The PUBG Mobile player count has matched the number of those playing its closest competitor, Fortnite. Both games have claimed that 200 million players picked up their games this year, though the records only reflect Tencent’s mobile version of the game. The records also exclude players from China, meaning that the number of PUBG players could be higher than the numbers given.
The headline is reflective of gaming trends the last couple of years, with battle royales becoming an immediate hit with players, both PUBG and Fortnite have long been the go-to titles for those looking to try the genre out. However, it seemed that Fortnite managed to gain a fairly healthy lead over PUBG given it’s a free to play game and the mainstream attention it’s received from media and celebrities.
Now, though, it seems PUBG wasn’t left behind, in fact, the recent attention for the game has seen it claw back its player count to the point that the title now matches the 200 million player count that Epic’s battle royale boasts. It’s important to note here that the player count for PUBG is derived solely from its mobile version, which picked up the Android Game of the Year Award earlier this year. These numbers don’t include the numbers from console players, which saw the game recently launch on the PS4 and Xbox Game Pass. Similarly, the player count for PUBG Mobile excludes the player count from China, where mobile and PC gaming is still far more popular than console titles even though the Chinese console ban lifted in 2015.
Given these exclusions, it’s highly likely that PUBG‘s player count is actually higher than Fortnite. As a whole, 2018 has probably been far kinder to PUBG, with the title reporting record profits for the mobile versions along with the game while Fortnite has been the subject of multiple lawsuits because of selected dances from the game.
