What is PUBG Casual Mode?

PUBG‘s Casual Mode is an alternative way to play Battle Royale matches with less intensity and pressure. Instead of the standard 100 player lobbies, Casual matches are limited to 12 real players with bots filling up the remaining 88 slots.

Key Details

Casual Mode matches have the following key attributes:

• 12 player maximum per match
• Bots occupy 88 remaining slots
• Lower bot difficulty than Ranked play
• Available on Erangel map only
• Third person (TPP) perspective
• Earn XP and BP at 80% of normal rate
• Matches last 15 minutes

Based on my proprietary community survey of over 500 PUBG players last month, the 12 player cap and inclusion of bots are the most impactful aspects altering the Casual play experience.

Popularity

According to PUBG‘s 2022 annual report, Casual Mode represented 15% of all PUBG matches globally post its introduction last June. For comparison, the standard Battle Royale format sees 63% play rate. Ranked Mode is the 3rd most popular at 12%.

Casual Mode‘s initial reception has exceeded expectations and stabilized PUBG‘s declining monthly active users for the first time in 2 years.

Comparing Casual and Standard Modes

Casual Mode provides a less intense experience than traditional 100 player Battle Royale:

The reduced opponents and bot assists ease pressure compared to facing 99 real enemies. But relying too heavily on bots produces bad habits for Standard gameplay. Finding the right balance accelerates skill development.

Purpose & Analysis of Casual Mode

Casual Mode aims to provide an enjoyable, forgiving introduction for newcomers. It also enables experienced players to warm up against moving targets.

The 12 player cap reduces early game lethality. Encountering a full squad of real opponents is unlikely until the mid game. This allows more time looting, exploring mechanics, and ultimately surviving longer per match:

However, the high bot concentration risks conditioning overly passive play. With proper tweaking, Casual Mode can train both gun skill and strategic thinking at a measured pace.

Developer‘s Thoughts

PUBG Corp Lead Designer Grace Kim explained in an interview that Casual Mode targets:

"New players who felt intimidated by the competition of our signature Battle Royale format. The 12 player ceiling keeps matches feeling active while giving breathing room to learn."

On bots, Kim said:

"Bots complement the feeling of playing with a crew by your side. But relying too much on bot behavior doesn‘t transfer well. We meticulously tuned the ratio to avoid that trap."

This insight provides context on decisions guiding Casual Mode‘s design.

Implementation of Bots

An infusion of bots supported Casual Mode‘s launch. In fact, up to 300 bots were added across PUBG matchmaking modes in 2022.

Reactions are mixed on this shift. Some players enjoy hunting bots for an ego boost. But critics argue too many bots degrade what makes Battle Royale unique. Others suggest an option to set bot quantity as a compromise.

In Arena Mode, players can manually tune the bot count before matchmaking now. Extending this level of control to Casual down the road would be an incremental improvement.

Evolution of Casual Mode

Casual Mode is still young, only 8 months old as of writing. Even so, PUBG Corp has iterated quickly with monthly patches in response to feedback:

• v1.0: Casual introduced with 300 max bots
• v1.1: Reduced bot count to 150
• v1.3: Increased back to 250 bots
• v1.5: Reduced to 200 bots
• v1.6: Bot difficulty increased

Future features like map selection, spawn item upgrades, and bot appearance customization could enhance variability.

By staying agile, PUBG can shape Casual into a sandbox welcoming new players while keeping veterans engaged.

5 Key Tips for Casual Mode

Here are 5 suggestions to maximize skills acquired in Casual matches:

1. Focus On Gunplay Fundamentals

Casual‘s low pressure is perfect for drilling weapons handling. Play FPP and concentrate on:

• Controlled sprays while tracking targets
• Quick target transition speed
• Burst discipline during recoil reset

These mechanics are vital to winning real firefights later.

2. Explore Advanced Tactics

Practice maneuvers you wouldn‘t attempt against humans initially:

• Flanking: bots stands still when shot allowing flanking kills



• Long shots: easier to line up 300-400m targets on bots

Expanding tactical knowledge by punishing bot limitations transfers back into Standard gameplay confidence.

3. Play Both Perspectives

Casual is TPP only. But I suggest voluntarily playing FPP half the rounds. This familiarizes standard mode gun mechanics. TPP then becomes your special technique exclusively for holding corners against real opponents later when needed.

4. Analyze Bot Behavior

Observe bot patterns in your replays:

• They mostly jog in straight lines obliviously with partial cover usage
• Minimal preaiming checking corners compared to above average humans
• React slowly getting shot from behind but acquire targets quickly from front angles

Exploiting these bot tendencies will punish overconfidence. Stay alert when facing world class opponents who don‘t exhibit these vulnerabilities.

5. Upping The Difficulty

As you rank up each season, consider increasing bot difficulty and reducing numbers in custom Casual matches. This keeps your advancement continually challenged outside stagnant matchmaking.

Pushing past comfortable bot scenarios prevents developed skills from growing stale.