PUBG Xbox Patch 11 ought to have just finished rolling out. It focuses on improving performance and stability, naturally, plus makes a few inventory changes to speed up equipment swapping. There's a counter showing the number of players remaining on the plane now as well. The full patch notes are below.
Above: our video preview of PUBG Mobile running on a Google Pixel.
The battle royale infection has spread to mobile platforms much more quickly than we could ever have expected. Within a week, Fortnite's mobile version skyrocketed to the top of the iOS app store, nabbing nearly $1.5 million in the process. And PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is now officially in the race. After a soft-launch in Canada earlier this week, the free-to-play mobile port is now available on iOS and Android app stores in the US.
If you're curious about trying it out (and, honestly, why wouldn't you be?), you can watch the video above to see my impressions after playing for an afternoon on my Google Pixel. It's a surprisingly faithful port that doesn't sacrifice any of the central pillars of PUBG's combat—it's still 100 players, still has a giant blue circle that pushes everyone inward, and it's still intense as hell.
That said, playing a shooter on a phone is never a perfect experience. The controls are going to be the biggest obstacle, even though PUBG Mobile does some really smart things with its user interface to make it work better on a phone. But no matter how easy managing your inventory now is, aiming is still a real pain in the ass.
If you're on iOS, you can head over to the app store to download it and give it a whirl. Android users can find it on Google's Play Store. It's free and relatively small (well under a gigabyte in size), so it's a great way to kill an afternoon.
If you've already given it a try, let us know what you think.
John is elsewhere this week, squeezed into Brendan’s luggage for a flight to San Francisco and the Game Developers Conference, so I’m here for the regular rundown of last week’s top-selling games on Steam. This week, the letters R, A, and S are well-represented with strong showings from both Mars and rats.
Sonny Evans' tongue-in-cheek Attenborough-esque nature documentaries span GTA 5, Battlefield 1, Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. They're lighthearted and silly and good fun—with the latter leveraging PUBG's new-ish replay system to great effect.
The Camper casts its lens over one of my own favourite playstyles, as it explores the benefits of hiding in bushes, beneath bridges and under parked cars. Described as "the scourge" of PUBG, Evans posits "the goal of this creature is to be a general nuisance." How dare he. (He's not wrong.)
When I spoke to Evans following the launch of his first PUBG Nat Geo doc, he told me that despite the limitations of the game's replay system—so far as performance culture is concerned—it has potential to spin more tales of this kind. I love the work coming from GTA 5 in this vein, so I hope and encourage more players to pick up the mantle here.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile had a surprise soft launch (or what normal people call a beta) on Google's Canadian Play Store today, finally giving Canadians like me something to lord over the rest of the world. Don't get too envious, though. While PUBG Mobile is a faithful port that brings the battle royale genre to the little screen, it’s no surprise that you're still better off playing it from the comfort of a computer desk.
When it comes to capturing the spirit and thrill of the battle royale genre, PUBG Mobile is surprisingly adept.
PUBG Mobile is about as good a port as anyone could hope for. While the resolution is noticeably downsized, the basic design of the 100-player free-for-all isn't. The map of Erangel is the same size, a giant blue field of electricity still ushers you inward, and the frantic pace of looting and shooting remains intact. I couldn't get the game running when not on wifi, but I'm hoping that doesn't indicate that PUBG mobile is wifi only. Tencent hasn't said whether or not PUBG Mobile will eventually be crossplay compatible with PC players, but its the older Chinese version doesn't have it either. That's probably a good thing.
PlayerUnphone
In my first round, I ended up placing second after killing nine other enemies. Yup, I'm officially better at PUBG Mobile than I am the real game. Moments before my opponent rounded a crest and lit me up (I only had an SK12 and was immediately doomed), my heart was pounding with that same nauseating exhilaration from reaching the top ten on the PC version. When it comes to capturing the spirit and thrill of the battle royale genre, PUBG Mobile is surprisingly adept.
But in capturing that spirit, PUBG Mobile also has to make a ton of concessions that exacerbate PUBG's already annoying-as-hell problems. Surprising no one, PUBG Mobile's controls suck. If you've played a shooter on a phone before, you can already imagine the nightmare of using both of your thumbs to control virtual joysticks while trying to still see what's happening on screen. Making matters worse, PUBG Mobile peppers the entire screen with smaller buttons that perform secondary actions like reloading, switching fire rate on weapons, and even toggling first-person aiming.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that managing my inventory wasn't a nightmare, however. PUBG Mobile will automatically collect loot for you based on what it deems a priority. So if I have an M16 equipped, I can stand over 5.56mm ammo and pick it up without pressing anything. Diving into another dead player's stash or rifling through a backpack is more involved, but there are also quick slots for consumables like bandages that you can rapidly access in the heat of battle. Those are all welcome changes.
The video above shows a better look at a slightly-altered version of China's PUBG Mobile.
Controlling your character isn't too hard when you're just running around, and I like that PUBG Mobile doesn't eliminate more complex features from the PC version like being able to look and move in two different directions. In fact, the only movement feature that has been cut is leaning, which means you can't peak around trees to shoot an enemy. That said, the moment I tried entering a doorway, I realized that the controls desperately lack any sense of precision. I'd sometimes waste seconds strafing back and forth trying to get my character to go inside. It felt less like walking through a doorway and more like Luke Skywalker firing a proton torpedo down the Death Star's exhaust port—only there was no Force to guide me.
The moment I tried entering a doorway, I realized that the controls desperately lack any sense of precision.
Where things really fall apart is in the middle of a fight. Firing your gun is, well, a crap shoot. Those nine kills I scored? I am loathe to admit that probably half of them weren't deserved. The cumbersome controls make aiming precisely impossible, and more often than not I found it easier to simply strafe the reticle over my opponent rather than actually trying to aim at them. And god help you if someone comes up from behind because turning around quickly is impossible.
On my Google Pixel, the graphics were still pretty good, but I doubt anyone is going to be making insane long-distance headshots with a sniper rifle. If the controls don't get in your way, the limited draw distance will. Still, Tencent has done a respectable job getting Erangel to fit on a tiny screen, even if the usual range of engagement meant I was holding my phone inches from my face just so I could see what the hell I was shooting at (spoiler: it was a bush).
If you lack a computer powerful enough to play PUBG or are just desperate to take it on the go, PUBG Mobile might satisfy you. Despite all of its very clear problems, I'm having fun tinkering with it. But if I ever find myself on a bus jonesing for some battle royale action, I think I'll just wait until I get home.
A mobile version of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds rolled out in China recently, bringing the groundbreaking battle royale experience to anyone with a decent phone and a passing interest in playing it. Nothing was said about a Western release at the time but it looks like it's going to happen, because a beta version of the game soft-launched today on the Google Play Store in Canada.
A "soft launch" is a bit like an early access release: Developers put their game out in a regional store to test stability and gauge interest before moving into a wide release. It's a fairly common practice in the mobile game business, and Canada is often the beneficiary.
This particular soft launch is good news for two reasons. First, barring an unforeseen disaster it means that PUBG will officially be released on mobile devices in the West, and second, if you don't live here but you want to play it now, you can do so by either changing your Play Store region, or grabbing the APK—a downloadable Android archive that can be installed with a file manager.
As for the game itself, it's definitely PUBG, and it runs pretty well on a a Samsung Galaxy S7. The audio through the phone's speaker isn't great and of course the touchscreen controls are awful, but it runs smoothly and it looks good. I didn't play enough to judge how well it matches up with the PC version, but fellow Canadian Steven jumped in to play it this afternoon. You can read his thoughts here or just watch his lovely video below.
Our video showing off PUBG Mobile and Steven's thoughts after an afternoon of playing.
Avid PUBG player Alex Lovell says his devotion to videogames and martial arts movies, coupled with extensive wing chun training, enabled him to fend off a near-fatal attack by his girlfriend of two years, Emily Javier, who assaulted him with a samurai sword while he was asleep.
Javier apparently believed that Lovell was cheating on her, but he told Buzzfeed that all that gaming had simply destroyed his libido.
"It killed my sex drive. I was training too hard, it exhausted me," Lovell said. "I felt bad because she needed the affection. I just couldn't keep up."
It wasn't just Lovell's inability to perform that stirred Javier's wrath, however. She found red hair in his shower drain—her hair is dyed green—and discovered that he had Tinder installed on his phone. She also apparently found scratches on his back.
Instead of simply leaving him, however, she opted to purchase a samurai sword, which she taped to her side of the bed, along with two knives. On the night of March 2, after Lovell went to sleep, she hid his phone so he couldn't call for help and then launched her assault.
But as Lovell explained to OregonLive, he "wasn't a sweaty nerd, more of an Ethlete"—as such, his training regimen included exercises for his hands, wrists, and shoulders, practicing special moves and techniques with his mouse, and playing PUBG for 12-13 hours per day, all of which left him ready to handle the onslaught.
"I've been preparing my whole life for something like this," he said.
After being awoken by the attack, Lovell said he was "able to wing chun [his] way to survival," and was eventually able to get his (presumably at that point ex-) girlfriend into a bearhug. She got hold of the family jewels and "tried to rip them off," but even then Lovell was able to keep his cool.
"I saw the look in her eyes, and it scared the living poop out of me," he said. "I told her I loved her, and she was killing me. She needed to call police, or I was going to die."
And in fact she did relent and call 911, which probably saved Lovell's life: Three of his fingers were nearly severed at the base, he had deep lacerations on his feet and legs, and various other wounds to his torso, neck, and head. The OregonLive report says it could be six months before he's able to walk again, and he'll require extensive therapy to regain the full use of his hands.
In spite of the trauma, Lovell seems jubilant. "The feeling I had when I won the fight with my bare hands is just absolutely the best feeling," he said. "I've played all the sports, won big games, landed some decent tricks on my snowboard. This was better."
Emily Javier remains in custody and is facing attempted murder charges. A GoFundMe campaign to help Lovell deal with the costs of his recovery has raised more than $8000 in less than two weeks.
Across 16 categories, a number of PC games are well represented—not least Giant Sparrow's wonderful What Remains of Edith Finch, which is up for seven awards. PUBG, Cuphead and Night in the Woods get four nods each, while Fortnite, Destiny 2 and Total War: Warhammer 2 pop up in various categories throughout.
Console big hitters Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda: Breath of the Wild feature heavily too, and it's nice to see the likes of Nier: Automata rubbing shoulders with Super Mario Odyssey, Edith Finch and Assassin's Creed Origins.
Best of luck to them all. Here's the nominees in full:
Performer Abubakar Salim as BayekAshly Burch as AloyClaudia Black as Chloe FrazerLaura Bailey as Nadine RossMelina Juergens as SenuaValerie Rose Lohman as Edith Finch
Original Property
CupheadGorogoaHorizon Zero DawnNight In The WoodsPlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsWhat Remains of Edith Finch
Narrative
Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnTacoma Night In The WoodsWhat Remains of Edith FinchWolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Music
CupheadGet EvenHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildWhat Remains of Edith Finch
Multiplayer
Divinity: Original Sin 2FortniteGang BeastsPlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsSplatoon 2Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Mobile Game
Bury Me, My LoveGolf ClashGorogoaKAMI 2Monument Valley 2Stranger Things: The Game
Game Innovation
GorogoaHellblade: Senua's SacrificeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildNieR: AutomataSnipperclipsWhat Remains of Edith Finch
Game Design
Assassin's Creed OriginsHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildNieR: AutomataSuper Mario OdysseyWhat Remains of Edith Finch
Game Beyond Entertainment
Bury Me, My LoveHellblade: Senua's SacrificeLast Day of JuneLife Is Strange: Before the StormNight in the WoodsSea Hero Quest VR
Family
Just Dance 2018Lego WorldsMario & Rabbids Kingdom BattleMonument Valley 2SnipperclipsSuper Mario Odyssey
Debut Game
CupheadGorogoaHollow KnightNight in the WoodsThe Sexy BrutaleSlime Rancher
British Game
Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeMonument Valley 2Reigns: Her MajestyThe Sexy BrutaleSniper Elite 4Total War: Warhammer 2
Best Game
Assassin's Creed OriginsHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildSuper Mario OdysseyWhat Remains of Edith Finch
Audio Achievement
Call of Duty: World War 2Destiny 2Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnStar Wars Battlefront 2Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Artistic Achievement
CupheadGorogoaHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildUncharted: The Lost Legacy
The BAFTA Games Awards 2018 takes place in London's Troxy on April 12. More information can be found here.
We know the last week has been rough. We had problems over the weekend, and our login servers were down today. We’re trying to move faster to solve important problems that negatively impact your experience, but sometimes when you move fast, you break things. This is not an excuse, but rather an attempt to explain why there has been some turbulence over the last week. But we have also seen some great results.
In our recent update, PUBG has added a feature that splits the matching pool based on players' ping and players with similar pings end up playing in the same match instance. The results of this addition were positive. Some servers saw more than 30% decrease in network problems, as compared to the pre-update figures, allowing for a more stable and enjoyable network environment. However, this doesn't mean that our work is done. Our team is continuing their efforts to implement further improvements.
Despite the ping-based matchmaking, we have seen that some regions are still experiencing a gameplay environment that isn't as enjoyable as it could be. We are looking into various measures that we could use to alleviate the issues players are experiencing in these regions. We’ll let you know when we have more results to share.
Please know that when we break things, it’s not because we don’t care. It’s because we care enough to move fast, and take risks that are intended to improve your experience. Thank you so much for the patience and understanding that you give us, especially when we break things.
We know the last week has been rough. We had problems over the weekend, and our login servers were down today. We’re trying to move faster to solve important problems that negatively impact your experience, but sometimes when you move fast, you break things. This is not an excuse, but rather an attempt to explain why there has been some turbulence over the last week. But we have also seen some great results.
In our recent update, PUBG has added a feature that splits the matching pool based on players' ping and players with similar pings end up playing in the same match instance. The results of this addition were positive. Some servers saw more than 30% decrease in network problems, as compared to the pre-update figures, allowing for a more stable and enjoyable network environment. However, this doesn't mean that our work is done. Our team is continuing their efforts to implement further improvements.
Despite the ping-based matchmaking, we have seen that some regions are still experiencing a gameplay environment that isn't as enjoyable as it could be. We are looking into various measures that we could use to alleviate the issues players are experiencing in these regions. We’ll let you know when we have more results to share.
Please know that when we break things, it’s not because we don’t care. It’s because we care enough to move fast, and take risks that are intended to improve your experience. Thank you so much for the patience and understanding that you give us, especially when we break things.
