Why PUBG Mobile Isn't as Fun as It Used to Be

5 years ago, PUBG Mobile burst onto the scene as a groundbreaking battle royale experience, capturing the hearts of millions with its tense, realistic warfare and high-stakes survival mechanics.

Dropping into a huge map, scavenging for gears and outlast your foes seem revolutionary back in the day, and the best part is that you can do all of those things on mobile. But fast-forward to 2025, and the game that defined mobile gaming for years now leaves many longtime players feeling disillusioned.

Here are the key reasons.

1. The Cheater Plague: Ruining Fair Play for Everyone

Cheating has become an epidemic in PUBG Mobile, with rampant hackers all over the place, especially on low ranks. Veteran players in top ranked lobby also encounter it very frequently, with impossible 3km kills and 60-KD ratios going unpunished.

Official anti-cheat efforts, like the BANPAN system, are touted in updates, but overall not that effective. There have been reports about legit high K-D accounts getting banned whereas the hackers get away just fine.

Overall, hackers are the biggest problem.

2. Bugs, Glitches, and Optimization Nightmares

Technical problems have plagued PUBG Mobile for years, but in 2025, they're reaching critical mass. Crashes mid-match, persistent glitches that linger for months despite "we're looking into it" promises, and poor optimization on mid-range devices make the average play sessions feel very tiring.

Players on mobile getting matched with emulator players who have better performing device is also a big deal, as emulator players enjoy smoother controls and precision aiming.

3. Monetization Overload: Pay-to-Win Vibes and Skin Fatigue

As PUBG Mobile is free, its entire business model has been revolving around skins. However, the devs have been paying less effort to recent skins. There are a lot of recolored skins recycled across battle passes, event packs bloated with overpriced outfits, and more.

Only the whales get special treatment, and it almost look like the devs are just focusing on whale skins instead of fixing game bugs.

4. Stale Gameplay: Repetition and a Lack of Fresh Ideas

Remember the adrenaline of hot-dropping Pochinki, looting under fire, and rotating through a shrinking zone? Those hotspots are now ghost towns, thanks to respawn mechanics that lower the stakes and special loot zones that make scavenging obsolete.

The battle royale mode feels too simple, with updates favoring quick wins for casual players over the strategy veterans love. New features like "Ghostie" require constant relearning but lack real innovation—like sandbox modes or zombie revivals. Seasons feel repetitive with recycled content, boring players fast.

5. Balance Wrecks: OP Weapons and Casual Catering Gone Wrong

PUBG's gunplay, once its biggest strength, is at its worst. SMGs and noob-tube launchers like panzerfausts dominate, rewarding spray-and-pray over skill and positioning.

Emergency pickups add random luck, letting newbies win without strategy. This casual focus frustrates skilled players, making matches messy, not competitive.