9 PUBG tips to stay alive and win a grand victory

(Image credit: PUBG Corporation)

The right PUBG tips and tricks will ensure that you last long beyond the initial skirmishes when playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Despite a simple concept, the execution isn't easy - and execution really is the word, when a sniper bullet can separate the hemispheres of your brain at any instant.

You'll need to understand the particulars of this particular battle royale - drop in, grab the best loot, and learn how to use it to survive both other players and the ever-encroaching wall of energy. Guns, strategies, map knowledge, important items and what hats pair nicely with what vests - it'll all help give you the edge in the next firefight. Whatever you're looking for, we've got some PUBG tips below to get you shooting, looting, and eating a chicken dinner in no time.

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1. Don’t be afraid to hide out in the blue early on

If you want to stay alive then taking damage might not seem like the best idea, but in the early game it can be worth it. If you hide out on the edge of the blue circle you will take small amounts of damage, but no one will expect you to be out there. With some good healing options you can stay there for quite a long time and avoid fights entirely. You may even be able to pick up a few kills on unsuspecting foes. But you always keep an eye on your health and the next circle.

2. Terrain can be just as good cover as any building or wall

Buildings are usually pretty good for staying alive, especially if you can cover the only entrance, but they carry a lot of risks. A well placed grenade will end your run instantly and, if someone knows you are in there, they can just wait by the exit. If you are looking for a good place to hold up for a while, try and find a ridge, dip, or hill so your opponents won’t be able to hit you. This will provide solid cover with better sightlines than a building and, crucially, a lot more escape options.

3. ALWAYS take a level three helmet...

If you want to win you are going to need a good helmet and vest, so when looting untouched equipment always grab the highest level possible. But if after a fight you find a damaged level three on the person you took down it can be difficult to know what to pick up and what to leave. The general rule here is actually pretty simple. Always take a level three helmet, even if it is close to being destroyed. A level three will always save you from a headshot with the M24, and is the only one that will do so. Therefore it is nearly always worth it.

4. ...but sometimes leave a level three vest

Vests are a little different to helmets in terms of usefulness, but as always an undamaged level three will always be better than a level two. In the late game, if you plan to take a lot of fights then better durability is more important than high level. So a full health level two is better than a quarter health level three, as it will last longer. If it’s down to the last few people, though, then the damaged level three should be the better option, as blocking more damage from one shot could be the difference between a win and a loss.

5. Play the edge of the circle

Once you start to hit the late game, different strategies start to come into play. The one that should keep you alive is to play on the edge of the circle and to run in with it. Staying on the edge means that the area you need to be aware of shrinks a lot. You know that a big portion of what's behind you is totally safe, so you only need to be aware of what is in front of you. If you're in the middle then you have to keep eyes everywhere, which is not an easy task.

6. Keep yourself boosted up late game

Even if you are at full health, once it gets down to the last 15 or so people it is a good idea to start popping those energy drinks and painkillers to get you boosted up and regenerating health. There’s a few reasons for this, such as not having to worry about it after a late game fight, as well as the potential that one tick of health recovery could win you a close battle. Either way, if you have them available you should get the boosts going early as there's no point saving them. Who wants painkillers with a chicken dinner?

7. Hiding in bushes works surprisingly well

This sounds crazy, but bushes actually provide a really good stealth option. Sit in a bush and there is a strong chance someone will walk straight past and then wonder where on earth they got shot from. Bushes provide no hard cover, but if no one sees you then no one will shoot you, and if no one shoots you then you won't die. Although perhaps take off any bright coloured clothes you have on before trying it.

8. Grass is not visible after a while so don’t hide in it

With the right scopes and sightlines, you can see for hundreds of meters in PUBG, but crucially grass stops being visible at around the 200m mark. This means that if someone decides to lay down, they may think they are well covered, but anyone more than 200 meters away can see them clearly. You are always much better trying to find hard cover like a tree or wall (or even getting in a bush) than trying to lay down in the grass until the late stages. This also means that hitting the deck in a field when shots come in is a terrible idea. Just run to cover instantly.

9. Pick. Your. Battles

Everyone wants to be the person that racks up 20 kills and walks out the victor, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim. (Unless you're Shroud or Dr Disrespect, two of the biggest PUBG streamers who somehow manage to get more kills in one round than most do in an evening.) So in order to stay alive you should pick your battles. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take any fights, but only pick battles you know you can win. If you spot someone holding an AWM and full level three armour, maybe don’t take them on in clear sight. But see someone with just a shotgun while you have a 4x AR and you should totally take them out. Take an extra second to evaluate each combat situation and if it looks tough, maybe run the other way.