PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is a game which upon its release in 2017 took the gaming industry by storm. The game garnered massive popularity and success within a short time of its release. Back in 2017, PUBG was certainly the best representative of a battle royale mode.
At that time, had anyone mentioned the words declining PUBG craze, it would have been taken as nothing more than a joking matter. Little did we know that this so-called ‘joke’ would eventually assume the image of reality in 2019. As of now, one can certainly witness the phenomenon of declining PUBG craze.
Threat of Fortnite
One may be left to wonder, what is responsible for this declining PUBG craze. The reasons can be plenty, but Fortnite has arguably the biggest role to play in this regard. PUBG had been enjoying tremendous popularity since its release until Fortnite jumped in to spoil the fun. Since then, the trend of declining PUBG craziest in and has continued to the present.
One big reason why Fortnite had been able to knock PUBG off their perch was the introduction of extremely popular free-to-play battle royale mode. Since then, PUBG’s existence has continuously remained under threat. Fortnite enjoyed a crazy amount of success and got incredibly popular in Asia, which was once the stronghold of PUBG.
Pressure from Apex Legends
The entry of another newcomer in this market segment known as Apex Legends has made life even more difficult for PUBG. This new entrant further accelerated the process of declining PUBG craze. It seems like Apex Legends is hell-bent on the path of becoming one of the most popular games around.
According to some experts, the game has even surpassed the popularity of Fortnite. One important fact to note is that Apex Legends, similar to Fortnite, is free-to-play on all platforms. This consequently allows both Fortnite and Apex Legends to garner a thumping number of players and eat away the market share of PUBG.
Gameplay Lacks High Quality
Of course, everything cannot be attributed solely to the competitors. PUBG has to own up some responsibility for the crisis it finds itself in. Several experts hold the opinion that PUBG gameplay is not very impressive. Furthermore, there is a feeling among experts that PUBG’s gameplay is getting worse.
A Tough Nut to Crack
There is a growing perception among various gamers that PUBG is less payable than its major competitors. The impression is that the game is too harsh for players with average gaming skills. It looks like only highly skilled players can survive the fights and have some fun. This possibly causes many such ‘average gamers’ to quit after some time.
Not Worth the Time Investment
PUBG is a game that demands a huge amount of time investment on the part of its players. Quite often, a scenario can occur whereby one can play for 30 minutes, collect the loot, go to the final stage of the fourth circle without facing any player, and then suddenly die from one headshot. This tends to make the game pretty frustrating. In the end, it feels like so much of time investment and effort was not worth it.
Never Ending Technical Difficulties
Technical difficulties form another nail in the coffin of PUBG. What’s really disappointing is that the game hasn’t addressed these difficulties even after achieving massive success. Gaming experts and other players are quick to note these continuous technical problems. Such problems including the presence of bugs, cheaters, glitches, etc. have only further tarnished the reputation of PUBG.
From all accounts, it looks as if the process of declining PUBG craze is well underway. The game is facing an exodus of fans and it seems it can’t do anything to prevent it. This is not a mere claim, but the numbers speak for themselves. In 2019 alone, the player count of PUBG has dropped by an enormous 37%. The game is facing imminent death and all signs point towards it.