It took a huge amount of testings and trial-and-error on the developers' part but PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is pretty much spoiling its playerbase with the generous content. New maps are being introduced periodically along with new weapons and events that give off some exclusive and amazing rewards. Before this, the oldest players of PUBG were confined to either the grassy or the desert map.
The two earliest maps in the game were Erangel or Miramar. These two still remain the most popular battlegrounds in PUBG because, for many players, they feel like home. Which map is the most welcoming and the top battle royale playpen in PUBG? Let's look at the strongest points of both maps to see which comes out on top and which is a better place for that chicken dinner buffet.
11 Why Erangel: Action Is More Concentrated
One thing that immediately stood out when Miramar was introduced to the game was how barren it was (no pun intended). The desert map was way too big and action was thus harder to find. That wasn't the case in Erangel.
Erangal is only made up of around 50 percent land, whereas Miramar is around 80 percent. That means players have a bigger chance of bumping into one another in Erangel so there's plenty of shootouts to be found.
10 Why Miramar: Easier To Make It Into The Top 10
With that said, it's actually easier to survive in Miramar. All you have to do is find a secluded junkyard or warehouse, loot a little, and then sit there and wait, periodically moving from safe zone to safe zone.
Since the map has a bigger playable land area, the chances of meeting another player in-game are lower. Getting to the top 10 this way is easier, getting to the top 2, however, is going to take more than laziness and luck.
9 Why Erangel: The Original Map
There's also the fact that Erangel was the very first map in PUBG and is thus the most familiar one. Many of the best players right now know it like the back of their hand. Some probably have their own lucky or camping spots and established strategies.
You can't also discount the amount of work the developers have put into Erangel. As it essentially served as PUBG's Early Access, Beta, and even Alpha testing ground, Erangel was thus refined to near-perfection by the time the game came out as a full version.
8 Why Miramar: Better Verticality
Erangel might have some mounds, hills, mountains, and some depressing Soviet-era apartments but it's not exactly as exciting as Miramar when it comes to utilizing elevation as an advantage.
Miramar's buildings are simply more imaginative. There are areas with craters, dunes, and even construction sites that ought to be challenging for anyone. It is also easier to enter and exit these elevated areas as players are not confined to just doors or windows.
7 Why Erangel: More Combat Opportunities
With that said, Erangel has a clear advantage for campers and ambushers because of the typically grassy areas of the map. The map takes inspiration from Eastern European tundras with overgrown grass and lots of trees or foliage for cover.
This welcomes many modes of play. You can sneak and be a patient snake in the bushes or hone your reaction skills by being alert all the time with a gun out and a standing posture. Miramar's lack of foliage and natural cover makes combat less flexible...
6 Why Miramar: Sniper Heaven
If there was an easy way to win in Miramar, it would be having at least a 4x scope and a sniper rifle. The huge land area means longer engagement distances and gives you plenty of opportunities to practice your sniping skills.
It's all fair game though since other players can do the same to you. Since cover out in the open is rare in Miramar, then sniping has its own risks. Still, if sniping is your preferred style of gameplay and winning, then Miramar is the best place to indulge that.
5 Why Erangel: Easier Safe Zones
Now, apart from the action being more frequent or common in Erangel, another good thing about having a smaller land area to play on is the easier travel. You don't even need a vehicle in Erangel to survive the closing circle or get to the safe zone.
Running to the safe zone is easy since the map isn't that big and there's also plenty of cover to go around. In Miramar, not having a vehicle can be a death sentence and will end the game early for many players.
4 Why Miramar: Better Building Diversity
It might just be due to Miramar being a newer map but the buildings in the area are a lot more recognizable and varied than in Erangel. This quality of a map is a lot more important than it seems.
That's because players need to remember which buildings are the most rewarding and in Miramar, good buildings usually have intense colors such as the red brick warehouses. Erangel's buildings mostly look all the same and washed out.
3 Why Erangel: Luck Plays A Bigger Factor
In Erangel, you can rock the best level 3 gear with a metal helmet and some crate weapons but you can still get ambushed by a prankster hiding in the tall grass. This adds a nice layer to the gameplay of PUBG.
It makes it so that even someone who isn't that good in shootouts can outsmart and out-play better players as long as they're clever about it and are lucky. The result is that the late-game in Erangel can be chaotic or random because of the many different styles of play. This can be more exciting.
2 Why Miramar: Skill Plays A Bigger Factor
Miramar, on the other hand, might seem fairer to excellent players who have honed their gunplay and sniping to pixel-perfect precision. The lack of cover means many players in the late game don't have a choice but to be good and skillful.
Those who are scared or rely on blind and pure luck tend to get the short end of the stick in Miramar. Planning and contingencies also play a bigger role on the map. It's a desert, after all; it pays to be resourceful.
1 Winner: Erangel
It has been declared on many polls before but the point will be reiterated again: the definitive map for PUBG remains Erangel. It allows for many different kinds of players and the random and luck-based nature of the map means everyone, good or bad, has an opportunity to win.