pay attention to the first circle as this will determine for how long you’ll be able to stay behind and loot. If the circle is really far away you should aim to find a vehicle as these will allow you to cross greater distances while also providing some cover on the go. After finishing the looting phase and surviving the initial onslaught of enemies you’ll eventually transition into the mid game.

Mid Game

In the mid game is where the fun truly begins. People are starting to get geared at this stage and hunting for kills for that extra loot can seriously pay off. Once again, you need to keep the circle in mind and think about what your plan for the whole game is. Where is the next circle more likely to be placed? Should I stick close to my vehicle in case I might need it later? What kind of fights am I looking for with the type of equipment available to me?

When hunting other players it is important to remember the path the plane took as it will give you a general idea of where most players are gonna be at any given time. Choke points like bridges and strategic positions like tall buildings overlooking rural areas can prove exceptionally useful to hold when the circle starts pushing players toward you. When you close in on the late game you should start thinking extra carefully about shooting anyone, as a small circle – especially with a high remaining player count – will mean more players around you.

Top 10

This is where stuff starts to really matter! You’ve survived both the early and the mid game. You’ve collected all the loot you need in order to grab that chicken dinner and now all you need to do is… Well, grab the chicken dinner. But that’s obviously easier said than done, because the top 10 consists of nine other players who are each as keen as you about getting that well-deserved win.

It’s even more important to control the area around you in the top 10 as any ugly surprise will quickly get you on thin ice. Stay close to the zone wall instead of moving directly into the middle of the last few circles, as this is a sure way of getting shot from every possible direction. Move by the zone wall in the direction towards the next circle so you don’t get shot in the back, while meticulously clearing the area around you. Don’t be afraid to stop for a moment while scanning across the circle to spot player positions, but beware of any patient sniper waiting for you to give him the perfect shot. Gaining information on player positions and knowing where fights are likely to happen in the next couple of moments will drastically improve your odds of winning. It’s also hugely important to know when to pick fights here, as waiting for someone else starting a fight and then joining in will allow you to pick up easy kills on distracted enemies. Especially if there’s only 3 guys left. This is not a bad time to take it very slow and wait for them to engage each other, because you’ll be able to pinpoint their positions exactly or perhaps even landing a kill.

As your eyes glance to the top right corner of the screen and you see the number 2 you will most likely really feel your heart pumping in your chest. This is good. This means you’re alive and ready to earn that Chicken Dinner. You’re as close as you’ll ever be. Be patient. Take a deep breath. Be confident. Maintain focus on the circle location. Does he have to push to you? Do you need to get closer to him? How are you gonna do this? Don’t think about this in the last couple of seconds before the circle starts pushing you together. You need to have a plan for this before this point. How are you gonna get that kill on him? Do you need to push for a better position already? Maintain focus and realize that he’s just like any other kill in any given state of any given game.

My Graphics Settings

A lot of people usually, for some reason, ask about PC-specifications, so I ended up including this as well

Hardware i7-8700 / 16 GB 3200 ram / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 ti

Display Mode Fullscreen

Resolution 1920*1080

FPP Camera FOV 95 (This ultimately comes down to personal preference – some prefer the wider screen instead)

Brightness 50 (This comes down to your monitor settings)

Screen Scale 100

Anti-Aliasing High (I’ve seen multiple discussions about this, ultimately it seems like it doesn’t make a huge difference, but put this to low if you wanna crank out as much performance as possible)

Post-Processing Low

Shadows Very Low

Textures High

Effects High (This was recently tested in a WackyJacky video, where it proved useful to more easily detect muzzle flashes, especially if they’re inside buildings)

Foliage Very Low

View Distance Medium (Personal preference as well. Medium has been doing good enough for me)

V-Sync Off

Motion Blur Off (Unless you enjoy being motion sick while also not being able to see a thing, keep this off)

Mouse DPI 400

General Sens 50

Vertical Sens Multiplier 1.00

Most of these are obviously come down to your PC’s hardware and personal preference.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! I hope you at least learned a thing or two and can implement it into your own game play.

See you on the battlefield!