Since the second half of last year, the most trending genre in gaming is ‘the battle royale’. There are many game developers & studios cashing in on the battle royale bandwagon, but none has been able to generate attraction and popular talk like the two tycoons in the category – Player Unknown’s Battleground (better known as PUBG) published by Bluehole & Fortnite Battle Royale by Epic Games Inc.

THE GAMES

PUBG was released first which took the gaming & streaming worlds by storm. Towards the end of last year, they had astounding figures of 3 million concurrent players. The popularity brought in competitors obviously & the best of the lot was Fortnite. There are few similarities between the two games including players entering the arena, lone survivor (last player standing mode) from a group of 100 players and battle formats. But for the sake of copyright issues, the differences in structure and gameplay will be evident. Based on all the aspects of the two games, let’s analyse which game stands over the other. Clue: this will be a hard-fought battle.

• Gameplay: Similar components are found in the game genre, survival theory & player selection. But PUBG has far more weapons than Fortnite. For serious gamers, PUBG offers a more complex and deeper gaming experience. Construction features are offered in Fortnite which in turn reflects on robustness & vantage points. In PUBG, due to lack of such features, you must move to an advantageous level faster.
• Tension: PUBG is a slow-paced game which would mean that the tension level is high also thanks to zero vantage points. Fortnite is fast-paced & except for the final few minutes may not offer much tension. In the critical moments of the game, PUBG’S grim realism overtakes the freezy adventure ride of Fortnite.
• Platforms: PUBG is available on PC, Xbox One, Android & iOS Fortnite can be played on PC, iOS, Xbox One & PlayStation 4. Performance is consistent for consoles in Fortnite whereas PUBG came across some criticism regarding the same.
• Mobile: PUBG Mobile vs Fortnite Mobile is a battle on its own considering the crowd intake on mobile gaming platforms. PUBG takes the cake here with dominating the gameplay, visuals & microtransactions whereas Fortnite leads in the performance department.
• Graphics: The style and mechanics of the games are similar yet the visual appeal and the graphics do differ. As we discussed earlier, a dark grim realism takes over in PUBG whereas Fortnite is much more colourful & bright imparting a cartoonish feel at times. More detailed visuals are offered in PUBG.
• Map: PUBG offers two larger maps which are played at random to create genuine variety & interesting tension. The disadvantage will be the distance from safe zone might be high which could either attract high-risk of opponents catching up or having to seek vehicle support. In Fortnite, easier maps are used with updates on existing features which will cover player safety better but the excitement will be less.
• Items: By items, we are referring to all the weapons and virtual transaction items. With total player counts in the range of 45 million & revenue generated in excess of $700million, these in-demand games are all about quantity and virtual space. PUBG uses an extensive variety of weapons and items whereas the range is less for Fortnite. Weapons in Fortnite are colour-coded & classified in contrast to just classification on PUBG. Items are much more accessible for Fortnite compared to PUBG.
• Miscellaneous: Shooting is easier and simpler in Fortnite and for looting purpose, finding the items is easier. Since PUBG follows an intense style of battle, it’s harder to find items and shooting is like a militia sim. Accuracy, velocity, distance are all factors considered in the game. For microtransactions within the game, PUBG occupies in-game currency as rewards and Fortnite requires V-Bucks which is actual human money to buy items such as skins and emotes. The arena is similar in both games but constant update frequency from Fortnite might change things. PUBG is much more relaxed with updates, though the gameplay & performance status is well-maintained. The pricing structure is easier for Fortnite and is free to download on all platforms. PUBG has a loot crate approach which is a bit more complex and the purchase price on Xbox is $29.99.

THE VERDICT

On the outside, PUBG & Fortnite are very similar games in the battle royale genre. The general consensus is that Fortnite is the best game to play on consoles whereas, for mobile gaming, PUBG tops the rival. However, this should be based on a personal gaming preference. If you are a fan of fast-paced action with fun gameplay and easier access, then Fortnite is the game for you. You should go for PUBG if you are into slow-paced, intense action with time-consuming combat strategies and realistic tactics. Either way, these two are very popular, successful games which could be here for a long time until someone else in their space gives a run for their money.