Oct 18, 2018

PUBG shares before and after blue zone shots, adds new weapon in PC update

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PUBG's latest PC-specific update—the 23rd since launch, for those counting—adds a new pistol, and tinkers with its blue zone's visuals. The former, named Skorpion, can be spied above. The latter stars in the images below.

In a bid to make it "less difficult to see through", the blue zone's opacity has been adjusted. Likewise, PUBG Corp says it has "mitigated an issue where the blue zone’s opacity difference was too strong depending on the map and weather type."

Here's some before and after shots, across the game's different maps:

As for the Skorpion, it's available on all maps including the battle royale's training zone. It boasts both single fire and auto fire mode, uses 9mm ammo and can load up to 20 bullets—40, with an extended mag. On the attachments front, it supports a red dot sight, a suppressor, and a vertical foregrip, half grip, light grip and laser sight on its lower rail.

Elsewhere, PUBG's PC 1.0 Update #23 adds an on-screen key guide function, which display dynamic key guides relevant to what's happening on-screen. Patch notes also now feature in lobbies, and a host of weapons, systems and performance bugs have been fixed. With the latter in mind, be sure to collect your freebies before this coming Tuesday.

Full patch notes for PUBG's latest PC update can be read here.

Oct 18, 2018

Playerunknown s Battlegrounds first 50v50 event start tonight

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alice O'Connor)

When two stag or hen parties chance upon each other down Espionage and merge, the ground trembles at the might of their combined banter and windows the length of Victoria Street rattle to their roars. I cannot begin to imagine the consequences if twelve parties should join forces. We’ll find out this weekend in Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, as the stag & hen battle royale will tonight launches its first 50v50 event mode. God help the people of Yasnaya Polyana. You can buy some new threads too, as the devs are whopping a wad of Plunbucks in apology for that recent server-sorting screw-up.

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Oct 18, 2018

PUBG is giving PC players free beanies to apologise for server issues

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

It's been a bumpy few days for PUBG players on PC. Yesterday, following routine live server maintenance, many players experienced difficulties connecting to servers, with several receiving a message telling them that "network lag" had been detected.

To smooth things over a little, PUBG Corp. is now giving PC players some in-game items and currency to make up for the disruption. Players who log in before 5pm PDT on 23rd October (or 12pm GMT on 24th October) will be able to claim the black beanie with headphones, along with 20,000 battle points for players to spend in-game. Now everyone can be beanie buddies, hooray!

Meanwhile, in slightly less janky PUBG news, PC update 23 has been released on test servers, and is bringing a variety of changes to the game. There's a new handgun gun called the Skorpion which looks like a half-way house between a pistol and an uzi, and should be good for close-range gunfights in the early stages of a match. It certainly has a sting in its tail.

Oct 18, 2018

PUBG offers players limited-time free item and 20,000 BP after server issues

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

Performance in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been a long-standing priority for PUBG Corp, but yesterday's connectivity issues made the game unplayable for some. As a result, the developer is giving all PC players a free item and a fistful of Battle Points.

PC players can claim the Black Beanie with Headphones item and 20,000 BP between now and 5pm PDT on Tuesday, October 23.

Maintenance kicked off in the early hours of Wednesday, which was first expected to last three hours. Live servers were reinstated and subsequently uninstalled a number of times thereafter, when players faced connectivity and matchmaking issues alongside a "Network Lag Detected" error message.

And as compensation:

Remember to claim your free stuff before Tuesday.

Oct 18, 2018

PC 1.0 Update #23

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

These patch notes have been updated.
Update 1 - 10/23/2018 - All changes marked with *
Update 2 - 10/31/2018 - All changes marked with ^
Update 3 - 11/06/2018 - All changes marked with +
Read the changes at the bottom of this post.

Hey everyone,

Today’s Test Server patch includes a brand new full-auto pistol, the new Conquest Mode Custom Game setting, improvements to custom games in general, and other bug and quality of life fixes. We’ve also given the Training Mode map a name and “Camp Jackal” can now be selected as a War Mode map in custom games. As always, this patch will deploy to live servers after testing is complete.

While on the Test Server, only squad mode will be available to mitigate long matchmaking times.

FIX PUBG Update

QoL

UI GUIDES: Added an on-screen key guide function which shows dynamic key guides depending on the game play situation (on by default, can change to off in gameplay options)

Bug Fixes

UNDERWATER: Fixed the issue where players could use weapons while swimming if they kept pushing the weapon equip button near rocks

New Weapon: Skorpion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz7UznH6okE

Added a new handgun, the Skorpion
- The Skorpion spawns on all maps
- Single fire and full auto fire mode
- Uses 9mm ammo, it can load up to 20 bullets and 40 with an Extended Magazine
- Attachments:
  - Sight: Red dot sight
  - Muzzle: Suppressor
  - Lower Rail: Vertical Foregrip, Half Grip, Light Grip, Laser Sight
  - Stock: Stock for Micro UZI
  - Magazine: Extended Magazine only
- Skorpion is also available in the Training mode. Have fun!

Lobby Patch Notes

Added Patch Notes to the lobby. They can be viewed in a popup by clicking the Patch Notes icon in the top right.
Videos included in the patch notes cannot be played directly in the client.
- When clicking on a video, an external browser will open to play the video.

Gameplay

Decreased recoil of the P18C.
We’ve toned down the opacity of the blue zone so that it less difficult to see through .
- Thanks to all of our players for the feedback you provided regarding this. Please share your feedback with us once you’ve tested the changes.
Mitigated an issue where the blue zone’s opacity difference was too strong depending on the map and weather type.
Before and after:
Erangel

Miramar

Sanhok
* We’ve improved the Page Up/Page Down reticle changing functionality of red dot sight, holographic sight and 2x/3x scopes.
- * Selections are now on a loop, so players can press one button to cycle through the options.
* We’ve improved the control of wheel menu, making it easier for players to select items.
* TPP character hit animations are now seen by the player being hit.
- * When in third-person and shot by an enemy, you will now see your character react to being shot. Previously, these animations would only be seen by other players.
- * These animations are purely visual and do not change gameplay. When aiming down the sight, targeting an enemy, or in FPP mode, these animations won’t impact your aiming placement or view.

UI/UX

Added an on-screen dynamic key map guide which changes based on the gameplay situation.
- Appears above the minimap.
- Set to “On” by default, but can be switched off in Settings > Gameplay.
We’ve improved the control of wheel menu, making it easier for players to select items.
We’ve improved the Page Up/Page Down reticle changing functionality of red dot sight, holographic sight and 2x/3x scopes.
- Selections are now on a loop, so players can press one button to cycle through the options.
The name of the player being watched while spectating teammates, in observer view, or killer spectating will now appear in the top left corner of the screen.
* Changed ratio/chance statistics to display as percentages instead of decimals
- * For example, 60% headshot ratio instead of 0.6
* Public (ALL) voice chat is now disabled until one minute into the game
- * Team voice chat still works as normal, from the start of the game.

World

Made fixes and improvements to Training Mode
- Optimized moving targets. Basic function is same as before but the appearance is slightly changed.
- Limited the maximum spawns of water vehicles (boat, aqua rail) to 2
  - This is a temporary solution due to a performance issue, we will implement additional improvements in the future.
- Reduced visual flickering of thin objects such as electrical wires.

Performance

Improved performance by mitigating an issue causing thin objects to flicker.
Optimized particles in rainy weather.
* Adjusted the replication interleaving parameters to improve server performance.

Supply System

Survival XP can now be earned while observing teammates.
- This grants 50% less XP than while alive

Anti-Cheat / Report

Added the report player function to event mode games.
By pressing “R” key when spectating, you can report a player who previously killed you.
- Players can report other players during a match by clicking the “Report” button on the death screen.
- Up to 8 recent players who killed you will be displayed as available to report.
- When reporting a teammate who killed you, the option to report for team killing will be displayed.
- You can only report a player once per match.

Skin & Items

Added multi-slot items as a new category.
- These are single piece clothing items that require multiple slots to wear (Torso and Legs, for example).
- If you try to wear a multi-slot item while wearing a single slot item in one of those slots, those items will be removed automatically.
Changed the reset time of the weekly random crate to Tuesday 5pm PDT (UTC 0).

* Improved Store UI
- Featured Page
  - If multiple pages exist, item pages will cycle through every 5 seconds to display all items. You may also manually move to the next featured item page by clicking the button at the bottom.
- * Learn More Page
  - If you click the item picture, you will see a full preview of the item on your character.
  - If you click the item price, you will be taken to the purchase page.

Custom Match

Added a new game mode, War Mode: Conquest
- This game mode sets two Platoons (up to 50 vs. 50) against each other to capture and hold objectives within an area. Your Platoon earns points as you hold these objectives and the team with the highest score wins.
- Multiple options, including capture area circle size can be adjusted in the match options.
- Added a few War Mode: Conquest related presets.
- A detailed guide for recommended custom match settings for this mode will be announced in a separate article at a later date.
- Replays are not yet available for War Mode: Conquest matches. This functionality will be added in a future update.
Added the option to invite friends to a custom game
Added an option to adjust damage ratios (from 0 to 500%) in custom game settings.
- You can adjust the head, upper body, lower body, arm, or leg damage ratio from bullets and melee attacks.
- You can also adjust the damage ratio from throwables.
Corrected issue with default configuration settings for killer spectating and red zone in Esports Mode.
Added “Camp Jackal” (Training Mode Map) as an available map for War Mode matches.

Bug Fixes

Fixed the issue where players could use weapons while swimming if they kept pushing the weapon equip button near rocks.
Fixed some exploitable spots which allowed players to enter inside cliff faces.
Fixed the issue where in FPP when character holding throwables or ready to throw throwables is moving facing the sky, his/her hand flickers and moves around.
Fixed an issue which caused the screen to shake excessively when spectating or viewing the death cam of an opponent who was firing a weapon.
Fixed the issue where when freefalling out of the plane and pressing particular movement keys, certain animations didn’t play correctly.
Fixed the issue where the footstep sounds of players moving at low speed (walking when crouching) was not played to other players.
Fixed the issue where when click the “Play” button, game was frozen in the lobby.
Fixed the issue where world map and wheel menu could be opened at the same time.
Fixed the issue where a spot at the back of the truck and buggy would block bullets.
Fixed the issue where when plane flew around you, the sound of plane was not played.
Fixed an issue which caused waves to not be heard momentarily after unmuting the game sounds.
* Fixed an issue where when shooting flare gun, the shooting sound was not played correctly.
* Fixed an issue where when after closing the inventory while holding ‘Alt’ then holding ‘Alt’ when re-opening the inventory, players were not able to drag items
* Fixed an issue which could cause an additional player to be shown on the vehicle UI when spectating as an observer.
* Fixed an issue which caused the capturing UI in War Mode: Conquest to not display properly on the minimap
* Fixed an issue where the player number displayed in solo mode was incorrect while observing
* Fixed an issue where player couldn’t get supply system XP after a match
* Fixed a rare bug where teammates would receive friendly-fire damage, even if you weren’t aiming at them while shooting
^ Fixed an issue which caused the quick marker to be displayed thinner than intended on the UI
^ Fixed an issue causing increased damage when driving a vehicle in specific situations
^ Fixed an issue where some new weapon skins had a glowing effect whilst equipped by a player

Test Server Update 10/31/2018

UI/UX

When you invite another player to a party, the invite button will be deactivated until the player accepts or declines to prevent message spam.

Skin & Items

Added a MAKE UP tab in the APPEARANCE category.
- The APPEARANCE category has been added to the store, where you can purchase additional Hair and Make-up options.
Gender change will cost 3,000BP. Changing other features such as face and hair will not cost BP (some paid items for face and make-up are excluded from this).
+ All items purchased after this update has been applied will be unmarketable for 7 days after purchase.
+ Added Harley Quinn, Joker items and a baseball bat weapon skin, in collaboration with DC.
+ 2018 FALL CRATE and items obtained from it are now marketable.

These patch notes have been updated:

Update 1 - 10/23/2018 - All changes are marked with *

Moved 2 descriptions from UI/UX to Gameplay (wheel menu improvement, reticle changing)
Added Store UI improvement to Skin & Crate category
Added hit animation effect description to Gameplay category
Added statistics unit change to UI/UX category
Added disabling the public chat description to UI/UX category
Added 7 bug fixes
Added 1 description to performance category
Replaced 2 screenshots of Store UI improvement

Update 2 - 10/31/2018 - All changes are marked with ^

Added 3 bug fixes
Added Test Server Update 10/31/2018 section

Update 3 - 11/06/2018 - All changes are marked with +

All items purchased after this update has been applied will be unmarketable for 7 days after purchase.
Added Harley Quinn, Joker items and a baseball bat weapon skin, in collaboration with DC.
2018 FALL CRATE and items obtained from it are now marketable.

Oct 17, 2018

Event Mode: Platoon (50 vs 50)

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Valor

Unfortunately, the Event Mode this week has been cancelled due to a critical error.

We apologize for any frustration or disappointment this has caused. Event Mode: Platoon will not be returning next week, but will return at a later date.
-

For this week's event mode, we're debuting something new to events. In Platoon Mode, you'll join one of 5 10-person squads that make up your Platoon. Normal game objectives still apply, except on a massive 50 vs. 50 scale. Loot up and coordinate to be the last Platoon standing!

EVENT SCHEDULE

STARTS: Oct 18, 7pm PDT / Oct 19, 4am CEST / Oct 19, 11am KST
ENDS: Oct 21, 7pm PDT / Oct 22, 4am CEST / Oct 22, 11am KST

AVAILABLE QUEUES

TPP/FPP

RULES

Two teams (Platoons) of 50 players will fight in Erangel.
Each Platoon is comprised of 5 squads, and each squad has 10 players.
Players in your Platoon, but not in your squad, will have a blue circle above their head.
Players in your Platoon, but not in your squad, are marked with a blue circle on the minimap.
Other rules are same as public match.

OTHER EVENT RULES

10-man squads only. Auto-matching is forced.
Weather is set to Sunny.
Red zones are enabled.
General care packages are enabled.
Killer Spectating is disabled.
Friendly fire is disabled (Including Platoon members).

Oct 17, 2018

PUBG teases Silent Hill-style nurses and Pennywise-like clowns for Halloween

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is gearing up for a Halloween-themed event, it seems.

Alongside the not-so-subtle line "Beware… Halloween approaches", the game's official Twitter feed teased the following nine-second clip.

Mysterious, darkened facility-like building? Check. Silent Hill-style nurse? Yes. Pennywise-esque clown figure camped in the rafters? Uh-huh. Big bastard machetes? Looks like it. Who knows exactly what's in store for PUBG come Hallows' Eve, but it doesn't seem pretty.

Judging from the backdrop in the footage above, it's still day time in whichever of the battle royale's maps this is set. I understand PUBG Mobile plans a one-off night mode for Erangel—which is something I'd love to see replicated in the main game.

But then again, perhaps daylight is preferred when we've got evil clowns and deranged nurses knocking around. I guess we'll learn more about PUBG's holiday-themed plans in the next couple of weeks.

Oct 15, 2018

Steam Charts: Congealed Edition

Grand Theft Auto V Legacy - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (John Walker)

Have you ever stopped to wonder what life is really all about? To get to the bottom of why we exist, what our purpose is, where this is all heading?

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Oct 13, 2018

PUBG dev apologises for broken automatic server allocation, releases initial fix

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

Last week I reported on the backlash to a recent update to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds that added automatic server selection to the game.

PC update 22, which came out earlier in October, made it so your server or region was decided automatically depending on the player's local region.

But it didn't work properly, with players reporting they'd been shunted into regions not their own - and suffered a poor online experience as a result.