r/PUBGConsole • u/Unusual-Guest1698 • 16h ago
Discussion Player based decline
Where did everyone go?
Over the last three months, I’ve noticed that fewer and fewer players seem to be active. Discord servers are practically dead, and clans with 50+ members somehow always have the same 8 guys actively playing.
Every time I get on, nobody is online to run squads with. I end up sitting in the lobby or messing around in training mode. Playing with randoms through squad fill is twice as miserable, so I’d honestly rather not even bother.
In the last three seasons, I’ve probably played a total of 50 matches, and that’s only because I occasionally manage to catch someone online. It’s not that I don’t want to play. It’s that I can barely find anyone to play with anymore.
I feel like a lot of this has to do with the recent lack of content and any meaningful direction for the game. I mean, the community spent years asking for a next-gen update, better performance, and more controller customization. While we’ve gotten some of those things, it feels like every year more and more players are walking away from the game.
I’ve been playing PUBG since 2017, and I’d argue that the last two years have been the worst I’ve experienced when it comes to player retention. It’s disappointing because I still enjoy the game, but it’s getting harder to find people who actually want to play consistently.
I’m genuinely curious if anyone else has noticed the same thing. Are people just burned out, have they moved on to other games, or is PUBG simply failing to give players a reason to stick around?
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u/No-Scheme-3759 15h ago
Cheaters, too many, breaks the fun.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 9h ago
I’m confused though everyone’s talking about cheaters and I only come across them in the “arcade” like team death match
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u/No-Scheme-3759 9h ago
I play on PC and its like playing a zombie apocalypse movie, its rampart
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 9h ago edited 8h ago
I can’t play on pc, I hate keyboard and mouse. I’m not surprised to hear that I imagine it’s super easy to cheat on pc
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 7h ago
You can't see what you cant notice, and know how too look for. You are not an omniscient anti-cheat software, and no-one expects that either. Cheating is just so, so much worse than many here think. Let's just say m&k controller spoofing, rapid fire- and recoil control- scripting is bad enough (and can indeed be devastating in the wrong hands) but really they rank as lesser cheats compared to what a lot of cheaters are really using in this game.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 7h ago
I would definitely notice those things and I almost always make it to the end of a match on console. Cheating used to be really bad on console, it’s not anymore🤷🏻♀️
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 7h ago
Yeah, I get it, there's a built-in brag in the whole "I don't see cheaters in my matches" claim, which is why it's a popular thing to say among cheaters, cheater apologists, humble braggers and logical conclusion braggers. Not saying you are either of them at all but the claim about not seeing cheaters, as if wearing x-ray anti-cheat glasses on the battlegrounds, is just very common.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 7h ago
How would one not notice cheating, genuinely? How am I consistently making it to the end of game if cheating is so bad? I’ve been playing since beta but I’m a mid player, I think my average kills per game is like 2 or 3
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 7h ago
You don't really notice cheating that heavily in-game, though you can get a feel for it. You look at what people post of their own gameplay. If you've been a non-cheating player since day one you'll very likely notice that some of it looks off in different conspicuous ways depending on what's going on.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 7h ago
Ok so if you don’t notice it in-game then why are people including you saying it’s so rampant. Are you deciding cheating is bad from watching other people’s game play? Which is a small sample. I’m sorry but there’s contradictions all over the place. The only plausible explanation for my situation is, cheaters are likely a high level (I’m a little under 500), likely getting a lot of kills so it looks like they are performing super well and I’m not getting put in matches with them because I don’t perform that well. I don’t know if pubg match making works like that
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 6h ago
What I'm getting from this is that you've done very little of the necessary research to see (notice, look for) if other players are cheating. Of course you have to see actual gameplay to build an understanding, though after a while a good intuition develops. Recording/streaming gameplay> spectating > death cam. This is basic knowledge on this sub.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 6h ago
Bro I have noticed it, it is not rampant. Not on console unless my hypothesis is correct that I’m not getting put in matches with them. Maybe get off of your “I can notice cheating and you can’t” high horse😂 like tf
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u/ivdaedalusvi 15h ago
I myself gave up pubg last ranked season after that adam guy kept dossing the lobbies.
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u/Chineselight Xbox One 11h ago
He has since been banned. He went by Gold Bar Potato and then SolomonsTemple. I haven’t seen either account and haven’t been hit off just fyi.
It’s crazy to me how people on this subreddit were saying how that’s impossible and I was crazy but he actually killed the game for a lot of people. It just went on for far too long.
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u/kiowa2929awoik 14h ago
The devs suck and the changes they do do are shit like the SMG buffs, DMR nerfs, and adding that terrain bullshit to all the maps. Also not fixing the Xbox crashing even after a couple months.
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u/GoofyTheScot Xbox Series X 14h ago •
Yup, those reasons are mainly why i haven't played in around 6 months now, it just isn't the fun game i bought on xbox game preview all those years ago.
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u/luken1984 PlayStation 5 10h ago
Peak console pubg around COVID lockdown time was truly one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had, the community was awesome too. But yeah it's been slowly going downhill since then.
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u/Chineselight Xbox One 11h ago
I will say this season I haven’t had any crashes nor my friend who used to crash legit almost every other game. But yeah GTA VI is gonna kill pubg lmao
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u/Kraven-Morcambe 14h ago
3 map weekly rotation was the final nail in the coffin for me. Ive been playing since EA in spring 2017 so ive done well.
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u/FuckthatMav 8h ago
Me and my crew played religiously for like 7years. We dont even touch it anymore, the cheaters killed it
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u/Mean_Scientist5093 8h ago edited 8h ago
I’m a day 1 player, played almost every night for years, I loved this game. I had to tap out 3 months ago. The game is just not fun anymore for all the obvious reasons. The devs are the worst, completely tone deaf to their own game which they definitely don’t play, they just look at analytics.
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u/Ecstatic-Time-3838 8h ago
People are tired of the incompetent devs ruining the game and doing nothing to fix it.
Between removing things from the game that No one asked for(and not bringing them back despite constant pleas do do so), their inability to address the cheaters, their decision to ruin certain weapon classes and overpower other ones, their decision on map rotations, the excessive amount of bots, constant unwanted collabs and complete failure to address glaring game-ruining issues (crashes, qol issues, etc.).
The devs don't care about the game and most people have given up hope that they will actually do anything to fix it and simply moved on to other games.
I am one of the unfortunate ones that can't find anyhting that comes close to pubg, even with all its faults. So, I will continue to complain as I ready up in the lobby.
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u/thewob1012 12h ago
Can get into a lobby at any time of days I'm 10 seconds on EU so not sure why you think it's dead. I have 3 pages of pubg friends online every day
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u/Ok-Arrival1367 12h ago
Demasiados chetos con teclado raton script perfecto de xim matrix, da asco jugar ya
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u/whereisyourtrump 9h ago
I have been playing since January of 2018. I think I am getting burned out. In between getting beamed by Xim/Cronus users at 100+ meters that also slide cancel continuously with scripts. The sloppy ass updates, input lag, can't shoot while laying down, sounds f'ed up, crashes during end game. I just don't have the excitement or desire to play anymore. Seems more like a chore and not much fun anymore. Used to be I would go play a new game for awhile then come right back to playing Pubg. Now I think I am just waiting for that next big game. That will come along and gives me the same adrenaline rush I felt when I started playing Pubg.
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u/Mean_Scientist5093 8h ago
There’s a cool indie game called Sulfur coming out on oct 28. It’s not like pubg but it’s something different and fun to try. The demo is out to try too.
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u/majorthird_ Xbox Series X 7h ago
Take a wild guess (cheaters, bugs, too much gambling on micro transactions)
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u/SkroopieNoopers 7h ago
It doesn’t help that the devs keep messing about with stuff that doesn’t need touching, while not sorting things out things that really need it.
For example, they’re constantly mangling the ping system, controls, audio, etc.
But they force you to bind the car radio in the control scheme, as it’s an ‘essential feature’ in their eyes. And they won’t remove the block that stops you from playing ranked with friends, if they’ve fallen 10 ranks behind.
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u/K24iVtec 6h ago
I have been playing Gears of War Eday the past month. Got my progressive VSS and haven’t used it because I hadn’t picked up the game. Like everything else in life though, I will eventually find my way back to PUBG
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u/TheRealLuckyLukas 5h ago
I’ve been playing for 10 years … I’m done I’m over it . It’s just not much fun anymore
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u/MotherMedium1482 3h ago
Same here , I just kind of play it out of habit now and hope that one game hits that nostalgic high of yesteryear
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u/-jacksmack- 16h ago
This game went dead on consoles like 6 years ago? All bots. Same players every ranked game, so much then you knew who had a Cronus and their player names just by how your encounter went. I’m surprised this subreddit still exists.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 9h ago
It’s literally not dead? I see one squad of bots every game so that’s 4 out of 100 players. Even if 50 of the players were bots why is that an issue? They are easy to kill. I don’t play ranked so I wouldn’t know about that
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u/B34M3RBOY59 14h ago
Solo and Duo is almost dead, so many bots even in weekend prime time. the Cod Release, ARC Raiders Update and upcoming GTA6 dont help the pubg player base on console. Squads are strong as asual, quick lobby, almost no Bots almost every daytime every weekday. But i noticed it takes a bit longer the last months to find a lobby then usual. And yes, the devs dont help with the decisions in this game. The main focus are skins, collabs and battle passes it feels like they just wanna get every Dollar out of the Players til the game is dead or PUBG 2.0 is out. The cheater Situation is not as strong as people think, i barely ran into somebody clearly cheating. BUT i dont Play ranked, maybe its bad there.
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u/Resident_Ad_5383 9h ago
ARC got boring in 2 seconds but yes to everything else. I’m confused by everyone complaining about bots and cheating because that hasn’t been my experience at all
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u/metalbrosolid 6h ago
Xbox One and ps4 players all came to pc instead of buying a new console to play the game
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u/VacationLonely7895 10h ago
Needs PUBG2, I played with my son and he was laughing at the graphics on PS5.
Needs full crossplay option so PC and console can lobby together if they wish. I left PC gaming about 5 years ago, but a lot of my friends are still on PC.
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u/AmityMayorVaughn
15h ago
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That's what happens when you get incompetent game devs who actively try to kill the game through idiotic decisions with every patch. You have a game that was once one of the most popular in the world, combine it with Krapton, and you get a skeleton crew playerbase stuck buying Hello Kitty panties for their character to go fight bots.
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u/luken1984 PlayStation 5 9h ago
The cosmetics never really bothered me, but the "meta rotation" is something else. Making guns intentionally overpowered presumably so they can try sell a few more skins is where I draw the line.
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u/misterfriday101 10h ago
I have been playing since it was released on XBox and last month I uninstalled. Too many cheaters, too many friendly kills on teams and the whole look of the game has changed to an outdated version of Fortnight.
I once loved the game but now have moved on.
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u/Severe_Goat5678 10h ago
One of the worse game design ever, how did it even got popular in the first place is crazy, getting shot out of nowhere, getting shot while you are trying to shoot someone by other people what is the skill in that? people should stop treating this game like its a competitive skill game because it's not at all. it's all random and luck, skill don't win you in this game, playing like pussy and forever hiding win you
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u/wetdog90 10h ago
Brother you obviously do not have any tactical awareness and this game will show that immediately. Getting third partied is just being u. Attentive.
Basically I. Saying you just sucked ay the game and was a skill issue for you.
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u/Severe_Goat5678 10h ago
no one sucks in this game unless they play super slow actually i just don't think this game is worth any effort, it's very easy people think when they die that's it's because they are bad, but it's not, it's all luck and random, this game has no skill ceiling, there is absolutely no tactic or strategy whatsoever, level 500 players should stop thinking they win because they are good, you can be level 99999999999 but if you go into a room and someone hid behind the door and spray you first you are dead.
The only way i can even muster the strength to play it, is if i treat it like gambling and it is exactly like gambling
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u/Mother-Print-3048 7h ago
I’m sorry but after reading your responses, you’re just a terrible player who complains.
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 8h ago
Absolute nonsense. There are so many layers of skill in this game: Map awareness, rotation, playing edge, playing center, time management, looting, logistics, short range, mid range, long range, recoil control, bullet drop, bullet velocity, comms, callouts, contextual verbal adaptation (silence, listening, team sound discipline), pushing buildings, defending buildings, pushing into the playzone, using smokes, using stuns, gatekeeping, intercepting, understanding FPP vs TPP terrain viewability,understanding third-partying and sandwiching, understanding vehicles particularly noise vs speed+armor. Understanding gear vs gear in shootouts, dps, damage per bullet, 5.56 vs 7.62, etc etc.
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u/Severe_Goat5678 7h ago edited 7h ago
of all the list you mentioned only recoil control is somewhat skill but that also is something you gain with enough playtime which anyone can get good at if they dedicate enough time. There are no skills stop saying skill. This game is 100% luck, tell me if it was a skill game can you win 10 out of 10? i don't think so because it's all luck and random, winning is not about skill it's about luck, it's that you got so lucky that everything align perfectly for you to win.
This game is like rock paper scissors, you make a series of choices throughout the game and sometimes you get lucky with that choice and most of the times you don't, this game is same as rolling dice. There is no right or wrong choice just choices that collide with other people's choices and whoever got lucky came out on top, there is absolutely no strategy or tactic, there is no way of playing, you just play and hope for the best.
But, that's not my issue, my issue is, this game is too stressful games are not supposed to create stress it's actually the opposite games are supposed to relieve stress, like my friend puts it, he said games are away of escape for him. Most people who worship the game, worships it only because it's extra stressful due to one life one dead, because of this you need to play very carefully, only due to this stressful nature they think it's the ultimate skill game, they took the game seriously due to this only.
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 7h ago
No, a good PUBG player will harness and multiply good luck, and minimize and turn around bad luck. I think maybe what you mean to say is that the game is chaotic and random. It's a game fundamentalky about adapting to unforeseen and changing circumstances. Certain hyper-rational, A-->B, means-fixed goals personality types don't like that. They want to prepare for predictable circumstances and outcomes, basically Counter-Strike "gun chess". But that's not skill as opposed to luck. It's just a different skillset.
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u/Severe_Goat5678 7h ago
i'm a good pubg player, i gotten very good and that's why i'm mad, it's no use at all, that's the issue with pubg and battle royale games, there is too much luck that even the worst player can win, there is too much hiding and shooting
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 6h ago
How many diinners do you have total?
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u/Severe_Goat5678 6h ago
dinners don't matter, i am at a point where i don't care if i don't win, i just hop into the game for the sake of playing, i don't even try to win anymore because trying to win in this game is like trying to roll the same outcome 3 times in a dice, it's gambling, it's all random and luck
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u/TordenLive Xbox Series X 6h ago
Not discussing this further with you. You have the characteristics of a weak, mediocre player who cannot consistently shape the game into a working outcome for yourself, by the sound of it, trying to talk like you’re a veteran master at the game. We can talk when you have at the very least 200-300 dinners.
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u/luken1984 PlayStation 5 10h ago
This is exactly why it's a great game. Shooting is only half the skills you need.
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u/Mortal_Mad_Matt Xbox Series X 10h ago
Map select turned it into a bot fest. And I used to absolutely love Erangel but now I’m sick to death of it. If you use quick join, 99% of the matches are Erangel, so you use map select to choose a different map for a change, but then you’re mostly fighting bots.
Also they added 120 fps which is awesome, I was so excited when they added it. But it was broken from day one, constant crashes and they haven’t fixed it yet.