Battle Royale games have seen huge success in recent years, with thousands of gamers registering to play such games each and every day. Regardless of whether you like it or not, Fortnite and PUBG are the most popular battle royale games today. You could even say such games pioneered the battle royale genre. Despite this fact, there’s no denying that there’s a rivalry between Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
In fact, PUBG even dropped a copyright lawsuit owing to how alike the two games are—a lawsuit that was eventually dropped back in 2018. Even if you aren’t a gamer, you can probably see the similarities between PlayUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Epic Games’ Fortnite. But in reality, they are actually very different. So, what are the differences between Fortnite and PUBG? And which game should you play in 2020?
Fortnite vs PUBG Player Count
Even if you don’t play Fortnite, chances are you’re aware that a hell of a lot of people play the game. The Fortnite player count appears to continuously rise as more gamers register on a daily basis. Currently, the game has around 250 million registered users and nearly 80 million monthly players. PUBG, on the other, has around 200 million registered players on mobile alone. So, how does Fortnite compare to PUBG when it comes to player count?
According to Steam Charts, at the present time, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the third most popular game on Steam by current players. Considering PUBG is a game that pioneered the Battle Royale genre, it’s no surprise that the game hit a peak player count of 3,236,027.
Saying that, when the game first came out back in March 2017, a mere 17,551 people were playing the game. By October, the game saw an average of 1 million players per month. Today, only around 350,000 to 400,000 people jump online every 30 days. Could that be due to the fact that PUBG mobile has taken off? Or are people simply not interested in the game anymore?
Related: Fortnite vs. Realm Royale
Fortnite vs. PUBG Graphics
Right off the bat, you can clearly see that Fortnite appears more cartoonish compared to PUBG as a result of the playful art style. It’s unique, fun, colorful and generally charming. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, on the other hand, has a more realistic and gritty aesthetic.
Although realism may appeal to some players, it’s clear that gamers enjoy the animated graphics in Fortnite—a style comparable to Overwatch. In all honesty, both games look fantastic, so it just depends on personal preference and whether or not you prefer realism or a cartoon-like aesthetic.
Fortnite vs. PUBG Gameplay
Even though Fortnite and PUBG are both Battle Royale games in which you have to attempt to survive as the map shrinks around you, they are actually quite different. Let’s start off with Fortnite, shall we?
Fortnite can be described as a third-person shooter game consisting of three distinctive game modes that we will discuss later on. You’ll kinda need one of those great keyboards for Fortnite. Playing from a third-person perspective is almost necessary in Fortnite considering you have to build forts in order to defend yourself. Can you imagine building in first-person?
Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen! In PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, you can switch between first- and third-person depending on which perspective you prefer. Playing in third-person in both of these games will allow you to clearly see the world around, which in turn, increases your chances of survival. Let’s get into the specifics of Fortnite vs PUBG gameplay.
In one of the most popular Fortnite game mode known as solo’s, you will be sent to a lobby where you’ll have to wait for 99 other players to enter the game. When the game starts, a flying bus will take you across the map. You can then either jump out right away using your parachute or wait until most other players have aborted ship. If you’re playing with friends, it’s best to plan a position or two before the game starts.
Once you land in your desired location, you then have to pick up weapons, medkits, and other materials used to build forts. However, be careful—player-made forts are very noticeable and therefore you may take an L sooner than expected. Depending on the game mode you choose, the last person alive is the winner of the game. If you die, you can choose to either leave the game or spectate another player.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is very similar in that you and 99 other players have to jump out of a plane that moves across the map. Once you’re out, your main goal is to collect weapons and medical supplies in order to survive. However, one thing you can’t do in PUBG is build a protective fort. Instead, you will have to find shelter in buildings once the map starts to shrink.
Since you can’t build your own towers made from wood or stone, you have to get to higher ground fast, otherwise you’ll get obliterated. As you can’t build your own vantage point, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is said to be more challenging considering you have to be far more cautious. So, if you love a challenge, PUBG might just be the game for you. But first, make sure you have an amazing mouse for PUBG.
Fortnite vs PUBG Game Modes
The main difference between Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the game modes they have to offer. While the default game modes are the exact same, Fortnite has a bunch of limited-time game modes for you to play with your friends and family, such as Catch! and 50 vs 50. If you want to increase your chances of winning, check out our guide on the best Fortnite settings.
On the contrary, PUBG offers several different maps for gamers to play around in. We’ll discuss maps in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at the Fortnite and PUBG game modes. Considering there are 49 limited-time game modes in Fortnite at this moment, we will be focusing on the default Fortnite and PUBG game modes which are listed below:
- Solos: Battle alone
- Duos: Pair up with a friend or a stranger
- Squads: Pair up with your friends or a group of strangers
Fortnite vs PUBG Map Size
The great this about PUBG is that unlike Fortnite, it has several different maps for you to explore. At first, the map in Fortnite was fairly simple: it was green and hilly. Today, a desert biome known as Paradise Palms replaced a large area of grass in the south, while a snowy biome replaced grassland in the west.
The map is scattered with towns, city blocks, dense forests and a bunch of other small landmarks—a map that is constantly changing every season.
On the contrary, PUBG has always had interesting maps with different environments. One of the most common maps, Erangel and Miramar, are both absolutely huge at 8x8km. Erangel is an interesting map set on a fictional island in the black sea near Russia. The island is full of cities, forests, swamps and farms, much like Fortnite. The smallest map in the game (Sanhok) is a mere 4x4km, a size smaller than Fortnite’s killing zone—so watch out.
Fortnite vs PUBG Weapons
Weapons are essential in both Fortnite and PUBG, but how does the arsenal of weapons differ? As the map in Fortnite is relatively small, the range of pistols, revolvers, rifles, submachine guns, grenade launchers, rocket launchers and crossbows is fairly limited. That’s not to say there aren’t many weapons scattered around the map, in fact, there’s plenty to go around.
Weapon attachments don’t exist in the world of Fortnite, either, though weapon rarity does. From the second you land at your chosen destination in Fortnite, you immediately know if the weapons surrounding you are good or not. Thanks to a colour-indicated rarity system, it’s easy to understand which weapons to avoid and which to swap out fast. Here’s a breakdown of the Fortnite weapon colors:
- Grey: Common
- Green: Uncommon
- Blue: Rare
- Purple: Epic
- Orange: Legendary
- Gold: Mythic
As the maps in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are extremely large, the game understandably features far more weapons and items than Fortnite. Saying that, the weapons found in PUBG are similar in the sense that they are on a rarity scale ranging from common, uncommon and rare. Albeit, they aren’t color coordinated like the weapons in Fortnite, so they are much harder to distinguish.
What’s more, the advanced weapon system means that you’ll constantly be scavenging for attachments such as scopes and grips to improve your weapons. Nevertheless, the weapons found in PUBG are insanely cool as they match military arms found in the real world.
Fortnite vs PUBG Items
As mentioned above, there are far more items in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds owing to the fact that the maps are larger. In Fortnite, items range from basic healing items, camouflage items and materials such as wood, stone and metal. These items are used to heal yourself after you get shot by an opponent, hide from your enemies and build gigantic forts.
Since PUBG doesn’t include a fort-building system, there’s no need to forge for materials like you would in Minecraft. Like Fortnite, PUBG includes consumables used to restore health and protective gear for, well, protection. When it comes to items in PUBG, some of them aren’t even on a rarity scale. Rather, items such as helmets, vests and backpacks can be found in levels one, two and three. The different types of PUBG rarities can be found below:
- Grey: Classic
- Green: Special
- Blue: Rare
- Violet: Elite
- Purple: Epic
- Red: Legendary
- Gold: Ultimate
Fortnite vs PUBG Vehicles
The first vehicle introduced to Fortnite was a Terrain Kart (ATK) that appeared in Season 5 of the game. This meant players no longer had to use shopping carts to get around, instead, they could drift around the world with speed. More recent Fortnite seasons have introduced a variety of vehicles, ranging from hoverboards low on the ground to planes high in the sky.
As the maps in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are so large, vehicles are a vital part of the game. Some maps even include outer islands, so you’ll definitely require a boat in order to get to those fast. Truthfully, the best way to travel around the map fast is via a motorcycle—although, if you aren’t very experienced, players can easily shoot you off.
Fortnite vs PUBG Microtransactions and Cosmetics
Since Fortnite and PUBG are free-to-play games, microtransactions inevitably appear in both. You don’t have to purchase them, nor do they give you an in-game advantage. But sometimes, it’s nice to have a cool new suit made from pixels to show off to your friends.
When it comes to Fortnite’s microtransactions, they are entirely cosmetic—so you don’t have to worry about paying to get ahead of the competition. There are also two weekly items and four daily items that you can purchase using the in-game currency known as V-Bucks.
You can purchase anything from outfits, emotes, music, pickaxe’s, and wraps in the store to spruce up your character a little. These outfits can start from around 800 V-Bucks, however, Legendary outfits in Fortnite can cost up to 2,000 V-Bucks (or in plain English, $20). The only way to earn skins is by completing season challenges in order to increase your Battle Pass level, although, a Battle Pass isn’t free.
In PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, microtransactions are also cosmetic, though the system is a little more confusing than Fortnite. Cosmetic items such as clothing and weapon skins can be found inside crates which you can purchase using Battle Points. These Battle Points can be earned by performing well in-game, so it’s best to refine your skills fast if you want cosmetic items.
Some crates are free to open, others require keys that cost $2.50 each. This microtransaction system is very similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in that you can purchase crates on Steam Marketplace for Steam credit. Items you don’t want can then be sold for credit or redeemed for Battle Points.
Fortnite vs PUBG Cross-Platform
As we have previously mentioned, PUBG has around 200 million registered players on mobile alone. In March 2018, a month after the release of PUBG mobile, the beta version of Fortnite launched for iOS devices. A month later, it was open to all players.
The convenience of mobile gaming is second to none, so we weren’t surprised to hear that the mobile versions of these popular battle royale games had taken off. But is Fortnite and PUBG available on any other platforms?
Epic Game’s Fortnite is currently available on PC (Windows and Mac OS), Mobile (iOS and Android) Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch. On the other hand, PUBG is available on PC, Mobile, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There’s still no word of PUBG ever being released on the Nintendo Switch, so for now, PUBG Switch is just a pipe dream.
But if you prefer playing your games on a computer, you might be interested in our guide on how to play Fortnite on PC.
Final Verdict
At first glance, Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are both very similar. They are both Battle Royale games that feature the same basic game modes: Solo, Duos and Squads. Such differences can’t be overlooked, but in many ways, they are actually very different. Fortnite is colorful, accessible and much smaller.
PUBG, on the other hand, features realistic graphics, several maps and a whole host of different weapons and items. So, out of Fortnite vs PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which is the best?
Truthfully, it depends on who you are. Fortnite’s cartoon-like aesthetic is extremely charming, however, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds feels more challenging. Considering both games are free-to-play, you can always try both battle royale’s out without the risk of losing money. And if you want to increase your chances of winning, check out our guide on how to get better at PUBG.