PUBG Maps: Full PUBG Maps List

The PUBG maps list has grown massively since it debuted back in 2017, totalling nine as of 2023, along with some remasters of older maps. PUBG was the battle royale that kicked off the storm of BR games over the past half-decade, and while others have overtaken it in popularity, it's undoubtedly still a success. If you're looking for a rundown of what the current PUBG maps list is, we've got you covered with an explainer of each one. 

• It's all well and good knowing the terrain but do you know the best PUBG weapons? Our guide will get you up to speed.

PUBG Maps: Erangel

Click to enlarge

Erangel is the original PUBG map which debuted with the game's early access release back in 2017. It takes place on an abandoned Russian military island, that has quite a rustic feel due to the rural, woodland nature of the area. It's populated by small outcroppings of buildings, towns, villages, and some more notable locations, like the airport, harbour, flooded town, and even a nuclear power plant. 

Erangel features a lot of variation in gameplay because of its size, standing as one of the largest in the game, which means you'll encounter many long-range fights in the open fields and towns, and CQC battles in the more restricted areas. Some of the most highly contested locations on the map are the school and military base, largely due to the high-quality loot that can be found in these areas. It's also worth noting that Erangel has been remastered since its original version, increasing the fidelity and redesigning certain parts to fit around the parkour mechanics. 

PUBG Maps: Miramar

Click to enlarge

Miramar was the second map to be released for PUBG, taking place in a Mexican desert with a large city, and some smaller rural areas with villages. It plays very similar to the Erangel map, mainly due to the similar sizes and long-range focus for the combat, and was released during the 1.0 update. The best loot locations and places you are guaranteed to find a fight are the prison, Hacienda del Patron (the villa), and the cities of Los Leones and El Pozo.

One notable aspect of Miramar is that there is less natural cover than on Erangel, due to the lack of trees and vegetation. This makes stealth a lot more difficult, and long-range fights feel more urgent and frequent, but the dynamic weather system can sometimes change this if the fog rolls in.

• Trying out the ranked mode? Learn all about the different PUBG ranks here

PUBG Maps: Vikendi

Click to enlarge

Next up we have Vikendi, an almost entirely snow-covered resort island in the Adriatic Sea. It's slightly smaller than Erangel and Miramar, but the heavily mountainous terrain and thick forests make it feel larger. This also means that Vikendi has lots of natural cover and opportunities for stealth gameplay, the latter of which is furthered by the potential manhunts that can occur when a player spots footprints. 

There are plenty of locations dotting the Vikendi landscape, with some towns and small villages to explore, and even a river that runs through the entire island. It also has some interesting landmarks, with the dino park, castle, hot springs, port, and the huge Mount Kreznic proving hotly contested areas. This was also the map that introduced secret areas, with a cave that can be accessed by blowing up the entrance, rewarding players with high-level loot. 

PUBG Maps: Sanhok

Click to enlarge

Sanhok is the map that took PUBG into Asia, with a lush jungle island inspired by Thailand and the Philippines. It also introduced the dynamic storm circle, meaning the deathly zone would adjust mid-game based on how many players were alive - instead of working linearly like in previous maps. The dense nature of the jungle that littered the entire map, and the small sizes of the locations and landmarks, meant that Sanhok was the first map to take on a close-quarters focus. This means it plays very differently from the other maps listed so far, requiring different tactical focuses to win.

Some major hot drop locations include the cave, Bhan, bootcamps, temple ruins, and the quarry. Same as the map focus, many of these landmarks also focus on CQC, and many of them feature a range of vertical areas, like the labyrinthine tunnels and towers of the temple.

• Here's our rundown of PUBG crossplay so you can play with your friends on different platforms

PUBG Maps: Karakin

Click to enlarge

Karakin is an African map that's on the smaller side, only allowing a maximum of 64 players instead of the typical 100. Aesthetically and even thematically it's very similar to Miramar, with wide-open areas that feature little in terms of cover and places to hide, but due to its smaller size, it plays at a pace akin to Sanhok. There are also some tunnels that can be found around the map, allowing players to sneak around and flank defensive positions.

One of the most important parts of Karakin is the introduction of the Black Zone mechanic. This acts like the Red Zone in other maps, where artillery rains down on a marked positioned, but the Black Zone differs by actually destroying the builds and terrain it lands on. This means every building on the map can be destroyed, which drastically changes the feel of the map, as camping is dissuaded and locations don't always look the same.

• A good soldier doesn't leave a man (or woman) behind. Check out our guide to PUBG crossplay and get the full squad involved.

PUBG Maps: Paramo

Click to enlarge

The South American volcanic island of Paramo is easily the most dynamic map in the game, and every single time you drop in, it plays very differently. This is due to the huge volcano in the middle of the map, which can activate and cause lava to flow across the terrain. The locations of the landmarks also change every time, swapping to completely separate areas. This makes trying to learn Paramo a difficult undertaking. There are also the PUBG Paramo secret rooms and keys to find.

On top of the previously mentioned mechanics that made the map unique, it also added support helicopters that could be destroyed to gain loot - meaning players didn't have to wait for the loot to drop in certain locations. The fights are mostly close-to-medium range because of the size, but remember that the lava can end a firefight in an instant. 

PUBG Maps: Haven

Click to enlarge

Haven is the smallest map in PUBG, taking place on an urban, industrialised American island. It only supports 32 players, which is tiny in comparison to some maps, but its tight design and close-range environments justify the reduced player count. 

Haven also introduced PvE elements, with a faction that can be found guarding high-tier loot across the map, named the Pillar. Killing these NPCs will allow you to grab this rarer loot, but players can take advantage of these fights to drop the opposition too. There is also a Pillar helicopter that tracks players and calls in the tactical trucks to come and kill them. There are only six major areas on Haven, which are the docks, rail yard, industrial park, steel mill, coal yards, and residential. 

PUBG Maps: Taego

Click to enlarge

Taego is an 8x8 map in the game, making it as large as Erangel and Miramar, and features a variety of landmarks and environments inspired by South Korea in the 90s. There are tonnes of open-ended areas for long-range encounters, and smaller areas around the villages and cities, that make for close-quarter hotspots. Like Paramo, you can also find PUBG Taego secret rooms and keys here.

This map also added some new features like the self-revive mechanic, and something similar to the gulags found in Call of Duty: Warzone, where players killed early get a second chance by competing in a mini-battle royale. Some key hotspots are the cities of Ho San, Wol Song, and Kang Neung, along with the Ho San prison.

PUBG Maps: Deston

Click to enlarge

Deston is the latest map in PUBG, which joined the roster in late 2022. When it was first revealed, it was called Kiki and was said to be another 8x8 map, but since then we learned it was the biggest map in the game's history, pushing it to 9x9 or 10x10. 

At the centre of the map is a giant cityscape with lots of verticality and long-range lines of site. Surrounding this is a swampland and flooded areas with underwater buildings. Somewhere underneath the map is a subway system along with some mysterious labs. It's the most diverse of the PUBG maps, and is sure to keep players exploring all its corners for a while. Check out the PUBG Deston map release date guide for more information. 

That's our guide on the PUBG maps, and players should now be familiar with the ins and outs of every map, along with how they differ from each other.