Our PUBG guide to staying silent and stealthy in order to gain the upper hand in just about any combat situation.
The ultimate aim in PUBG is of course to emerge the last person standing, and there are many strategies you can employ if you want to outlast the opposition. You can go all guns blazing, for example, or land in a hotly contested area and search constantly for firefights to earn plenty of powerful gear. Alternatively you can play it patiently and wait for your perfect opportunities to strike.
Not only can taking a stealthy approach be extremely effective, it’s often enormously fun and a terrifyingly tense way of playing the game. There’s nothing better than getting the drop on an unsuspecting opponent, watching them slump to the floor and then snagging all their precious loot.
Even if it’s not part of your core strategy, a stealth approach comes in handy for everyone, no matter what your playstyle. Often during a match it’s vital that you keep noise to a minimum, especially when scouring buildings, tracking enemies or nervously tiptoeing into the next circle.
Just below you’ll find a number of tips and tricks that will help you move quietly in PUBG and increase your chances of remaining undetected. We’d love to hear your own tips in the comments.
Editor’s Note: We’ve updated this guide with even more strategy advice and combed through our existing tips to make sure they’re all still relevant!
Make sure you visit our core PUBG Guide hub when you’re done here. It contains all of the most important tips and tactics you need to win more games.
Here’s a list of the things you can do to be the ultimate silent assassin.
- Although they’re extremely hard to come by, equipping a Suppressor is easily one of the best ways to remain undetected throughout a match. Slap it on an Assault or a Sniper Rifle and it’ll muffle your shots just enough that enemies will find it very difficult to pinpoint where they’ve been shot from.
- If you suspect the enemy has heard you, it can be quite effective to sprint and jump to cover ground. This way they’ll lose track of your footsteps temporarily and it can allow you to reposition just enough to catch them off guard.
- You’ll only be able to get Ghillie Suits from Crates, but if you’re lucky enough to get hold of one it’ll make you much harder to detect at a glance. The colour of the Ghillie changes to match the palette of the map, so you’ll have no trouble blending in with the desert or the forest.
- Crouch-walking isn’t silent but it’ll certainly decrease the amount of noise you make while moving around a building or hunting enemies out in the open. Just be aware that your movement is severely limited in this state and wily opponents can still detect your footsteps. It’s best to stay mobile or use movement in short bursts to remain unpredictable.
- On PC there’s a walk button that’s bound by default to [CTRL], or by gently tilting the [Left Thumbstick] on Xbox One. While this won’t necessarily make you silent, it’s still an effective way of moving quietly and decreasing your chances of detection.
- This goes without saying, but using a vehicle will give away your position to nearby enemies almost instantly. If you’re aiming to stay completely silent, it’s best to cover ground on foot.
More PUBG guides
- 1. Main Guide – PUBG: Guide 2018 – Tips, tricks and strategy advice
- 2. Landing and Loot – PUBG: Best landing and loot spots guide
- 3. Aiming – PUBG: How to aim better (Scope, Sights and Long Range)
- 4. Farming BP – PUBG: Best way to get and farm BP
- 5. Land Faster – PUBG: How to land faster into battle
- Be patient when you spot enemies, and hold off on squeezing the trigger unless you’re absolutely certain you can take them down in a few hits. Take the time to line up a headshot and you’ll be able to drop them swiftly and, most importantly – with minimal noise.
- Make use of the environment you’re in. Avoid running out in the open, utilise foliage, hide in ridges – the lot. This way you’ll be more difficult to spot and it’ll increase your chances of sneaking up on enemies who aren’t nearly as cautious as you are.
- If you’re looking for a real challenge, the Crossbow is the only weapon that’s practically impossible to hear when shot. It’s very difficult to use at long range due to its heavy bullet drop and lengthy reload time, but it’s purpose-built for stealth tactics.
- More a bit of fun than anything, you could always try the melee weapon approach if you really want to remain a silent killer. The Pan is an instant knock-down if you manage to land a hit!
- When you’re approaching buildings, make sure you’re remaining out of sight by avoiding large windows.
- Enemies will become suspicious if you leave doors open when you’ve been scouring buildings. Close them after you to bait them in!
