PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

One of the modes PUBG fans have wanted most desperately in the game is the ability to create custom matches. It seems their wishes have finally come true, as PUBG Corp has today announced the mode is in open beta on test servers.

But, of course, there's a catch.

Custom matchmaking will be available for free, but PUBG Corp mentioned in its update notes this could change in the future. "Creating custom matches won't have an associated cost during this phase," the developer stated. "However, due to the extremely large amount of resources required to allow custom games to be available to all players, we may change this in the future to ensure everything runs smoothly and the system remains sustainable long-term."

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PUBG Corp has announced Sanhok will soon be receiving two shiny new content additions exclusive to the map.

On the official Twitter account, PUBG Corp yesterday revealed the 'QBU' gun: a new DMR set to replace the Mini 14. Using 5.56mm bullets, the gun will be similar to the Mini 14, but with slightly higher bullet damage. It also comes with a handy pre-attached 'bipod' to stabilise the weapon when the player is prone, which will reduce recoil for mid to long-range shots. According to the video, the gun's damage will be the lowest of the DMRs, but on the upside, it will also have the "highest initial bullet speed", again making it useful for long-distance shooting.

PUBG Corp also revealed Sanhok will be gaining a new vehicle. Sure, it's not quite the tuk-tuk many fans on Reddit hoped for, but the 'Rony' should help players navigate the hilly terrain of the Sanhok map. Capable of holding four players at a time, the pickup will allow two passengers to sit in the cargo area and turn around freely. Business in the front, party in the back.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' new tropical Sanhok map is officially out on PC, but developer Bluehole still isn't done tinkering just yet. PUBG's latest update offers a range of enhancements, from terrain tweaks to visual improvements.

The new update, which released earlier today on the official Test Server, brings a few important fixes for PUBG's Sanhok and Miramar maps. Both have seen certain objects adjusted to prevent them from obstructing player movement - while, conversely, Sanhok has received terrain tweaks to areas where players were able to pass through the map unimpeded.

The latter change comes in response to the discovery by players earlier this week that, at certain locations on Sanhok, participants were able to hide under the map and ambush unsuspecting passersby - as you can see in this video by YouTuber niKlaS.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

It's the weekend, which of course means many things - a chance to bask in the sun and/or mourn the loss of it, a little bit of extra time to catch up on games, books or that Westworld finale and, most importantly, a brand new roundup of the very best deals from the week. That last one is the very article you're reading, so let's cut to the chase and check out some of the fun things you can treat yourself to this week.

As a heads up, don't forget that Amazon Prime Day 2018 is creeping ever closer and we've got our own guide to finding the best deals and generally surviving the faux-holiday itself, which we'll be keeping updated all the way through.

As usual, we've got deals that'll work in the UK, deals that'll work in the US and some deals that will work in both the UK and US, as well as presumably many other places. Let's get started.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

The developers behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds have changed the game's controversial Event Pass for the better.

Last week, PUBG got its first ever Event Pass. The 7.49 DLC is, clearly, inspired by Fortnite's hugely-successful Battle Pass, and lets players unlock premium loot, including themed cosmetics and items. To do this you need to take on exclusive challenges and gain experience points as you play.

Reaction to the Event Pass was mixed, with some complaining about the slow rate of progress possible.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

The timer has counted down, the circle has shrunk, and the biggest lawsuit royale of all - PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds versus Fortnite - has concluded in a surprise draw.

PUBG Corp. has this week dropped its legal case against Fortnite maker Epic Games, according to a Bloomberg report published today.

The company behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds had sought damages from Epic for ripping off the now well-established battle royale formula.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

This week, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds got its first ever Event Pass. The 7.49 DLC is, clearly, inspired by Fortnite's hugely-successful Battle Pass, and lets players unlock premium loot, including themed cosmetics and items. It also lets you take on exclusive challenges and gain experience points as you play.

While PUBG's Event Pass sounds like a decent addition to the game - and indeed it has freshened up the battle royale experience for many players - it has some problems, which the game's rabid fanbase has been quick to pick up on.

This has led to a raft of comments from the PUBG developer, PUBG Corp., which has clarified the Event Pass is something of an experiment, and shown to be quick to react to feedback.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' third map, Sanhok, comes out this Friday, 22nd June.

Sanhok is a lot smaller than PUBG's other two maps. It's 4km x 4km (one fourth the size of Erangel or Miramar), and so games tend to end more quickly on the tiny island. Still, every game features 100 players, as is battle royale standard.

Because Sanhok is a small map, certain settings have been tweaked to fit its design. For example, faraway players and vehicles aren't rendered in the same way on Sanhok, which the developers said improves server performance.

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

The developer of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has debunked what it calls "misinformation" and "oversimplified tales" about the way the game is developed.

The criticism here revolves around the re-use of certain assets across PUBG's maps, and the buying of pre-made assets from the Unreal marketplace. Posts like the one below occasionally pop up on the PUBG subreddit, alongside the accusation that the vast majority of the game's maps were bought-in. Some even accuse PUBG of being an "asset flip" game.

This debate kicked off again this week after PUBG creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene expressed his frustration at the "asset flip" jibe in an interview with Geoff Keighley at E3, saying it "kills me a little inside".

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PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

A snowy map is coming to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in "winter 2018", as revealed at Microsoft's big E3 conference today.

There's just about no other information available for the moment: the brief teaser at the end of the PUBG sizzle reel showed some footsteps - and, importantly, footprints - in the snow, followed by that winter 2018 release window.

Hopefully those footprints mean another tactical element, as well as hopefully kind of camouflage, too. It's not a lot to go on but... it's also quite exciting.

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