Wikipedia identifies Erangel as the first map chosen for PUBG. Brendan Greene’s design team selected an island with varied terrain so players could pursue different strategies, from close-quarters urban fights to long-range battles across open ground.
Erangel became the foundation of PUBG’s identity. Its design combines towns, rural areas, coastlines and a smaller military-island section, while several buildings draw on the look of Soviet-era brutalist architecture. The map was intended to make movement, looting and tactical decisions matter from the moment players landed.
Erangel is sometimes confused with later maps such as Miramar, Sanhok, Vikendi or Karakin because those battlefields became important additions to PUBG. They were not the original choice, however. Erangel came first, and later maps expanded the game with desert, jungle, snow and compact urban environments.