The final circle used to have a simple cheat code. Pop a Stim, sit in gas, wait for everyone else to die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s gone now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raven gutted gas-based endgame play in the Season 4 update. Stims, Self-Revives, and Portable Decontamination Stations all get wiped from ground loot once the final circles kick in. Their words: \u00abLate-game gas play had become overly sustainable in certain scenarios.\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation? You actually have to fight people now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But here’s the thing. Most players still approach the endgame the same way they always did. They rotate late, panic-sprint into open ground, and get folded by the squad that planned two circles ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This guide breaks down exactly how strong endgame play works in the current patch, from positioning and gas management to loadouts and squad comms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before diving into tactics, it’s worth understanding what shifted mechanically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Season 4 didn’t just remove gas sustainability items. Raven also adjusted circle logic on Avalon so finals land in more competitive areas, bumped Buy Station counts from 49 to 64 on Avalon, and introduced Fortune’s Keep with verticality that completely changes how final fights play out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The design intent is clear. Endgame outcomes should come from positioning, strategy, and direct engagements. Not from who hoarded the most Stims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That shift rewards players who already understand fundamentals. And it punishes everyone still winging it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask a casual player where to go in the final circle and they’ll say \u00abthe middle.\u00bb That instinct gets people killed constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The middle of the zone sounds safe because you’re equidistant from gas on all sides. But it also makes you the focal point for every remaining squad. You become what experienced players call \u00abthe bread of a sandwich,\u00bb caught between teams closing in from multiple edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n High ground remains the single strongest endgame advantage.<\/strong> It reduces your exposure, forces enemies into uphill fights, and gives you vision over rotations before they happen. On Fortune’s Keep, spots like Overlook, Lighthouse, and Gatehouse offer exactly this kind of dominant elevation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other concept worth internalizing is short-side play<\/strong>. Enter the circle from its shortest edge. This cuts down the number of angles you need to check and compresses threats into a narrower field. You’re fighting in one direction instead of spinning 360 degrees hoping nobody flanks you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One framework that works well for squads: divide the circle into three slices. Each player owns a lane. Nobody overlaps. Nobody leaves the backside exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The gas isn’t just a wall anymore. It’s a tactical tool, but with a much shorter expiration date than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edge play<\/strong> works when you keep the gas behind you as a backstop. It eliminates one full direction of threats. You compress your defensive responsibility and can focus forward. This is especially powerful on maps like Verdansk where terrain funnels rotations into predictable corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Center play<\/strong> only makes sense when you can secure the strongest piece of cover inside the zone early. A building with limited entry points, a rock formation with good sightlines, anything that discourages a push. If you’re standing in the open, center play is just a death sentence with extra steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gas masks still matter. A lot, actually. But they’re no longer a license to camp in the gas for 30 seconds while the circle sorts itself out. Use them for emergency rotations, not as a primary strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key takeaway: rotate before you’re forced to. The squad sprinting with the final collapse is almost always the squad that dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Loadout advice is everywhere. Most of it ignores the fact that endgame TTK requirements are completely different from mid-game fights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the final circles, you need fast handling, reliable close-to-mid range damage, and enough magazine depth<\/strong> to finish a fight without reloading at the worst possible moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s what’s performing right now based on the Season 4 weapon tuning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MK.78 caught range and bullet velocity nerfs, so it’s less dominant for stretching long-range final fights. Meanwhile, the AK-27, DS20 Mirage, and MPC-25 all received buffs that make them viable mid-range options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Match your loadout to expected terrain. Dense building finals favor SMGs and hybrid ARs. Open terrain finals reward controlled marksman rifles. Don’t lock into one build for every situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Endgame Has Fundamentally Changed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Positioning: Why the Center Isn’t Always King<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Edge Play vs. Center Play: Reading the Gas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Endgame Loadouts That Actually Make Sense<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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