PUBG: Battlegrounds is having a Free Play Week on PCAug 10, 2021 - EurogamerIf you've been eyeing up Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (or PUBG: Battlegrounds as its new marvellously redundant moniker would have it) for the last four years but somehow still haven't quite convinced yourself to pick give it a go, you might be interested to know you can currently play the one-time battle royale phenomenon for free on PC. PUBG: Battlegrounds' Free Play Week is now underway on Steam, giving interested parties to chance to play all available modes and maps until next Monday, 16th August. That, of course, includes PUBG's new Taego map, whisking players players back to 1980s South Korea. Taego - PUBG's first 8x8km map since 2017's Miramar - is notable for a number of key new features, including self-revive and the new Gulag-esque Comeback BR mechanic. The latter gives players that die prior to the first Blue Zone the chance to respawn if they can survive against other players in a separate Comeback Arena. Read moreLooks like self-pickup is coming to PUBG in the next updateJun 20, 2021 - EurogamerFollowing the release of a new video teaser showcasing what's new in the upcoming TAEGO update for PUBG, fans think they've discovered new features coming the original battle royale game, including new weapons, vehicles, a new zone feature, and even self pick-up. According to an analysis by dataminer PlayerIGN (thanks, PCGN), as well as self-pickup, TAEGO's new 8x8 map will also feature a new Pony Coupe vehicle, 5.56 K2 Assault Rifle, 5.56 K12 DMR, a "new airdrop type", a possible new Zone feature, and the return of Paramo's Chinook helicopter. A second teaser and screenshots released in Korea also suggest we'll see a palace and a school on the new map, with rumours the new content will be available to play on the PC Test Server from 30th June. Read morePUBG's getting two new maps and a Miramar remasterMay 26, 2021 - EurogamerThat's right, PUBG is getting another batch of fresh maps this year, as the dev team has unveiled its 2021 dev plan - and it includes two brand new locations along with a remaster for Miramar. The first of these changes is the upcoming Miramar remaster, which is being rolled out in patch 12.1 (now live on PC test servers). Miramar has been tweaked and revamped before, but this time it's getting a "much larger remastering", using the technology used to improve other maps like Sanhok to tweak the "lighting, performance, graphical fidelity, topography, and of course special features". Players can also expect to find "overhauls to terrain and building textures and layouts, easier traversal with the removal of unnecessary obstacles, and even updated cliffs to better fit in the more vertical experience the game has become". PUBG Corp provided a helpful before and after so you can see exactly what the improvements will look like: Read moreHere's a look at PUBG's dynamic map in actionOct 14, 2020 - EurogamerPUBG Corp has been teasing upcoming map Paramo for the last few weeks, and on Monday we finally got a glimpse of the volcanic setting - along with a cryptic description of Paramo as PUBG's "first dynamic map". Today, the curtain has finally been thrown back so we can learn what that actually means, and PUBG has released a video to showcase what's in store for Season 9. The way Paramo's dynamic landscape works is this: major landmarks are changed between matches, with certain compounds and locations changing each time you play. From the video it looks like this mainly takes the form of seasonal differences, with larger landmarks staying in place, but smaller outbuildings appear to shift and disappear between games. The map itself is 3x3, making it one of PUBG's smaller offerings, but the tighter space is packed with danger - including lava rivers that can damage vehicles, and a more punishing blue zone. Critical response kits are being introduced to help you revive your teammates in a second, and if you can survive long enough, it seems Paramo has some hidden keys and ruins to explore. As for those heavily-teased helicopters, the vehicles will be used instead of a plane to drop into the map, while shooting a support helicopter will force it to drop goodies mid-match. Read more
