What does a Gas Mask do in PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Battlegrounds? Effect of Ballistic Mask, Fingerless Gloves, Boots

The answer to what Fingerless Gloves, Boots, Gas Masks and other clothing and equipment items do in PLAYERUNKNOWNS Battlegrounds (PUBG):

You may have seen a bunch of lootable items sitting around in houses and sheds that don’t seem to have any noticeable effect. There are quite a few of these items in the game and you’ll likely see several of them every round.

Does a Gas Mask or Fingerless Gloves (etc) Have Any Effect in Player Unknowns Battlegrounds?

Nope. As of several weeks after the Early Access launch, currently none of these cosmetic item have any effect on anything in the game. They only affect the appearance of your character and nothing else — they are purely cosmetic. A little bit of reading and research will confirm that these currently have no effect.

For a while I assumed they did have a small effect such as 5% faster weapon switch speed, or boots that give slightly quieter footsteps. However this is thankfully not the case.

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Can the Accessories Impact the Balance of PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Battlegrounds?

The only effect they could have right now is a visual camouflage. For example you can pick up black coats that might help you to blend into shadows slightly more. Or there are colored padded jackets or camouflaged shirts and pants that might help you blend into a field a little better.

Do Ballistic Masks, Gas Masks, Boots, Glasses, or Gloves Have an Effect In PUBG?

Nope, again none of these have an effect. Although it might seem like a Ballistic Mask might add a bit of protection, or it may seem like gas masks might help you with smoke grenades, or certain boots might make you run slightly faster. Currently none of this is true.

Cosmetics, Balance, and Pay to Win

These cosmetic items can actually be found in the loot reward boxes (Pioneer Crates etc.) so you can equip them before even getting into the game. This means if they did give an advantage, even slight, the game could be called out as being “pay to win.” Since sales of the game are going incredibly well at over 2 million just a few weeks after the early access launch, the developers shouldn’t be in any rush to push micro transactions into the game. To be fair, this could change in the future, but it seems very unlikely at this point.

However, there is an in-game currency called BP already. Most likely this will eventually be something you can pay for with real money. Hopefully PLAYER UNKNOWN will be happy with their sales and stick to only selling cosmetic items with no effect on gameplay. Certainly they should be happy with their revenue at $60 million in gross sales already!

The PUBG Wardrobe Cosmetic Items are Actually Items in Your Steam Inventory

While you may not have realized it, the cosmetic items that you can equip before matches are actually Steam items. Currently they are not trade-able on Steam, but you can be sure that eventually you will be able to buy cosmetics. Along with that will likely come Steam trading (buying and selling on the Steam marketplace.) They will also likely push out rare and weird cosmetics like funny hats along the same lines as TF2. I believe the player base and developer are on the same page with the cosmetic accessories and will keep them purely cosmetic. With so many active players, they will most likely sell plenty of loot boxes even for purely cosmetic items.

What Items are Purely Cosmetic in PLAYERUNKNOWNS BATTLEGROUNDS?

• All items you can get from reward boxes (loot crates / pioneer crates)
• Fingerless Gloves (Leather)
• Boots and Shoes (Working Boots, Hi-top Trainers, Boots (Punk) etc.
• Ballistic Mask
• Gas Mask, Half Gas Mask
• Glasses (Punk, Sunglasses, etc)
• All Shirts
• All Pants
• All Hats (Baseball Hats, Beanies) — EXCLUDING Motorcycle Helmet, Military Helmet, etc.

What Equipment Items DO Have an In Game Effect?

• Helmets with a level rating (Motorcycle Helmet, Military Helmet, Spetsnaz Helmet)
• Police Vest
• And obviously all usable items like Energy Drinks, Scopes, Weapon Attachments, Guns have a clear in game effect

How Much Do Helmets and Police Vests Reduce Damage in PUBG?

This is based off a spreadsheet of in game testing that some users on Reddit have done. It could certainly change in the future. Having a helmet will only reduce damage against headshots. It appears the damage reduction only applies to the areas that are actually visually covered by the armor. For example a helmet does not reduce damage from a shot to the face (confirmed) and it appears a shot to the arm would not receive damage reduction from a vest (unconfirmed.)

• No Vest or Helmet: 100% damage taken
• Level 1 Vest or Helmet: 92% damage taken
• Level 2 Vest or Helmet: 85% damage taken
• Level 3 Vest or Helmet: 75% damage taken

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