By K. Richard Douglas
One billion people can’t be wrong. That’s the number of PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) mobile downloads; a very popular online game with a strong following worldwide.
The first full release of PUBG for the PC was in December of 2017. It was officially released the following year for Xbox. The free mobile version for Android and iOS was also released in 2018.
The original release of the game has sold over 70 million copies, and the even more successful mobile version has exceeded 1 billion total downloads (not including mainland China). The game has grossed more than $6.2 billion for its developers. PUBG Mobile is in its 20th “season.”
The game uses the “battle royale” format for online, multiplayer matches. Players can choose to play in first-person mode or third-person mode. Players can play solo, in duos or in squads.
With duos or squads, 100 players bail out of a plan over a choice of maps. The play area within the maps shrinks during gameplay requiring players to be in closer proximity. Players scramble, upon landing, to locate weapons and armor.
When a player is “killed,” the conquering player can “loot their crate” and get more supplies. They then battle each other until the last team or individual is left standing. That team wins the “chicken dinner.” (Winner, winner, chicken dinner)
Among those 1 billion mobile players is a biomed manager who has honed his PUBG skills going back to Season 2 of the game.
Uriel Vargas Jr., BSEE, A+ Certified, is an HTM biomed manager in the greater Austin (Texas) Region with the healthcare technology management department at Baylor, Scott and White.
“I have never really been into mobile gaming; I was always more into PlayStation first-person campaign gaming (me finishing my missions and beating the games),” Vargas says.
He says that as time progressed, and his schedule become busier, he had less time to be in front of his TV at home. He happened to come across the PUBG Mobile app back in Season 2.
“I didn’t really take it seriously, but more of a, ‘Let’s see what this game is about.’ As I started to get a feel for the game, I didn’t really play aggressively until about Season 6,” Vargas says.
He says that from that point on, he made it a point to play hard and was determined to try and be one of the best.
“It is now on Season 20 of the game, and I have pushed myself to be an ACE and ACE Master player every season since Season 6,” Vargas says.
In the tier system in PUBG Mobile, players are paired against more highly skilled players as they climb the ranks. The ACE rank represents highly skilled players who are exceptional at playing the game.
“A few seasons back I managed to make it to Top 991 on North America Server and I am very proud of that,” he adds.
Vargas says that he has a squad of friends that he usually runs with, and they all play and know each other very well.
“We work well together and make sure we are always on the same page,” he says.
“We entered the PUBG Mobile All Talent Championship and placed first in the first few weeks on the preliminary competition,” Vargas says.
Vargas says some members of his team were not able to play at specific times, and the squad dropped to 12th in the region – which is out of the finals.
“I use PUBG Mobile to unwind and take a break from the real world and the stresses it can bring,” he says. “I usually sit in my home office and play the game till I feel more relaxed, I get tired or something else comes up.”
A Focus on Getting to the Next Level
Different PUBG Mobile players have preferences for the format that they play. Some like the solo approach, while others like the camaraderie and teamwork of playing duos or squads.
“I usually play squads; then, when I hit ACE and got my title and parachute, I start duos; either solo-duos or with a partner, even if its random for practice on different techniques and hot dropping,” Vargas says.
Vargas points out that when some other players discover he is a little older than the mean age of many PUBG players, they may question why he is even playing the game. Then, he demonstrates how to play the game with skill and how to get the most out of enjoying the game.
Despite his experience and advanced skills in PUBG, Vargas still takes note of the different techniques that good players use and says that some players are on another level. Speed and accuracy are always skills to be admired in the game.
More of Vargas’ time is spent as a veteran of the HTM field than in virtual battlefields.
“I have been a biomed technician and in the electronics field for more than 15 years. I worked at a few hospitals in California, but when I finally got the opportunity to move to Texas, I jumped on it and now I am here. Now that I am a manager, I co-manage all of Central Austin Texas (seven hospitals and surrounding clinics). We manage a team that must be based on communication since we are few and cover a huge area,” he says.
Vargas says that he makes sure that his team has all they need to get the job done. Team members have only minor obstacles when trying to work.
“I meet with leadership daily to discuss workflow and area details to make sure each hospital’s piece of equipment is attended to and working properly,” he says.
“I enjoy doing what I do and truthfully see myself moving up with this company. I am happy with the team I work with and the hospital I work for; I can honestly say I enjoy coming to work every day,” Vargas adds.
Whether raising his skill level on the job or in a competitive PUBG match, it takes tenacity, determination and focus to excel. This biomed has all three.
