When you start firing toward an enemy in PUBG, their camera will move slightly with your shots connecting. This mechanic makes it difficult for players to adjust their aim properly during action, and it's called Aim Punch.

When I first heard the term Aim Punch, I thought it could have something to do with melee weapons in PUBG, but the truth couldn't be further away from my expectations. Throughout the years, there have been debates about how impactful Aim Punch is in PUBG due to instances of players landing headshots right after receiving damage. Regardless, Aim Punch is a core mechanic in PUBG, and the developers have rolled out quite a few updates to perfect its formula.

What does Aim Punch mean in PUBG?

Aim Punch in PUBG refers to the sudden movement or jolt of your aim/camera when you get hit by an enemy. It's a mechanic that simulates the physical impact of taking damage that disrupts your aim, making it hard for you to immediately fight back after being shot.

Aim Punch has two main components:

• Aim Shift: This causes your crosshair to physically move off-target when you're hit.
• Camera Shake: This effect shakes your camera to disorient you. While this makes it more difficult to track enemies, a camera shake doesn't move your aim off target.

As a result of Aim Punch, you'll often need to adjust your aim to re-target the enemy player again.

Which weapons cause the most Aim Punch in PUBG?

Aim Punch's intensity in PUBG changes depending on the weapon you're using. Here's a breakdown of weapon categories by Aim Punch intensity:

• Rank 1: Sniper Rifles – highest impact.
• Rank 2: Shotguns – strong impact, especially at close range.
• Rank 3: SMGs – fast hits, moderate Aim Punch.
• Ranks 4–7: DMRs, ARs, and LMGs – balanced, moderate to light impact.
• Rank 8: Crossbows, pistols, melee – weakest Aim Punch.

The impacts of Aim Punch could be more noticeable in FPP mode compared to TPP. The mechanic also hits me differently when inspecting a weapon skin that used my Polymers on or when I'm not fully focused on the match. 

Over the years, Aim Punch evolved into a balancing tool rather than just a visual effect. It's essentially a mechanic that can impact a weapon's identity in the game since it can make a difference in close-range, long-range scenarios, especially in competitive matches.

In the future, PUBG could even consider adjusting the Aim Punch for each weapon rather than making adjustments to categories, but that would require a lot more effort when it comes to balancing the game.