2017 brought two PC giants of the battle royale genre – Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Players instantly indulged themselves in this gameplay, enjoying long hours of fighting for survival where only one can prevail.

But can the most successful titles of the genre even coexist in harmony? As it turns out – yes! Each gathers players looking for unique features delivered only by their favorite video game. They don’t get in each other’s way and don’t feel the need to compete. It means that while similar, Fortnite and PUBG have their differences. Are you looking for the coolest battle royale for yourself?

Numbers

One of the most vital factors determining whether a given multiplayer video game will play well is the number of players. Fortnite wins in this category with around 3 million players at one time. These numbers have hardly changed since the release and grow to this day. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds boasts about 500,000 active players at any one time. But that doesn’t mean it’s a worse choice because each of these games features fast matchmaking, and there’s no way players will feel alone in any of them.

Maps and visuals

When it comes to terrain size, PUBG leads in this ranking. In this game, you will land on four maps – Miramar, Erangel, Vikendi, or Sanhok. The largest has 64 sq kilometers and the smallest 16 sq kilometers. Fortnite is only 9 square kilometers, but it can play to its advantage.

A small map means the storm circle moves fast, which spices up the whole action and leads to the quick elimination of opponents. In PUBG, the developers plan to speed up this feature because players have too much time to hide or find a vehicle to escape. On the other hand, it makes PUBG an excellent game for tactical enthusiasts who want to get the most out of every match.

The graphics in both titles offer a high-performance level, but they differ significantly from each other. PUBG is more gloomy and features realistic views, full of various bushes, trees, or ruined buildings to hide.

Fortnite is more cartoonish and joyful, bringing to mind the style of games like Overwatch. You can see everything and everyone from a great distance, so it’s hard to conceal. Meanwhile, PUBG is perfect for stealth, using effective camouflage blending with the environment.

Gameplay

In Fortnite and PUBG, you jump from a flying vehicle and land with nothing to collect your equipment and survive. There is also a rule in both games – only one can win. To make players eliminate each other faster, there is a closing circle that causes them to die instantly upon contact. But that is the point where all similarities end.

The first difference is building, which PUBG does not have. In the Fortnite game, it is a remnant of the times when the title did not yet know it would become a battle royale. For this reason, many players doubt whether fierce competition and building can make it work at all. But by joining the game and learning the basics, they discover this feature can often be a lifesaver at the last minute.

Another difference is the weaponry. In Fortnite, the gameplay focuses on having fun and shooting whatever you can. Yes, many weapons have specific statistics and a division into those more or less popular. But forget the precision or the authentic weapon behavior. In this category, PUBG leads, making combat a real feast for body and soul. You can expect realistic weapons with specific firepower and speed. Everything can help you or ruin your attack plan, so it’s worth paying attention to the terrain layout or the enemies sneaking behind the various covers.

Fortnite features a massive selection of weapons like a ranger assault rifle, sidearm pistol, or action shotgun. But there’s no time to become really attached to your favorite gun and master its capabilities. When collecting loot, you get what you get and can kill someone with any weapon. Each is marked with a specific color, indicating whether it is better or worse. There are no colors in PUBG, and a lot depends on your shooting skills. You can modify your weapons, as each enemy killed means valuable parts for the gun to significantly boost its capabilities.

What to choose?

These two video games are so incredibly different that you should be able to determine your preferences. So if you want fun, colorful, joyful competition – play Fortnite. It’s a lighter approach to the battle royale genre, enabling more casual gameplay and providing a lot of silly humor.

But if your goal is realistic combat, accurate weapons, and the omnipresent atmosphere of military competition – choose PUBG. It’s a pleasant break from more challenging single or multiplayer first-person shooters, which can become repetitive after a while. And in PUBG, there’s always something that will surprise you.