What Each Zone Means in PUBG

3:15 AM June 27, 2018

Introduction

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is an extremely fun, rewarding and at times frustrating experience, especially when you’re unaware of how things work within the game. Of course weapons are easy to pick up and use, houses seem simple to loot and cars can be taken with you to make the adventure a little safer. However, one integral aspect of PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) is how zones work. You’ve definitely encountered them while in game and perhaps you’re just not sure how to assess them. Why are they there? What do each color mean? Where should I be located on the map in relation to each zone? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered as we’ll explore into what each zone represents, and what you should be wary of as you move towards them.

The White Zone

The White Zone, otherwise known as the ‘Safe Zone’, is the area on the map that is randomly chosen within the game. Depending on where you land on the island will determine whether you’re safe to wander, or that you’ll need to move quickly in order to reach the Safe Zone in a timely manner. The White Zone covers a great portion of the map and so once you’re within the radius, there’s ample time to gather loot and keep a lookout for any suspicious activity nearby. The timer on the bottom right hand side of the screen indicates just how long it will take before the zone will start shrinking. The game will of course remind you of how much time you have based on intervals of 10 (30, 20, 10, 5), and so that visual reminder will allow you to think through your next plan of action before moving forward.

As you progress through towards mid game and eventually into the late game, the White Zone will shrink in size and also move to another section of the map, within the zone’s original radius. The circle will not randomly move from one part of the map to the other end so not to worry, the White Zone will always stay within range for you to reach should you find yourself in a tough situation(just pray you found a good area in the beginning). This brings us to the next zone in the game that plays an integral role in how you can assess your risks, strategize your next objective and most importantly, be on the lookout for other players on the run.

The Blue Zone

Each zone within PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) plays a significant role in how you engage with the world. As we mentioned earlier with the White Zone, it’s essentially a spot where players can plan out a strategy and gather the right amount of loot needed to ensure they’re prepared for the next phase. Enemies are scattered all throughout the island and so, pinpointing just where each enemy is on the island is near impossible. However one great benefit about this next zone is that once the clock starts ticking, players will start running and the Blue Zone can work entirely in your favor. The Blue Zone is generally a much bigger circle than that of the White Zone and that’s to give players time to move from one section of the map to the next. In the early game the Blue Zone is much bigger and shrinks at a much slower pace, which will give you ample time to race towards the White Zone if let’s say you were outside of it when you ejected from the plane. Staying between both the White Zone and Blue Zone are very important as the zone starts to shrink and you will not accumulate damage as a result.

However once you start to move closer towards mid-end game is when things start to get a little more risky. As we stated earlier you want to be situated either within the White Zone or be situated between both the Blue and White zone, and that’s because as the zone shrinks and you’re outside of either zone you’ll start to lose small chunks of life. Early game life depletion isn’t too urgent to be concerned with but once the zones close in quicker towards end game, there’s less time to make careless decisions as greater health will be taken from you over time. There’s also other factors to consider such as your surroundings and just who’s around you racing towards the White Zone in time to survive, so being very critical of your positioning as you sprint towards safety is imperative to survival. Also, if you’re unaware of where to go the game’s map will provide small dots to indicate where to move next, so always use your map! Another important tip if you find yourself trapped in the Blue Zone, is to make sure you’re well equipped with enough health items to get you through.

This brings us to our next point and perhaps a very important one and that’s paying close attention to the Blue Zone circle as it closes in. There will be times when the circle will have more space to move in on one side and look smaller on the other. This is a strategic element that you should use to your advantage and here’s why:

Bigger Blue Area

There are pros and cons to both and the pros of situating yourself in the bigger section of the closing Blue Zone is that, you of course have more space to move around, time to assess risks, and maybe catch another player off guard to remove a threat. The con is that you’re also a target for other players who are frantically trying to take out other opponents and so, there’s a much higher rate of mortality in this regard. In addition, the circle will close in quicker so thinking fast needs to be a priority.

Smaller Blue Area

The smaller end of the Blue Zone will close at a slower rate than that of the more open section. Using this to your advantage could turn the tide of the game almost instantly. This is because unlike the bigger portion, the small section will allow you to move into the White Zone in a safer manner due to the smaller gap between the White and Blue zones. You can use this to shoot down other enemies who may be nearby and still get into the zone without much harm. The con is that because of the limited space you have, there’s little room for error and so you need to be very meticulous about movement since those already in the White Zone may be looking out for you. Ultimately, being in the Blue Zone as it closes poses a risk either way so be sure to practice predicting just where the next Safe Zone will be. You don’t want to be that person racing across an open field in the closing Blue Zone because, there’s a very high chance you’ll be seeing the lobby screen so be mindful of that. Preparation is pivotal to success.

The Red Zone

So now that you have an idea of the two more important zones within PUBG, we’ll get into the final zone that a lot of new players are unaware of or simply don’t know it’s purpose. Red Zones appear randomly on the map and if you find yourself within one, not to worry, if there’s a house nearby then just stay situated inside until the fireworks subside. However if you do find yourself in the Red Zone and there are no houses nearby or a vehicle to get you to safer territory, then just pray to the RNG gods that a bomb doesn’t drop on you. The odds are against you for sure but that doesn’t mean escape isn’t possible. There have been many moments where we came out of the Red Zone unscatched because the bombs decided to spare our souls, but don’t gamble with the dark side because if you do that’s it. All of your hard work to gather all of that wonderful loot is in vain because you decided to be greedy and play with fire. Simply put, stay away from the Red Zone as much as you can and if RNG happens to curse you and places one on top of your hiding spot, then run like the wind.

Bonus Tip

Speaking of greed in PUBG, try to avoid being greedy in this game because it can oftentimes lead you into a dark pit of despair. We’re not saying to avoid it entirely because there are times when it may benefit you, but for the most part try to be very patient and gather only what you need because if let’s say you’re playing in Duo/Squad modes, giving up your valuable possessions to the other team due to greed isn’t the greatest. Practice safe movement, patient progression and cerebral approaches. Most importantly, pay attention to the map!

Final Thoughts

We hope that you found this quick little overview of what each zone means in PUBG to be resourceful, and hopefully can assist you in getting that glorious Chicken Dinner at the end. Remember that in PUBG it’s all about strategy and knowing when the right time to strike is. Always keep that in mind and you’ll be getting top 10’s consistent in no time! Don’t be afraid to take risks but be sure to assess those risks in great detail before moving along with them. Keep an eye out for enemy movement at all times and try to minimize movement to avoid getting shot. Be sure to keep up with Honey’s Anime not only for PUBG related articles but also anime, gaming and all things pertaining to Japan’s sub culture! This is NualphaJPN signing out. Have fun!