PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is now properly out, with a 1.0 version number to complement its improbably massive success. There’s plenty of reasons why the battle royale became such a hit even in Early Access, since it offers equal opportunities for thrilling moments to both complete newbies and expert killers.
The biggest addition to the game has been the brand-new map, Miramar, and with a host of new locations, weapons, and vehicles the desert map has brought even more thrilling and hilarious moments to players and spectators alike.
We’ve crawled up and down through Twitch to find the craziest, funniest, and most unbelievable Miramar moments out there, and the results show once again why PUBG has become a worldwide phenomenon.
1. Winchester OP AF
There’s no feeling in PUBG more magnificent than nailing a headshot at an absurd distance — except, perhaps, doing it without a scope. Here we see somebody scope out an opponent impossibly far away, then switch to a scope-free Winchester to take a couple of potshots. But that first shot ends up far more accurate than you could expect.
2. Killin’ It With Pans
We’ve established that the desert-exclusive Winchester can be pretty powerful, but how does PUBG’s most iconic weapon fare in Miramar? I am of course talking about the pan. Here, an intrepid squad with a 4-2 advantage at the end of a game decides to press that advantage into a melee battle against their gun-wielding opponents. It goes… better than you might expect.
3. Explosive Ramps
The van is a big, slow-moving hunk of metal when it’s on the ground, but you know what else fits that description? Planes. The only difference is that aircraft have some explosive propulsion to keep them moving, and it turns out PUBG’s van is just as flightworthy if you find a way to launch it.
4. Crashing Leads to… Crashing
PUBG’s come a long way since its first days in Early Access, but every game still has some share of technical issues. You’re still going to run into a crash every now and then, but hopefully it’ll be under slightly better circumstances than, say, driving your squad at full speed across the desert. Turns out that the pedal stays stuck to the metal when you’re driving and the client crashes.
5. Early Drops for Everyone
You might also consider this a bug, but I prefer to think of it as an intended feature. Once in a while, everyone on the plane gets simultaneously ejected. The resulting swarm of bodies is one of the most gloriously chaotic sights PUBG can produce.
6. Squad-Based Whack-a-Mole
Some people are very, very good at PUBG. Shroud is one of those people, and much of his channel is highlight after highlight. Have you ever pointed your gun at an apartment building, shot every head that pops out, and somehow managed to wipe an entire squad in the space of seconds? Probably not, I’m guessing.
7. Even the Best of Us
PUBG is a great equalizer, and even players like Shroud will see their fare share of embarrassing moments. Just, uh, watch where you’re running after tossing a grenade. Free pro tip for you.
8. People in a Van? Fish in a Barrel
The van is a vehicle so heavily armored that it’s darn near a tank. But tanks don’t have windows, and this clip demonstrates why. With a properly laid trap, even a van loaded with heavily armed passengers can turn into a barely mobile death trap.
9. Bombs Are Much Scarier These Days
Once you play enough PUBG, you get pretty complacent about the red zone. After all, how many people have actually died from one of those sporadic falling bombs? Those explosives have gotten a lot bigger and louder since 1.0, though, so when they do hit a player the results can be decidedly scary.
10. I Love Physics
Video game physics are one of the great joys in life, and PUBG provides as much joy as any other title on the market. Sometimes things just go wrong, you know, and that if that wrongness is wrong I don’t want to be right.
If you’re aiming to dive deeper into PUBG — whether to emulate some awesome moments or avoid the more unfortunate ones — be sure to check out the official PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Wiki for new strategies and plenty more details.
Dustin Bailey
Dustin is a Missouri-based freelancer who enjoys long walks in digital woods. When he’s not writing about geeky pastimes, he’s producing videos on them. He and his wife bond best over tabletop role-playing.