The Future of PUBG Esports in 2020

Often considered the original Battle Royale game, PUBG (Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds) broke headlines in 2017 and 2018 due to its massive global popularity. Unsurprisingly, PUBG Corp. developed esports ambitions and PUBG became a popular esports game. Due to their popular beginnings, it made sense for PUBG to enter what is now a billion-dollar industry. However, critics have questioned whether it still makes sense today. Are doubts about the future of PUBG esports valid?

The Rise and Fall of PUBG Esports?

Let us take a quick look at PUBG’s esports history up until now. The first major PUBG tournament was the PGI Global Invitational tournament, held in 2018. We also saw some memorable tournaments in 2019, amongst which were the Global Championship, the PUBG Europe League, the North American National PUBG League and the PUBG Nations Cup. According to The Loadout, PUBG organised the 6^th most popular esports tournament in 2019 with almost a million viewers. This year, due to COVID-19, a global championship had to be cancelled in favour of regional championships, the PUBG Continental Series. The first event, PCS1, was held end June/beginning of July. It had tens of thousands of viewers at its peak, with over a 100.000 in the APAC region alone.

On paper, this esports history does not look bad at all. The question is therefore; why are people doubting the future of PUBG esports? After doing my research, I found 3 main arguments:

• Controversies in 2019: plans for the release of esports team-based skins were cancelled, and there was criticism on the way PUBG Corp. handled promises concerning revenue share. As a result, several big esports organisations decided to leave the PUBG pro league.
• PUBG’s ‘regular’ player count is in decline. Less popularity in general equals less popularity in esports.
• Since PUBG’s release, more Battle Royale titles have emerged. Amongst the most famous are Fortnite, Apex Legends, Realm Royale and Call of Duty: Warzone. Fortnite in particular has become a big rival for PUBG, with more players and a bigger esports league. In other words, there is too much competition for PUBG in the BR genre.

Working With Esports Teams

The first issue reached its peak when, in 2018, branded revenue-sharing items that were supposed to be released for the Global Championship, were cancelled. Many major esports organisations were not exactly thrilled to hear this news and decided to drop the game. Still, there are many major organisations still competing, such as FaZe Clan, TSM, Team Liquid and Natus Vincere. The key to prevent more professional organisations from dropping the game, seems simple; communicate closely with the teams and keep your promises. Furthermore, PUBG Corp. should definitely consider changing its revenue plan for esports organisations and try to increase its prize-pool.

The Decline in Player Count

By the end of 2017 and start of 2018, PUBG’s average player count was over 1 million. Unfortunately, this number has since declined, with the average player count being only slightly over 230.000 in June 2020 according to Steam Charts. This decline is one of the main reasons why critics express their doubts about the future of PUBG in esports.

So yes, the number of global players has dropped. But we should not forget that PUBG is still one of the most popular games worldwide. It is one of the most-watched games on Twitch. Furthermore, a decline in ‘regular’ players does not automatically mean that less people will be interested in watching PUBG esports. Also, most of the people who argue online that ‘PUBG is dying’, seem to be based in North America. The game still has a massive fanbase in other parts of the world, especially Asian countries like China, Korea, Vietnam and India.

That said, the gradual decline in popularity should stop at some point, if PUBG wants to have a future in esports. The solution is simply explained, though perhaps not as simple to execute: PUBG Corp. MUST improve player experience. The PUBG player base has been plagued by bugs, lagging servers and hackers. It is the single, big reason why players are dropping the game. Just take a look at recent reviews on Steam; half the player base still loves the game for its amazing concept, but the other half is tired of all the downsides.

If PUBG can fix these issues, they will likely receive a popularity boost, or at least put an end to their decline. In turn, PUBG esports will become bigger. Get the players back, and you get more people who will watch PUBG esports. After all, gamers will be less inclined to watch pro-league tournaments of a game they stopped playing. People will, however, watch esports tournaments of games that they love to play. Easy.

PUBG vs. Fortnite

I really did not want to mention the F-word too often in this article, but it cannot be helped; we all know who PUBG’s biggest rival is. The one game that is said to be able to wipe PUBG off the esports map forever… But do not be too worried. After all, both PUBG and Fortnite have been around for a while now, and although Fortnite seems to take the popularity prize, PUBG is still organising successful esports events. The one thing I therefore wish to emphasize here, is the need for BR games to compete; or rather, the lack thereof. Are Fortnite and PUBG rivals? Yes. Can one exist alongside the other? Also yes (this is not the Wizarding World, Harry).

And let us not forget: PUBG may not be the most popular BR game in the esports scene, but they are the second-most popular one. That is by no means a small feat. The reason why PUBG can continue to coexist amongst rival BR games, is because it has a unique concept. What is more, many players agree that PUBG has in fact the best BR concept, better than Fortnite. The game is more realistic, rawer, more strategic and has superior maps. Using a realistic landscape to your advantage is one of the most appealing factors of PUBG gameplay. Fortnite, on the other hand, has the building element and looks cuter. Some players care for that, but a great number celebrate PUBG as the most realistic and thrilling BR ever made.

So why is Fortnite considered a bigger esports game? The answer is found in marketing and technical issues. Fortnite has been outstanding when it comes to appeal. They knew what audience they needed to reach in order to make their game blow up, and they did exactly what they needed to do in order to create that fanbase. The best examples are the colourful, cartoon-like looks and the Fortnite dances. Although they are often ridiculed online as a game for 9-year olds, it is a small price to pay for massive global success. On top of that, Fortnite does not face the same technical problems as PUBG.

It is more complicated to draw a conclusion here. PUBG should probably continue to emphasize its uniqueness as the ‘original’ Battle Royale experience. The game itself is great; it does not need flashy colours or silly dances. Even so, they could perhaps gain more popularity by appealing more to pop-culture like Fortnite does, but without selling their soul. But most importantly, as mentioned earlier in this article, PUBG should focus on fixing its gameplay issues and take away the main reason why people might want to switch PUBG for Fortnite or another Battle Royale.

PUBG’s Future in the Esports Scene

Before we draw a final conclusion, we should take a moment to realise that PUBG has done amazing things so far. They became the first big Battle Royale game, they reached headlines due to their global popularity, and they set up a successful esports branch. For a game that is relatively new, in a gaming genre and esports industry that are also still young, that is something to be proud of. Keeping that in mind, PUBG Corp. should be given more time to further develop their game and their esports ambitions. As Brendan Greene (a.k.a. ‘Player Unknown’) has said, we should think of esports in terms of years, not months.

So, what is the final verdict? Taking all of the above into consideration, it seems that the future of PUBG in esports has serious potential as well as serious uncertainties. On the bright side though: the uncertainties can be overcome. As of now, the game does not necessarily need new maps, weapons or any other features, but it needs to enhance what is already there. As an esports game, they are already doing well, but they are not yet living up to their full potential.

In the next couple of years, it will become clear whether PUBG esports is here to stay. Let us hope that it does. In the meantime, step up your game with the Council of the Lost PUBG Strategy Guide: Playzone Dweller VS Action Seeker!