Fortnite vs PUBG: Which game delivers better Battle Royale experience?
What's the story
PUBG by Bluehole and Fortnite by Epic are two of the biggest names in the Battle Royale genre.
Although top competitors, the gameplay and Battle Royale modes are different. It is impossible to bring the same approach to PUBG and Fortnite and expect to go very far in either game.
Read to know the five differences in Fortnite and PUBG.
Similarities
Sprung from the same idea seed
First the similarities. Both Fortnite and PUBG were developed on the Unreal Engine.
They follow the same format where 100 players are loaded on a battle bus (Fortnite) or plane (PUBG) and dropped in an enclosed map.
They have to collect gear, guns and try to kill all remaining players. The playzone constantly shrinks pushing gamers into confrontations, and the last person standing, wins.
Origin story
A difference in inspirational origins
At the basic level, PUBG and Fortnite draw inspiration from different games. This results in the conceptual differences in gameplay.
PUBG, developed by Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene draws inspiration from Greene's former projects ARMA 2 and H1Z1: King of the Kill. Notably, the latter was the best Battle Royale before PUBG.
Fortnite drew inspiration from crafting mechanics of Minecraft and Gears of War's horde mode.
Fighting
Combat's rules of engagement
PUBG has realistic rules of engagement. Players make use of the environment, anticipate enemy movement and shoot accordingly. Precision is key in PUBG and players need to figure out recoil and bullet drop before engaging.
Shooting in Fortnite is more like Unreal Tournament's use of weapons. The accuracy demanded is quite low.
Notably, Fortnite includes grenade launchers and traps making gameplay much more chaotic.
Player Structures
Are you a fighter or a builder?
Fortnite includes player structures which are instrumental in competitive games. Players can reach inaccessible places like steep mountain tops by building staircases.
PUBG, meanwhile, does away with structures, streamlining and making it faster paced.
This affects the endgame too. While the final moments, in Fortnite, see players building fortress-like structures to gain tactical advantages, PUBG ends with tactical camping and attacking to gain victory.
Looting system
Looting is key in any Battle Royale
Looting system, in PUBG, is quite good, especially with the mobile game allowing players to auto pick items.
However, it is nowhere close to streamlined looting in Fortnite. Players only need to worry about 5 manageable slots in-game.
PUBG, meanwhile, has slots based on the kind of backpack you are carrying and the weight of the loot. This makes looting much more complicated.
Gliding
How far can you really fly?
One of the first aspects of both games is the dive from the battle bus or plane.
The jumping off is much faster in Fortnite than PUBG.
Importantly, Fortnite gliders allow players to travel larger distances than parachutes in PUBG.
This makes finding favorable landing spots easy. Furthermore, if gamers see enemies land at their spot, they can change directions and go somewhere else.
Personal
A final word on the Battle Royale
Fortnite is a much more casual chaotic arcade shooter than PUBG, which thrives on realistic gun control and highly intense tactical gameplay. If given a choice, I'd prefer the latter over the former. However, the Battle Royale in both games has their loyal fans.