Choose PUBG if you want realism, recoil you have to learn and slower matches built on positioning. Choose Fortnite if you want fast fights, building and a colourful, constantly changing game. Both launched in 2017 and shaped the battle royale genre, but they feel nothing alike once you're in a match.
The quick comparison
| Fortnite | PUBG | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Bright and cartoonish | Grounded and military |
| Combat | Fast, with building | Slow, with recoil and bullet drop |
| Platforms | PC, consoles, Switch, mobile | PC, consoles, mobile |
| Earning cosmetics | Battle Pass and shop | Crates and purchases |
PUBG came first, with its battle royale reaching players in March 2017. Fortnite's mode followed in September of the same year.
Gameplay
PUBG rewards patience. Every gun has its own recoil, bullets drop over distance, vehicles matter on the big maps, and footsteps can decide a round. You win by being in the right place, not by being quick.
Fortnite adds building. You can put up a ramp, a wall or a tower in seconds, which turns every fight into a puzzle of height and angle. Reactions and improvisation count for more here. If you want to know what to pick up first, our Fortnite weapon rankings are a good place to start.
Look and feel
PUBG offers gritty maps, camouflage and weather that adds tension. Fortnite is vivid and playful, and it keeps pulling in outside brands from Marvel to Star Wars. Fortnite's live events add to that. They're covered in our live events guide.
Esports and community
PUBG has a solid competitive scene, particularly in Asia. Fortnite's reached a wider audience, helped by the 2019 World Cup and its $30 million prize pool. Fortnite also has Creative mode, where players build their own maps and games, which keeps many people playing between seasons.
Who finds it easier?
Fortnite is simpler to start and hard to master at the top, mostly because of building and editing speed. PUBG's learning curve is steeper at the start, since recoil, ballistics and map awareness take time. For casual play, we'd say Fortnite. For slow, tactical play, PUBG.
Pros and cons
- Fortnite pros: fast, creative, lots of crossovers, big competitive scene.
- Fortnite cons: the building skill ceiling is high and some players dislike the cartoon style.
- PUBG pros: realistic gunplay, tension and big maps with vehicles.
- PUBG cons: it can feel slow, and the graphics look older.
Our take
Try both. They're free to start in most cases, and the difference shows up in the first match. Fortnite has the bigger player base, which we looked at in the Fortnite player count article. Of the two, Fortnite is the one we have a product for, on the Fortnite cheat page, and PUBG isn't on our list right now. See the pricing page for what is.