In PUBG up to a hundred players parachute onto an island, grab weapons and gear and try to survive inside a shrinking zone until only one player or team is left. This guide to PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS explains how a match plays out, which mode and perspective to pick, where to drop, how the blue and red zones work, what DBNO means and what the default PC controls are. It covers PC as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as of 20 October 2026.
How a match works
Every match starts on a starting island where you wait for the lobby to fill. Then everyone boards a plane that flies across the map. You can jump wherever you like, and before you jump you can open the map and pick the spot you want to reach. Once you land, you loot weapons, vests and other items. The play area keeps shrinking, and the last one standing wins, either solo or as a team.
The game has been free-to-play since 12 January 2022, so you just download it and play. What the paid upgrade adds and which platforms PUBG runs on is covered in is PUBG free.
Solo, Duo and Squad, FPP or TPP
Before each match you choose your team size and perspective:
- Solo – you against 99 other players.
- Duo – you play as a pair.
- Squad – a team of up to four players.
There are two perspectives. FPP (first-person perspective) keeps the camera in your character’s eyes and you cannot switch to third person. TPP (third-person perspective) shows your character from behind, and the V key switches you to first person. TPP lets you see more of your surroundings, while FPP feels closer to a classic shooter.
Practice in Camp Jackal
Before your first real match, try the Camp Jackal training mode, which the official overview also covers. You can test weapons, equipment, parachuting and driving without someone taking you out after the first shot. It is the best place to learn weapon recoil and practise landing exactly where you aim.
Where to drop and which maps you play
Official support gives a simple rule: big towns and military areas such as Pochinki or Military Base have better loot, but also more danger, because many players land there. Avoiding unnecessary fights is a legitimate strategy. Without any risk, though, good gear is harder to find, so early on it makes sense to drop a little away from the crowd, gear up calmly and only then move towards the action.
According to a dev letter on pubg.com, the maps are Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, Karakin, Paramo, Taego, Deston, Vikendi and Rondo. The large 8×8 maps are Erangel, Miramar, Taego, Deston, Rondo and Vikendi. In Europe, map selection has used three slots since 12 August 2026 on PC (20 August on console): a fixed Erangel, one rotating large map and one rotating small map. The rotation changes every Wednesday at 02:00 UTC on PC and every Thursday at 07:00 UTC on console. In the week from 14 October 2026, for example, PC players get Erangel, Rondo and Sanhok.
The blue zone and the red zone
The main pressure in a match comes from the blue zone. It gradually shrinks the play area, and the safe area is marked by the white circle. Anyone left outside takes damage that grows with every phase. Early on you can survive it, later you cannot, so keep an eye on the map and move into the circle ahead of time.
The red zone appears at random and gets bombarded after a short while. A building protects you, or you can leave the zone. Vehicles inside it explode, so get out of the car and take cover indoors.
Care Packages: better loot, more attention
A Care Package (also called a Supply Box) drops from the sky with better gear than normal loot. The catch is the red smoke, which tells every enemy nearby that something is waiting there. Before you run for the crate, check whether someone is already watching it.
DBNO and playing with friends
In Duo and Squad you are not out of the match the moment your health runs out. DBNO (Down But Not Out) means you are knocked to the ground and your teammates can revive you. Solo has no such safety net.
You invite friends straight from the lobby. Click the plus icon in the bottom right, invite a Steam friend or search for a player by in-game name, then choose a mode together.
Default PC controls
You can rebind keys under ESC → Control. The default layout looks like this:
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Move | W A S D |
| Crouch | C |
| Prone | Z |
| Jump, vault | Space |
| Sprint (hold breath while aiming in first person) | Shift |
| Walk | Ctrl |
| Auto-run | = |
| Lean left / right | Q / E |
| Switch first / third person | V |
| Aim (hold) / aim down sights (tap) | right mouse button |
| Free look | Alt + mouse |
| Select weapon | mouse wheel or 1 / 2 / 3 |
On console, Update 43.2 added the new control presets PUBG Standard (the default for new players, similar to other console games) and Shooter Standard. The older Type A, B, C and Custom presets remain available.
What next: Ranked and performance
Once normal matches feel too easy, Ranked is waiting. You need Survival Mastery level 80, which you earn by playing normal matches, and depending on your region an SMS account verification. Tiers, maps and rewards for the current season are in our PUBG Ranked guide.
If the game stutters on your PC, go through the FPS settings before you start remapping keys. A smooth picture helps you more in a firefight than a new gun.
Join our Discord to find teammates for Duo and Squad and to talk drops and settings: Discord GamersTogether.
FAQ
Up to a hundred. In Solo you face 99 other players, in Duo you play as a pair and in Squad in a team of up to four.
FPP is the first-person perspective and you cannot switch to third person. TPP is the third-person perspective, where the V key switches you to first person.
Get into the white circle as fast as you can. Damage outside the safe zone grows with every phase, so the later it is in the match, the faster it kills you.
In the Camp Jackal training mode. You can try weapons, equipment, parachuting and driving without any enemy pressure.
Once you reach Survival Mastery level 80. Depending on platform and region, the game may also ask for SMS account verification.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our PUBG guides section.