PUBG: Battlegrounds has changed a lot since the days when it was still called PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Back then, you'd just open crates that w??ould give you a random cosmetic item. Nowadays we still have crates, but the entire process has become infuriatingly more complicated. Let's look into this surprisingly confusing thing called "Scrap".

What is Scrap in PUBG

Scrap is a prime currency that you cannot find on the game's beautiful maps, simpl?y earn as a post match reward, or even by straight-up buying it in the game's store with actual money.

Scrap is a specific byproduct you get when you open Contraband Crates. Now, contraband crates can be opened by using your contraband coupons or G-Coins �the game's currency you need to spend real money to acquire �but the contraband crate will only?? give you scrap for sure when you open these crates via G-Coins. If you open these crates via the contraband coupons, you'll only be getting scrap if the game's RNG deems you worthy of it. Upon opening one of these crates the costly way, the game will bestow you with 10 scrap. You will then be able to use said scrap to unlock specific cosmetic items that we'll be looking into next.

Because PUBG: Battlegrounds store/crafting/ system is just so obtuse, I think it's important to als?o explain the concept of "scrapping" here. Be aware that you can "scrap" cosmetics you don't care for, but, confusingly enough, the action of "scrapping" your weapons will not grant?? you additional scrap.

What is the Scrap Broker in PUBG

The scrap broker is a special in-game store where you can use scrap to buy things. Through the scrap broker, you can trade in a high number of scrap for contraband coupons for the crates or already completed cosmetic skins. Another thing scrap will get you are Schematics and Polymers, which ??are crafting materials that allow you to craft weapons with special cosmetic skins.

Scrap will stay in your inventory until the day the developers decide to revamp the weird system, so you can accumulate as much of ??it as you want to get the ?more expensive stuff.

PUBG Scrap glitch

Though you're supposed to receive 10 scrap whenever you open a Contraband crate via G-coin spending, the Internet is filled with complaints from players who open them and end up receiving no scrap. Should this happen to you, get in touch with the game's help channels to claim your hard-earned scrap? points.

You can now play Pubg: Battlegrounds on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X|S

The post How to get Scrap in PUBG (All Platforms) appeared first on Destructoid.

PUBG has been around since 2017, so it would be understandable if you’ve matured a little since then and hold some embarrassment about the ??edgy ni??ckname you gave yourself all those years ago. 

Thankfully, KRAFTON has given players a way to give themselves a new name, and this can be done on all platforms, although the process is a little different depending on what platform you play on. There’s a free and a paid method to consider so let’s look at all of the name-changing options in PUBG. 

How to change your name on PUBG Mobile

In PUBG Mobile, you’ll need to get your hands on a Rename Card. There are a coup??le of different options:

• Play until you hit level 10 when a Rename Card will be given to you free of charge
• Purchase a Rename Card through the store for 180 UC. 

UC is the in-game currency for PUBG Mobile, and you purchase it using real-life money. To get the required 180 UC, your best bet ?is to purchase the 300 UC pack, which costs $4.49and gives you an additional bonus of 25 UC. 

Then, while on the home screen of PUBG Mobile, press the “Store�button in the top right corner of the screen. N?avigate to the “Treasures�section of the store and scroll down to find the Rename Card. Follow the steps to purchase your card. Then we can move on to actually u??sing it. 

Whether you purchased your Rename Card through real money or got it at level 10, using it is the same in both cases. Just open your Inventory and select the Rename Card, then “Use.�A pop-up will appear where you can type your new name and then click “Ok�to save it and move on w??ith your life, forgetting the questionable decisions of your younger self. 

How to change your name in PUBG on PC

Changing your name on PUBG on PC is more or less the same as it is on PUBG Mobile, but there are some name changes, and it will cost you almo??st double if you’re looking? to purchase the item that allows you to change your name. 

Before you can change you???r name, you’ll need to get a Nickname Change card. To find it, head to the Store, select “Items�and then “Utility� You’ll need 990 G-Coins to purchase a Nickname Change card, and the best way to do this is by purchasing the 1,000 G-Coin Pack for $9.99, which gives you an additional 50 bonus G-Coins. 

When you’ve got the Nickname Change card in your back pocket, select “Customize�from the top of the screen, then “Utility�in the sub-menu underneath. Here, you can use the card and change your name to whatever your m??ore grown-up self wants it to be. 

How to change your name in PUBG on PlayStation & Xbox

Changing your name in PUBG on either PlayStation or Xbox is more straightforward but also potentially more challenging, as yo?ur in-game name is the same as your PSN or Gamertag. If you want to make this commitment, here’s how to do it on both platforms.

PlayStation

On PlayStation, you’ll be able to ch?ange your PSN for free the first time, and then subsequent changes will require you to pay?? either a $5 fee if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber or $10 if you’re not. 

To change your PSN (and therefore your name in PUBG), go to the home screen and then select “Se??ttings.�Here, select through the following options:

• Users and Accounts > Account > Profile > Online ID

Type in your desired PSN into the box, then select “Check Availability.�If it’s available for you to use, select “Continue.�If it’s your first time, that’s all there is ??to it. If you’ve been through this before, you’ll need to pay before the change is made. 

Xbox

As with the system on PlayStation, you can change your Gamertag for free as a one-time offer from Microsoft. If you want to change it again, you’ll need to pay the $9.99 fee. Regardless, if you want your name to show up differently in PUBG, you’ll need to go through this process. 

To change your Gamertag, press the Xbox button to open up the home screen, then go to “Profile & System.�Select your profile, then select “My Profile,�then “Customise Profile� There’s an option here to choose a new Gamertag, so choose that? and then enter the desired new Gam??ertag. 

If the Gamertag you want has already been taken, the console will let you know via a message, and you’ll need to keep trying until you come up with something unique to you. When you’ve got your Gamertag sorted, you’ll be taken to a new screen showing how it will look across different Xbox services. If you’re happy, select â€??œChange Gamertagâ€?and, if you need to, pay to complete the process.

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Communication is key to success in PUBG, an??d the ping system lets you quickly share vital information with your friends.

Whether you're playing on your PC or console, you can use the ping option to mark enemies, items, and locations for your alli?es. Being on a voice chat helps, but a simple ping reduces the need for words between you and your buddies. Let's look at how the system works on both PC and consoles.

How to use the Ping function in PUBG

Whether you're playing on a PC or console, t??he core function of Ping is the same. It helps your buddy see something they haven't but you have. To ping, you can use the Middle Mouse button, and the object/enemy/location will be highlighted on the map.

On consoles, you'll need to aim at the object/enemy and press the RB/Right Bumper button to mark. While the system is easier to manage on a PC with a mouse, those on co??ntrollers c??an make good use of it if they know what they're doing.

The ping system has been improved in previous updates, which lets you mark almost anything in PUBG. Here a??re the three main uses? of the ping inside a game.

• Mark enemies - This makes eliminating enemies easier, as your ally will know precisely where to look. This is even more useful if someone does the spotting with a sniper rifle, as it's easier to spot from a distance and alert your friends.
• Mark objects - This can include any type of loot and chests. You can also mark airdrop crates that often include valuable gear and consumables.
• Mark a location—This is highly useful if you're not on voice chat and playing with strangers. Pinging a location on the map will help you let your team know where you're planning to go.

That's pretty much it when it comes to PUBG's ping system. In some tight contests, th??ey can become a big differenc??e-maker while securing a valuable drop or finishing off an enemy from a distance.

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Twitch’s Summer of Rewards is underway and during the eve??nt, you can get your hands on a whole slew of in-game rewards for a? long list of games. If you’re wondering which games have drops, or how to get any specific items, I’ve got you covered. 

The Summer of Rewards began on August 2 and is running all the way until September 30, with rewards obtainable for 13 games. You’ll get these rewards by either watching a stream for a fixed amount of time, or by subbing or gifting subs to a relevant streamer as part of the Supp?ort a Streamer (SaS) program. 

Rewards earned via watching

Where ‘unknown�is specified as the required watch time, the full details of the Twitch Drops haven’t been an??nounced. I’ll update this guide with full details as soon as they’re available.

Rewards earned via Support a Streamer

In order to get these items, ?you’ll need to either:

• Subscribe to a relevant streamer yourself (Prime subscriptions don’t count)
• Gift a subscription to another person

The post All games with drops as part of Twitch’s Summer of Rewards appeared first on Destructoid.

The PUBG-verse isn't adding horror to its docket just yet

Upcoming sci-fi survival horror game The Callisto Protocol is branching out on its own. Today, Striking Distance Studios founder and CEO Glen Schofield confirms The Callisto Protocol is no longer in the PUBG universe.

Previously, Striking Distance's debut project was set in the same universe as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG. That's not the case anymore, it seems.

"FYI @CallistoTheGame is its own story and world," Schofield tweeted today. "It no longer takes place in the PUBG Universe. It was originally part of the PUBG timeline, but grew into its own world. PUBG is awesome, [and] we will still have little surprises for fans, but TCP is its own world, story, and universe."

//twitter.com/GlenScho?field/status/1529930056725712897

The upcoming game channels some strong Dead Space vibes, which makes sense given Schofield and other Dead Space veterans are on the project and open about its influence. In all honesty, it's probably a good thing that the team is free to do whatever it wants. Even if now, I'll never get the crazy Evangelion x Callisto Protocol crossover that would make my mind melt.

In space, no one can hear the Battlegrounds

The new game from Striking Distance, as mentioned, is being made by some Dead Space veterans. And from the sounds of it, it's definitely going for a similar mix of sci-fi and survival horror elements. The Callisto Protocol is currently Game Informer's cover story, and the digital magazine has some neat details about it.

This include?s an every-man type protagonist thrust into an absolute hell-in-space. Creepy space-alien designs?? are on deck, too.

With the team at EA Motive also working on a Dead Space remake, this seems like a good time to be a fan of surviving untold horrors in space. The Callisto Protocol is due out on PC and consoles sometime this year.

The post The C??all?isto Protocol is no longer set in the PUBG universe appeared first on Destructoid.

The studio will have a new early access game next year

The company currently behind PUBG: Battlegrounds has announced that a new studio will be joining its ranks. Krafton has confirmed it will be acquiring Subnautica and Natural Selection developer Unknown Worlds.

This adds another games studio to Krafton's lineup, which already includes PUBG Studi?os, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, Dreamotion, and Striking Distance Studios. Unknown Worlds will continue to function as an independent studio, with its structure and leadership intact.

"It was immediately apparent how closely Unknown Worlds and Krafton are aligned in the way we think about games and game development," said Unknown Worlds CEO Charlie Cleveland in a press release. "Subnautica and PUBG both started humbly and evolved successfully through constant iteration and feedback. We want to bring new games to the world stage—and with Krafton, we’re a big step closer??. We’re truly looking forward to our future together."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdix1XxaZyU

Unknown Worlds will continue working on updates for Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. Today's ??announcement also confirmed th?e developer is currently working on a new "genre-defining" game, which is set to launch in early access next year.

Krafton has been steadily acquiring new projects over the past few years. One very notable one is The Callisto Protocol, which is a sci-fi horror game set in the PUBG universe being developed by Striking Distance Studios by former Dead Space developers.

It also recently rebranded PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, often shorthanded into PUBG, to be PUBG: Battlegrounds.

There's no more information on what Unknown Worlds is working on, or whether it will have similar ties to the PUBG brand. That said, Subnautica is one of those games that really seems to inspire a lot of fervor in its fans. Their next project will likely be one t??o keep an eye on.

The post Kr??afton will acquire Subnau??tica developer Unknown Worlds appeared first on Destructoid.

Quake III pulls ahead, wait a minute!

I'm a huge proponent of gaming history and preservation. I lived through a lot of eras of gaming, and remember it all. The LAN cafes and people going crazy over Quake III. People in my area trying to make it big in the fighting game community in local tournaments, and the bourgeoning Halo regional scene. And of course, the national phenomenon of StarCraft overseas. It was all fa?scinating to watch, but this very quick and enlightening esports growth chart visual aid really drives home how big some of these games were, and currently are.

Posted on Reddit by PieChartPirate, the esports growth chart starts at 1998 and ends in the present era, cataloging prize pools. At what is essentially the dawn of esports, Quake II, QuakeWorld (now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time), and StarCraft Brood War were at the top of the charts. In just one year Brood War completely shoots ahead, followed closely on its heels by Quake III Arena, which was gaining massive popularity with the rise of online play. Amazingly, Quake III pulls ahead, but the ominous Counter-Strike appears.

In just several years, starting around 2003, Counter-Strike pulls ahead by a long shot and dominates by at least a million dollars (if not more) until 2014. At that point its reign is over, as League of Legends, StarCraft II, and Dota 2 are all in position and gaining popularity. From then on, given the massive amounts of cash Valve injects into the latter, it's Dota 2's game to lose. CS Go enters the fray as the second-highest total prize pool placeholder, followed by Fortnite in third and League in fourth.

There are so many stories told in this esports growth chart: each of which probably deserves its own symposium. One of my favorites is the low-key appearance of Age of Empires II in the early 2000s, and the fact that Descent 3, a game I played mostly alone, had a $50,000 prize pool. It's also sobering to just sit down and realize how much money Valve makes in a day, and how their chokehold over the esports scene has lasted n??early two decades.

//www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comment??s/po68o2/oc_top_15_esports_by_total_prize_pool_since_1998/

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The team will explore systems needed to enable massive scale in open worlds

Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene, the creator of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, announced his departure from PUBG owner Kraft??on?? today. The creator is forming a new studio in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Greene's studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, is an independent development studio. Krafton will, however, have a minority stake in the studio. Its site also lists Prologue under its games, at least for the time being. Announced in 2019, Prologue was set to be something els?e entirely for Greene and his team, and ?also wouldn't have been a battle royale.

Greene said in a statement that the team is exploring the systems needed to? enable massive scale within open-world games. The studio will have more to reveal ab??out its upcoming project at a later date.

"I'm so very grateful to everyone at PUBG and Krafton for taking a chance on ?me and for the opportunities they afforded me over the past four years," said Greene. "Today, I'm excited to take the next step on my journey to create the kind of experience I've envisaged for years."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lgQtGSliG4

It's interesting to see Greene depart, as PUBG has been steadily building up over the last few years. PUBG Corp recently rebranded PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to PUBG: Battlegrounds, as part of an effort to establish the PUBG acronym as a brand.

Krafton and PUBG Corp also picked up former Dead Space dev Glen Schofield to head up Striking Distance, which is currently working on its own sci-fi horror game The Callisto Protocol. That game is also set within the PUBG universe.

What Greene's departure means for PUBG remains to be seen, but I'm interested in seeing what his newly inde?pendent studio works on. As the battle royale trend has calmed down a bit over time, you have to wonder what exactly PlayerUnknown will look to next.

The post PlayerUnknown leaves PUBG owner?? Krafton to form new st?udio appeared first on Destructoid.

We heard you like Battlegrounds

Of the many battle royales that came and went, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, is easily one of the most recognizable. It helped kickstart the whole movement and even today, it's still ??around and kicking. It's apparently even going for a rebrand.

As spotted by PC Gamer, Krafton recently changed the name of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on Steam to PUBG: Battlegrounds. So, y'know, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds: Battlegrounds.

When PC Gamer reached out to Krafton to verify the name change, and what it means for the original PUBG acronym, they got this response:

"Krafton is actively expanding the PUBG brand through a variety of new experiences set in its universe. Rebranding PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to PUBG: Battlegrounds is the first step in us realizing this vision. Additional titles in the franchise will carry the PUBG name, as you see with our upcoming game, PUBG: New State."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bytx9GCxQfE

It might sound wild, but this is the video game industry. The same video game industry that saw Valv?e and Blizzard tussling over the Defense of the Ancients name, when that Warcraft III mod wanted to break off on its own, and so coined Dota 2. As PC Gamer notes, H1Z1 also went through a litany of name changes and rebrands. And Fortnite: Battle Royale eventually became Fortnite, with its PvE element taking up the subheading of Fortnite: Save the World.

With the PUBG universe looking to expand with both the aforementioned New State mobile game and the upcoming horror game The Callisto Protocol, a condensed PUBG brand makes sense to me. It would be a little unwieldy to call it PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds every time. But it still led to this beautiful word-collision of double-Battlegrounds magic.

Is there a middle ground? Do we call it PU:BG, or just PUBG, without the Battlegrounds? Or do we just accept that our Battlegrounds are now all the more Battlegrounds-y?

The post PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG, rebrands to PUBG: Battlegrounds appeared first on Destructoid.

The Imperial Combat Revue deserves better

Fuck it. What if '90s anime RPG franchise Sakura Wars crossed over with military battle royale mobile title PUBG? It appears that question was?? asked sometime, somewhere, around some table in some developer's office. Weirder yet, someone else agreed to it, and thus it ??is about to become a reality.

Yes, PUBG Mobile �the handheld spin-off to Bluepoint Games' mega-popular shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds �has announced that an upcoming in-game event will feature paid DLC content based on Sakura Wars, Sega's cult RPG franchise that blew ??up in the mid/late '90s, before making something of a mainstream comeback earlier in 2020.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1FiQ9o06xo&t=5s

It's not entirely clear what form this crossover will take, but it appears that Japanese PUBG Mobile players will soon be able to purchase and download Sakura Wars-themed "Voice clip" packs, allowing for various shouts and battle cries as performed by the warriors of the Imperial Combat Revue. A short teaser trailer features the famous horn-filled blarings of the famous Sakura Wars theme tune, a??long with a brief match commentary from the original Sakura herself, actor Chisa Yokoyama. ?Just plain weird.

Sakura Wars launched on PS4 in 2020 to a subdued but positive reception. Unfortunately, this was followed by disastrous mobile release Sakura Wars: Hanasaki Maidens, a hugely expensive project that reportedly lost Sega millions of dollars. The studio is continually pushing for a Sakura Wars comeback, but seems to be lost in how to market the legendary franchise �and this crossover is no exception. A localized, visually enhanced re-release of the original Sakura Wars collection woul?d be the ??perfect kick-start. How Sega has not established this yet is, frankly, mind-boggling.

No date was revealed for the PUBG Mobile x Sakura Wars crossover event.

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I guess they're both about survival

The Game Awards was an exhausting marathon blur of game reveals, ads, and the occasional award. After nearly four hours blogging, I logged off thinking that only one new game actually made an impression on me: The Callisto Protocol. 

The Callisto Protocol is described as a "single-player, third-person, story-driven, survival horror game." It has Dead Space DNA as the developer's CEO and founder, Glen Schofield, used to work on EA's renowned horror franchise. The cinematic trailer is simply stunning. It's extremely early and we haven't seen anything in-engine o?r actual gameplay, but all the pieces look in place thus far.

There's a weird and ill-fitting piece in the mix, though. IGN interviewed Schofield following the announcement, and he confirmed that The Callisto Protocol takes place within the PUBG universe. The tactical shooter battle royale will have a monster-focused horror game th?a?t's set in space as part of its official lore.

The business-oriented answer to this riddle is that Callisto Protocol developer Striking Distance is part of the Krafton publishing group who also owns PUBG Corp. Krafton seemingly wants its games tied together, all grouped up under a tidy umbrella. Schofield says "The funny thing is, I came in with this story when I went and met with the PUBG people for the first time and started talking about [The Callisto Protocol] and building a studio. I presented this game to them, and so what we did was we made it fit within the PUBG storyline."

But, to be clear, The Callisto Protocol is set 300 years after PUBG; takes place in a prison in space; is all about monsters; and is definitely a true third-person horror game. The actual connection to PUBG seems tenuous at best. Taking all that into consideration, the only real question on everyone's mind is: Why?

The Callisto Protocol Wants to be The Scariest Next-Gen Horror? Game Ever [IGN]

The post That super scary horror game from The Game Awards? Yeah, it’s apparently set in the PUBG universe appeared first on Destructoid.

All roads lead to murder

Oh, you thought PUBG?? was just a game about shooting dudes until either you're dead or 99 of them are dead?? Wrong, idiot. It's a game where you have to investigate and expose nefarious corporations before you shoot 99 other dudes or die tryin'.

PUBG has a new alternate reality game, which I would've never known had I not received a press release for it (and I still play once a week or so). Apparently it's rooted in last season's Paramo volcano map and now has moved along to the new 1x1 km Haven map. It's about Tythonic "and its ties to a secret military group."

To that end, I'm just gonna show you the whole fake press release we received. It's in the gallery below because it didn't translate well to being used as an in-line image. Everything was too small. It probably has all the clues for everyone to get started. (Don't yel?l at me for not using dark mode or something; I don't wanna hear it.)

There's another image in the gallery below about an investors call on Monday, December 14. That probably has something to do with all of this, but I won't be tuning in to find out. You do all the sleuthing and then tell me what happened. Maybe join the ARG Discord server and the #pubg-lore channel.

After you crack the case and give me all the intel, I'll gladly go kill those 99 other dudes. And by that, I mean I'll proudly?? get three bot kills before getting sniped by someone I never saw. I'll blame it on either lag or cheating. That's only true like 70 percent of the time.

The post There’s a PUBG ARG and I’m too L-A-Z-Y to figure it out appeared first on Destructoid.

Dropping hot

Everything, at all times, is dangerous in a battle royale. Everyone has the explicit goal of killing you, an?d that doesn't ma?ke for a lot of downtime and easy breathing. Rarely, though, is the environment trying to kill you too.

PUBG's Season 9 introduces a very unstable battleground. A new map called Páramo is being added. Páramo takes place in the Andes mountains on an active volcano. Battle Royale meets Dante's Inferno.

Páramo is the first dynamic map in PUBG. The developer hasn't really indicate??d exactly what "dynamic" means in this context. It's presumed that the volcano may or may not blow, and the lava it spews will create unique environmental hazards. However it works, it's touted that every game will be different.

The other major change we know about is that Páramo will adopt the concept of a loot convoy fr?om the Sanhok map.&nb??sp;Páramo has supply choppers flying overhead. Shooting it enough times will get it to drop the weapons and gear that it's carrying. Of course, that comes at the risk of giving away your position.

The volcano is set to erupt on October 21 when PUBG Season 9 arrives. Nelly would say "It's getting hot in herre."

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Live on September 1

[Update: These games are live later today! Make sure you grab Fall Guys and Modern Warfare 2 if you haven't already.]

PlayStation Plus! You're back again!

Last month gave us the unlikely pairing of Fall Guys and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with the former scoring very big within t?he PlayStation community. This month we're getting another shooter, as well as another f??airly interesting pick.

Alongside of the ever-enduring battle royale PUBG, the always-polarizing Street Fighter V will arrive on PlayStation Plus on September 1. We've reached out to Sony to clarify exactly what that release entails, but it seems like this is going to be the $19.99 "PlayStation Hits" version and not the "all-the-bells-and-whistles-edition." Capcom's got DLC and extra SKU add-ons to sell you! As a reminder, the Championship Edition Upgrade Kit is $24.99.

Sony also says that Street Fighter V tournaments will start on September 4 in the US and Canad?a, with prizes that include a "unique PS4 theme" and a custom in-game title. Both games will be listed on the service until October 5, so make sure you redeem them starting next Tuesday.

September’s free PS Plus games: PUBG, Street Fig??hter V [PlayStation Blog]

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'I would say anything's possible'

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) has just released its eighth season of content, helping the battle royale title surpass a staggering 70 million downloads. While it can't be argued that similar titles took PUBG's ball and ran with it, the pioneer of the Last-Person-Standing ex??perience still has high hopes for its future.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, PUBG Madison Studios' Dave Curd spoke about the recent additions to the online shooter, while hinting at a variety of future plans. These included a possible remaster for original map Miramar, Season 8's all??-new Loot Trucks, and the controversial decision - made earlier in 2020 - to add bots to the b?attlefield.

Most interestingly, however, is Curd's admirable insistence that PUBG is not even considering slowing down. It's a commonly held belief that Epic Games' Fortnite has surpassed PUBG to the point of no return. While there is definitive truth to that statement, PUBG continues to pull in six figures worth of players on a daily basis. As such, Curd isn't about to drop the curtain anytime soon.

"This is a game I want players to join 20 years from now," stated Curd. "We want to keep ?telling stories. We want to keep providing fresh experiences. I?? would say anything's possible."

PUBG is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and iOS and Andro?id devices.

PUBG studio director talks bots, Sanhok remaster, and st??aying competitive [Eurogamer]

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Here are all the details on PUBG Update 8.1

The last couple PUBG season upd??ates have hinged upon fixing what was broken. In Season 7, PUBG Corp took a hard objective look at what was wrong with the snow-covered Vikendi map. It was the map players would insta-leave the lobby whenever they were randomly placed into it. After the Season 7 update, Vikendi is a much better experience, joining the ranks of Erangel and Karakin as maps most people actually want to play.

It's the same idea for Season 8, just more tropical than tundra. Sanhok is the obvious odd man out at this point and PUBG Corp is giving it a facelift. Update 8.1 represents a near-complete reworking of Sanhok, as most locations have been revamped with "extensive desig?n and art upgrades." There are new locations too, like a tourism town labeled "Getaway" and a bootcamp called "Airfield."

The Sanhok Remaster brings some new and fun ideas into the fold too. The major addition is self-driving loot trucks that carry cargo around the roads of Sanhok. Putting damage into the trucks causes them to drop loot (it doesn't need to make sense), so players have to gauge the risk/reward of firing on a truck and giving away their location. Fully destroying a truck results in the best loot being dropped, including "confiscated weapons" which are the first PUBG firearms ever to come with attac??hments pre-installe??d.

It seems as though PUBG Corp is finally making good on the idea of fire traps too. Originally planned for an earlier update (and never really fully realized), players will be able to pour gas on the groun?d to ambush their enemies with a sudden inferno. Gas cans will be throwable items too, like giant molotov c??ocktails that need a single bullet to spark.

Lastly, the ranked playlist is getting a significant rework too. Right now, there's a lot of controversy around the scoring syste??m, as many people think it puts too much emphasis on kills and dealing damage. As a part of this update, ranked scoring will now factor team placement into MMR/Elo. That's crucial considering the point of a battle royale is to survive as long as possible, not necessar?ily to just eliminate a bunch of other people.

PUBG's Update 8.1 officially arrives on July 22 on PC. The patch drops on July 3??0 on PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia. However, anyone who wants a glimpse at the new-and-improved Sanhok a little early can check it out when the update hits the test server on July 15.

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There's no defending this

PUBG got C4 added as a throwable explosive last week, and I called it "a fra?g grenade with a very long fuse." That's accurate, and that's the way most players are using it. C4 has a 25-meter blast radius and causes damage t??hrough walls, but it also takes 16 seconds to detonate. The obvious strategy is to throw it, flush opponents out of cover, and spray at them while they scramble.

The World's Smartest Strategy, however, is to turn it into a missile. That's what streamer (and incredible PUBG&??nbsp;player) choco??Taco did. He strapped the C4 to the armored BRDM and ghostrode the whip straight into the building of someone who thought they had prime shelter with good circle position. Wrong because someone just drove a nuke at you.

Let's go over what this guy could've done. ChocoTaco came around the corner too f??ast and the BRDM has too much armor for him to have blown up the vehicle. And, the explosion is too big and too perfectly timed t??o run away. Short of predicting the future, this guy had no choice but to suck an explosion straight to the face.

The post This is the galaxy brain way to use C4 in PUBG appeared first on Destructoid.

What can you do in 16 seconds?

It'd be disingenuous to say PUBG is getting C4 today. Since its launch in January, the ultra-small Karakin map has had "sticky bombs" littered all around it. They're meant for breaching walls, but enterprising players will chuck? them at others with hopes that the extremely small blast radius will cause some damage.

But, PUBG is getting a different spin on C4 today, one that's a lot more powerful and a lot more latent. PUBG's 7.3 update adds C4 to all the non-Karakin maps (Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, and Vikendi) as a throwable explosive that takes 16 seconds to detonate. Unlike real C4, there's no way to detonate on? cue. It's just 16 seconds of ever-increasing beeping ?until everything in close proximity gets blasted to bits.

It sounds like you'd have to be geriatric to get hit with C4. Well, that's not necessarily the point. It's more of a tool for flushing other players out of cover. The blast radius is 25-meters wide and the explosions penetrate cover. If someone throws C4 in your vicinity, you need to move. If you're so pinned down that C4 kills you, you were trapped between a rock and a hard place (or between a ?bomb and a bullet).

Besides these revamped extremely lethal frag grenades, PUBG&nb??sp;overhauled the way vehicle damage works. Now, vehicles take full damage on shots to the engine area, but only 75 percent damage on the body and 50 percent dam??age on the roof. Also, there's more of a grace period between a vehicle catching on fire and when it explodes. It'll now blow up after 5 seconds. Lotta stuff blowing up in this update!

The PUBG site has the full list of 7.3 changes if you're so inclined. You should h??ave plenty of time to read if while waiting for the C4 to detonate.

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Chicken's served

Everybody's working for the weekend. And when the weekend comes, everyone's playing PUBG. At least they could at no extra cost.

Once the world's most popular battle royale game (but now fourth or lower), PUBG will be free on Steam this weekend. PUBG has changed a fair bit since the Early Access period, that summer in 2017 when it seemed like everyone was playing. It now has five maps, a dedicated ranked playlist??, bots in casual lobbies, and a battle pass that's hinged on completing daily/weekly/sea??sonal challenges.

For anyone who hadn't already bought PUBG, the idea of paying for a major battle royale may seem a little strange. PUBG was the first to explode in popularity and it cost $30. Since then, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone all surpassed PUBG and are free-to-play.

(Tangent: You'd think the $30 price tag would deter cheaters but nope. Cheating is still fairly rampant. I play about once a week and most sessions involve me filing at least one report that's verified by that player catching a permaban. In fact, here's a new message from PUBG Corp regarding the inf?lux of cheaters who are ruining rank??ed.)

Anyway, PUBG is free for the weekend?? and chicken's on th?e menu. If you like what you taste, it's also on sale for $15 (50 percent off).

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds [Steam]

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Look out for AI bots in normal matches on the test server

There comes a time in every young battle royale game's life when bots need to enter the equation whether week-in, week-out players want them muddying up the place or not. PUBG is hoping to help inexperienced players learn the ropes by pitting them against AI-controlled canno??n-fodder.

In a blog covering the 7.2 update that just hit the PC test servers, PUBG Corp admitted that, unsurprisingly, bots are a "controversial topic among the community." The studio also mentioned a few notable caveats: bots are very much a work-in-progress – they can't lean, ledge-grab, jump, or throw yet – and they won't be placed in human squ?ads. Bots also won't muck up Ranked matches.

"While PUBG veterans continue to hone their skills and improve, we'??re seeing more often that many newer players are being eliminated early with no kills – and often??times with no damage dealt."

"Bots will only? appear in normal games and are ?designed to appear less as your skill increases, but we're also aware of their current state and are looking at your feedback," the developer said. "We'll be adjusting the balance, intelligence, and functionality of bots as time goes on."

The number of bots you might encounter in a normal game of PUBG on PC will vary from match to ?match – it's a mix o??f "player skill" and the server's "matchmaking pool," according to PUBG Corp.

The patch notes also delve into Ranked mode, which is its own thing with its own rules. For Season 7, the player count caps out at 64 play??e??rs, crossbows won't spawn, there's no Red Zone or Motor Glider, and "the timing and speed of the Blue Zone have been adjusted to increase the pace of play." These settings will change over time, and right now, Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok are all fair game.

If that high-pressur?e scenario sounds like your cup of tea (I wish I had your nerves of steel), it's worth noting that you can play Ranked in one-, two-, and three-person squads, but there are restrictions on? how big of a skill gap you and your mates can have. Currently, the gap can't be more than ten divisions.

The first five Ranked matches count as "placement matches,"?? your Rank Points are impacted by "kills, assists, and personal placement," and you'll get seasonal rewards based on your highest tier.

Even just thinking about climbing the ladder in PUBG is stressing me out. I'll sit this one out.

The post PUBG is testing Ranked mode on PC and bots aren’t invited appeared first on Destructoid.

All aboard!

When PUBG kicked off Season 6 in January, the snow-covered Vikendi map was left out in the cold. Developer PUBG Corp removed Vikendi from public matchmaking in favor of adding the new Karakin map to the random map queue. PUBG Corp wanted to funnel people into Karakin because it was the quickest and deadliest map yet.

Now Vikendi's coming back with a facelift and some global warming. Vikendi has been revamped in a variety of ways including: Reduced snow cover along most of the island (snow-impaired visibility was a common complaint a?bout old Vikendi), a? reworked Dinoland amusement park that features more in the way of attractions and sights; cities that have more cover; the addition of motorcycles (and the subtraction of snowmobiles), and the removal of nighttime matches.

However, the neatest change is that Vikendi now h??as a ??train system that runs all around the island. The major track covers the entire perimeter, and there are smaller lines that stretch across the interior areas. Public transit will open all sorts of gameplay possibilities. For instance, anyone who's stranded behind the blue wall with no quick way of getting inside the circle can just hop aboard a fast-moving train. Or, teams can wait in ambush at the stations, knowing that they're the only places where it's possible to depart. All of that says nothing of the action-packed trick shots people are going to pull off.

All of this will hopefully see Vikendi rubberband from PUBG's weakest map to one of its most exciting. Expect the trains to run on time when PUBG's 7.1 update goes live on PC on April 21, and on PS4 and Xbox One on April 2??8.

Update 7.1 -- Now on the Test Server [PUBG]

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It's just a Frodotype

PUBG is the original realistic military battle royale. While each of the major battle royale games take a slightly different approach, PUBG is the one tha?t can most claim it's rooted in real??ism and survival. No abilities, no crafting, no respawns -- just straight kill or be killed.

However, PUBG's April Fool's Day limited-time mode is more Skyrim than Battlefield, more Dungeons & Dragons than Call of Duty. PUBG is launching a joke mode called "Fantasy Battle Royale" that might prove to be rather popular during?? its seven-day runtime.

Fantasy Battle Royale has players pick one of four classic fantasy roles to play as. They are: Barbarian (melee-only, high health, and consecutive successful attacks increase his movement speed which turns him into a whirling dervish that stabs and slices), Ranger (long-ranged sniper, high damage, low health, and is stealth-oriented as her movement make?s no sound), Wizard (highest damage output through casting spells like raining down meteor showers, but has ??the lowest health of any class), and Paladin (healers who aid their party by hitting them or throwing area-of-effect health bombs, but they can also hurt and slow down enemies by striking them).

Unlike normal PUBG, Fantasy Battle Royale shies away from looting. There are no guns, equipment, or first ai??d items lying around. Inste?ad, there are materials scattered about that can be used to craft -- essentially upgrading the weapon, necklace, and ring that every player starts out with. However, the blue circle shrinks faster and chips harder in Fantasy Battle Royale. It seems like it's meant to discourage dawdling about, instead emphasizing just getting right into the fray. 

Other things to note: Games take place on Erangel which has been redubbed "Dragon's Isle;" ?there's only the option to play in four-player squads and third-person perspective; only two vehicles are available, the Noble Steed (motorcycle) and the Dragon Wagon (UAZ); care packages contain the Zircon gem which is used to craft level 5 gear; touching a care ?package grants an invincibility buff for 30 seconds; and "Winner Winner Chick Dinner" is now "Ye Olde Chicken Dinner."

Fantasy Battle Royale star?ts tonight when the clock strikes midnight (Pacific time) on April 1.

Fantasy Battle Royale [PUBG]

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More publishers kept away by COVID-19

[Update: I would like to clarify that neither CDPR or PUBG Corp. were scheduled to hold any panels or feature any of their titles at PAX East. Therefore both companies' decision not to attend the event will not impact the PAX East lineup. I apologise for not making this clearer in the original article and have altered the text to reflect this - Moyse.]

The list of major companies cancelling plans due to the coronavirus outbr?eak continues to grow. Both CD Projekt RED and PUBG Corp. have both made the last-minute decision not to visit PAX East, which takes place in Boston from tomorrow.

The news of CDPR's change of plans broke via the Twitter account of Head of Communications Stephanie Bayer, who notes that her team will not be present at the event. Cyberpunk 2077 wasn't scheduled to be in attendance at PAX East, so this is pres?umably a motion to secure staff health ahead of the game's appointment at GDC 2020 next month.

Meanwhile, GameSpot reports that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds publisher PUBG Corp. will also not be making the journey to PAX, where it planned to hold a "Happy Hour" event with fans. "We will be rescheduling this plan for an upcoming event, once the coronavirus is under control and travel returns to normal," said the publisher in a brief statement.

Various industry names such as Sony PlayStation, Oculus, Electronic Arts, Kojima Productions, Capcom, and Square Enix ?have recently cancelled plans to visit either PAX East or GDC 2020, which is being held in San F??rancisco next month.

As reported yesterday, there are currently around 80,000 globally reported cases of coron?avir??us, though just 53 of these were confirmed in the United States.

PAX East takes place in Boston between Februar?y 27 and March 1.

PAX East lo??ses CD P??rojekt RED and PUBG Corp amid coronavirus fears [PC Gamer]

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Cross-play was already a thing

Last year, Sony started to relax its cross-play initiative, seemingly fueled by a meaningless marketing term: "PlayStation is the best place to play." As it turns out P??layStation is a fine place to play, but it would be even greater if you can play with more peop?le: like the PC, Switch and Xbox One platforms already allowed.

Fortnite kicked off that full, actual cross-play trend, and many other games have since followed suit. That list includes PUBG, which is adding a new feature in the mix in addition to that basic cross-play functionality: cross-party play on consoles. So this one is really simple. The friend list on PUBG now supports multiple platforms, so you can actually play with friends directly across, say, Xbox O??ne and PS4. Said list will actually show the platfo??rm they play on and will allow you to invite anyone.

PUBG is also getting an 8v8 team deathmatch mode with patch 6.2 (FPP, or, first-person perspective only), as well as swee??ping grenade changes (led by 20% less damage with frags to prone players), a rework of the peeking?/leaning mechanic, a waypoint feature for the map, a more clear Blue Zone (read: the encroaching, deadly wall that defines battle royale games), and a follow feature for parachuting.

If you're a hardcore player there's a lot more to pore over, but that's the big stuff!

PUBG Update 6.2 [PUBG]

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It wasn't deadly enough

Two weeks ago, PUBG debuted its smallest map ever: Karakin, a 2x2 kilometer killing zone that ensures death comes quick and just for all but one survivor. There was one major problem, though. Too many players fo??und that they never really had a chance to defend themselves.

Now that Karakin is live on all PC builds of PUBG, developers are scrambling to respond to cries that there's not enough loot to go around. The solution is simple: G??ive them more guns. That should make all the killing more even-handed.

A h??otfix has been deployed on PC (consoles don't yet ?have Karakin) with the following changes:

• Increased 2x, 3x, 4x scopes
• Increased healing/boost items above ground
• Increased Sniper Rifles/DMRs above ground
• Modified ratio of total Sniper Rifle/DMR muzzle attachments due to increased spawn rate of those weapons
• Decreased number of melee weapons, canted sights and magazine attachments
• Removed Sawed-off from Karakin

Before the update, the Karakin meta was to immediately find sticky bombs, blast into an underground tunnel, and loot the hell out of it. Those bunkers were the most reliable places to find good gear. Now, there should be stone cold killers all over the map. Karaki??n is not for the faint of heart.

Karakin Loot Increase - 23rd January [PUBG]

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Karakin awaits

For its fifth map, PUBG is going the smallest it has ever gone. In its origin, PUBG was about spreading out, looting up, and finding strategic way?s to kill everyone else. As of late, it has trended toward dumping everyone on top of everyone else and letting the bullets sort things out as quickly as possible??.

The new Karakin map is a 2x2 kilometer battlezone in North Africa. That's tiny. Previously, Sanhok was the smallest map (4x4), and it's a player favorite because of the constant action. Give them more of what they want. However, because Karakin is one-quarter the area of Sanhok, the player ba??se has been pared down; instead of the usual 100 players, Karakin supports 64 players.

Here's the Karakin map: 

Karakin has some interesting mechanics that make it tactically more akin to Rainbow Six Siege than PUBG. Buildings are destructible, meaning teams can breach through walls to flank other squads. Also, the red zone that drops missile barrages has been replaced by black zones. They're mostly the same except that these? air rai?ds will demolish buildings. If you're caught in a black zone, you're basically forced to flee.

As far as weapons go, there are no frag grenades on Karakin. They've been replaced with sticky bombs (C4) which can be used to open passageways into hidden tunnels. Additionally, because of the size of the map, there?? are only low-powered scopes; a 3x is the biggest you'll find outside of airdrops. Eventually, PUBG Corp is introducing a Panzerfaust rocket launcher, which should play well with the destructible theme.

Karakin will likely become a darling among streamers. The close proximity and lowered player count result in matches that are finished in 10 to 15 minutes. You get right into the heat of battle, you kill o??r be killed, and then you're right back in the plane doing it all over again. It's very watchable.

For now, Karakin is only available on PUBG's test server. It'll be introduced ??into the proper game in one week's time -- January 22. Consoles get Karakin a little later at an unannounced date.

The post Karakin is PUBG’s quickest and deadliest map yet appeared first on Destructoid.

Actually, it isn't PUBG at all

It'd be an easy mistake to assume that the next game from PUBG Corp, simply titled Prologue, was a prologue to PUBG. That's the obvious connection to draw. This developer's identity is so entrenched in its one product that it renamed itself from Bluehole to PUBG Corp. Adding creedence to that idea, PUBG Corp has recently said it's working on a story-driven game in within the PUBG universe.

However, Prologue is something else entirely. It's not a battle royale, it's not a shooter, and it's not PUBG. In an interview with Forbes, PUBG creator Brendan Greene explained that Prologue is actually the first project from PlayerUnknown Productions, a new studio that was founded under the umbrella of PUBG Corp. The idea is to come up with games that capture the PUBG spirit, which can maybe be best described as isolated and tense conflict??s within much grander macro-lev??el conflicts.

That being said, the title Prologue supposedly doesn't refer to the beginning of a story. Instead, it points to the studio's prologue. This is Greene and team's chance to create new game experiences and technology that will inform the future of PUBG -- both as a battle royale and ?beyond. 

Which brings us back to the trailer. How does all this -- these heady ideas and canonical universes and talk about creating new experiences -- translate to a trailer that's more Blair Witch than PUBG? We're not supposed to know. Prologue is the start of something new and that comes shrouded i??n mystery. At least the "Unknown" p??art carries over.

PlayerUnknown Talks About The Mysterious 'Pro?logue' [Forbes]

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Community picks every Monday!

Dreezy is live once more this week on the Destructoid Twitch channel hitting up the murder island of PUBG and playing more Borderlands 3! But, as always, we're ?look??ing for more community requested games for next week Monday, so, feel free to let us know in the comments down below or in the Destructoid Discord channel!

We're also gonna be giving away copies of whatever is currently streaming (PUBG, Borderlands 3, whatever community pick is being played and so forth) to lucky viewers! In order to be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Tw?itch chat? to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord channel.

The current schedule for this week:

Tuesday (October 15, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: PUBG / Borderlands 3

Thursday (October 17, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: PUBG / DOTA 2

Saturday (October 19, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 4:00am
Game: TBD

Monday (October 21, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Community Pick

So, relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed hair?, sanity, and time for us while he plays the games you demand of him! The internet may have been a mistake, but it's one we now live with, and I wouldn't change a thing.

The post We’re live again on Twitch and looking for game recommendations! appeared first on Destructoid.

Console wars live on

PUBG Corporation has just unleashed the version 4.3 update for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on consoles and it includes a much-requested feature: crossplay. Finally, Xbox One and PS4 players can duke it out against each other from the comfort of their own console.? It doesn't seem like cross-console parties are in, but players will be able to jump into the same matchmaking pool to battle opponents on each ecosystem.

Update 4.3 also introduces the new "Survival Mastery" progres??sion system to the game. Survival Mastery adds the PUBG ID system, new nameplates and emblems, and character poses alongside a series of challenges that will reward players for meeting specific criteria in a match. A few new weapons have made their way to the console ports, as well, including the DBS shotgun.

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