Lately, there have been many players that enjoy playing as duos or squads; since getting killed will end a game when playing solo, solo players have no choice but to stay alert at all times, as if they are playing a horror game. Even so, it is hard for them to survive since there are many situations where they can be killed in the most utterly ridiculous ways, no matter how many kills they have managed to get.

This is why there are more players that prefer to play duo or squad rather than alone. Actually, PUBG is a game so fun that playing solo and duo/squad games feel like entirely different games, since players can kill enemies with great teamwork or even win a chicken dinner through great strategies and tactics.

However, even if you enjoy playing duo or squad, you should remind yourself that backup is not something done by choice, but is an absolute must. If you observe your ally’s SOS like you’re idly listening to a radio, then there is a very slim chance that you will get to see the sight of that sweet chicken dinner. Also, sticking to adjacent looting routes in cities is necessary for providing quick backup, and active usage of throwables will also add more fun while bringing you closer to that chicken dinner.

▶ Backup gets you a winner winner chicken dinner- call and go for quick backup

If your ally calls for help, turn back and run to your teammate’s side, even if there are first aid kits and med kits right in front of you. Also, the moment your ally calls for backup, you might panic or go into tunnel vision during an engagement, causing you to lose sensible judgment and a clear line of sight. If you get any SOS calls from your partner, instantly move towards where they are with a gun, even if it is just a pistol.

The possibility of you and your friend winning in a battle against your enemies will increase depending on the speed at which you can reach each other. For example, if you hear two footsteps when you are looting items in a building, then you are in a serious danger. However, if you call for help from your partner who is outside, then you’d be catching your targets from both sides, which will let you and your friend kill off all enemies between you two.

In contrast, if you manage to find out an enemy's location, then quickly assault the target so that any enemy backup on the way will become futile. However, taking time to confront unseen enemies would likely get you shot.

Other than that, if your partner murmurs things like, “I think I heard footsteps,” or “I think I heard a door open,” then just run to their aid without saying anything. Saying useless things like, “Was it really footsteps?” or “Dun worry, it’s probably nothing,” will just hinder your partner from listening to enemy sounds in the game and risk them getting killed. If that happens you\d probably find that your ally has become a corpse-shaped loot box for the enemy.

Never ever listen to your ally chats as if you would absent-mindedly listen to a radio channel- if you do, you’ll probably end up absent-mindedly looting ammo, oblivious to emergencies. Make it a habit to backup your partners real quick.

▶ Stick together when looting in cities

Various weapons can be found in cities, and you can finish looting them in a short period of time. This is why many teams prefer to land in cities; unlike when playing solo, you should loot items while keeping as close as possible to your partners in duo/squad games. Don’t stray too far from your teammates, since going too far away from them will reduce your chances of coming back to save them in case of an emergency. Always stay close to each other.

It is a good idea to stick together in groups of at least two when moving in places where intense battles tend to take place, like the Sosnovka Military Base. Survival as a team should always come as the top priority, and having the whole team alive until the top 10 will indeed help you win 1st place.

▶ Get a vehicle in early game

You may not need a car for each player, but you will still need to have at least one car for your team. If you are playing duo, get one person to look for a car, and let the other one loot items. Unlike when playing solo, playing duo or squad will get you easily spotted by enemies from a distance as you are likely to be moving in packs of two or more.

Thus, getting a vehicle is recommended for finding the perfect spots to stay during the 1st~3rd level of playable zones. It may not be easy to use a vehicle to your advantage as much if you have high ratings, but having a car makes your early looting route much easier, so always try to get one as soon as possible.

▶ Even briefings for medical items should be quick and swift

“I got 2/3/4,” “I got 4/0/1, can I please have a painkiller?” These briefings with numbers represent how many medical items you have, and all you need to say is how many first aid kits/painkillers/energy drinks you have, in order. 1/2/3 means that you have 1 first aid kit, 2 painkillers, and 3 energy drinks; by telling each other how many medical items you have in this way, you can instantly know how many each team member has in their possession, and who needs what.

Actually, this way of giving briefings on your medical items helps reduce redundant conversations like, “I got 3 first aid kits!” “Okay, how about energy drinks?” “Uh, hold on… I have one!” “Got any painkillers?” “Yeah, I do- three!” This may sound like a cute conversation between a couple playing duo, but it is better to quickly go through how many medical items your team has and move on to safer places to talk.

▶ Effective usage of throwables

There are so many different throwables, such as frag grenades, smoke grenades, stun grenades, and molotov cocktails in PUBG. Effective usage of throwables will create great synergy in duo/squad games. Molotov cocktails can be used to kill enemies hiding inside buildings, but it can also be used to create a line of fire out in the open field to keep enemies from advancing closer.

Smoke grenades are good for hindering enemy their line of sight when they are attacking from a distance. Use smoke grenades when your ally is down and needs reviving, or when you have to move to the playable zone and you are under attack. Do you ever pick up smoke grenades but get killed even before you get to use them? Then do not hesitate to use them in such situations.

Stun grenades are good for stunning enemies hiding inside buildings, but they can also be used on approaching enemies in open fields or enemies going prone. Lastly, the explosion from the frag grenades affects a larger area due to the recent patch so you can easily get kills with them. If your teammates open fire before you do, you can also support them by throwing frag grenades from behind rather than only shooting your gun as well.

▶ Loot bodies but stay alert!

There is a 4-on-4 battle going on an open field. Player A throws a smoke grenade and manages to take down 1~2 enemies; meanwhile, B and C kills the rest by opening fire at a range, and D revives A. Everyone on the team has lost so much health from the battle and need to fill up their medkits and ammo supplies by looting bodies.

Hyped by their victory, the players rush to loot the bodies, and fail to hear other teams approaching them; clearly, the noise from the earlier engagement has attracted unwanted attention, and the unfortunate team turns into a treasure goblin as they can no longer fight against their new enemies.

In fact, a similar situation took place in 4entro’s squad game at the Gamescom PUBG Invitational. The team was about to focus on looting bodies after killing off another team when Dingception suddenly shot called everyone to stay alert.

Those spectating the game may have wondered why back then, but right after winning a battle is when everyone tends to let their guards down, which can result in critical situations in which they are attacked by other enemies or even resulting in deaths. The video below shows how players should never ease their tension even when they are looting bodies.