'PUBG Mobile' lands on Android and iOS devices, and it's free
It used to be that where PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds went, Fortnite followed. Now it's the other way around.
A mobile version of Battlegrounds (affectionately referred to as PUBG by fans) launched for Android and iOS devices late Monday. Its release wasn't exactly a surprise -- there was a "soft launch" last week in Canada's Google Play Store -- but that doesn't make it any less exciting.
PUBG Mobile, as the new release is called, replicates the popular battle royale game that's also available on Windows and Xbox hardware. It's not cross-play like Fortnite, meaning mobile players can only play against other mobile players, but it's otherwise the same game PUBG fans know and love.
Each match drops 100 players into a vast, open map where they scrounge up gear and wage gun battles in an effort to be the last player or squad standing. A randomly selected "safe" zone pushes players into an ever-shrinking portion of the map, ensuring that matches end in a reasonable amount of time.
The PUBG Mobile release comes only a few days after Epic Games launched an invite-only kickoff for Fortnite: Battle Royale. This mobile version of Fortnite's PUBG-like online mode allows mobile players to duke it out with people running the game on consoles or Mac/Windows PCs.
PUBG has a leg up in the number of devices it plays nice with. While Fortnite requires iOS 11 and iPhones as old as the 6S, PUBG can run on iOS 9 and iPhones as old as the 6. The difference in Android requirements isn't as clear-cut, largely because Fortnite is only available for iOS devices right now; that said, PUBG runs on Android versions 5.1.1 or later with at least 2GB of RAM.
PUBG Mobile is a free-to-play game and it's out now.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
