In the earlier circles, this issue can just seem like an odd game with an unusual amount of people surviving. However, some players have gotten to the point where there is no denying that there is an issue with the number of “alive” being represented.
Image courtesy of Reddit user RemlyVS
The worst part about this is that even if you’ve fought to be the last one standing, if the game still considers there to be “10 alive,” then you’re going to get 10th place. This makes it so many players, myself included, aren’t getting the rightful chicken dinners or increased ranks that they deserve.
My theory on what is causing this bug is that there is an issue with the game not spawning the proper amount of bots from the get go, and then not updating the number of alive shown to properly compensate.
Fortunately, Tencent has been amazing with communicating with their players, and have already let players know that they’re working on a fix. This is comforting to know, and forecasts that the future of this game will be a healthy one.
In the meantime, if you care about your rank at all, I would suggest you choose a different game to pass the time with until they fix this issue.