Dec 5, 2019

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

Land, loot, and camp in the circle for the rest of the match no more. Circle squatters that felt safe not to engage the enemy will now be forced to keep it moving as a second Blue Zone is being added to the existing circle. The new "Inner Blue Zone" will be both a camping deterrent and an indicator of where the next circle will be. You can find complete details on the rules of the new Blue Zone dynamics below. The Bluehole mode will be available from December 5th 11pm - December 8th 11pm in PUBG Labs. PUBG Labs is a space where we introduce to you experimental in-game features and collect your feedback to perfect them as permanent game additions. The most important for PUBG Labs is your valuable opinions! Please feel free to let our Community Managers know about what you think from your experience. Now, head for that Inner Blue Zone and show us "what you goin', what you goin' do" - when they come for you.

Why was it made?

Players didn't know where the next circle would be, so whoever was lucky enough to be in the next circle had a higher chance of winning
As the next circle location was unknown, players could often find themselves fighting with the Blue Zone more than their foes and have to hoof it the entire match.

Mechanics

An inner Blue Zone will now appear from the start of the match until the penultimate phase
The inner Blue Zone will be the same size/location as the next circle
It will be difficult for players to camp in the inner Blue Zone as they will take damage (same damage as the next phase Blue Zone)

Rules

Another Blue Zone the "Inner Blue Zone" appears inside the safe zone. (Except the final phase)
The Inner Blue Zone is the same size/position as the safe zone that will proceed it.
The damage of the Inner Blue Zone is the same as that of the next Blue Zone phase.
Item spawn rate is 0.5x higher than public matches.
Faster revives, with a 4 second DBNO revive timer.

Period: Dec 5 11pm PST - Dec 8 11pm PST
Perspective: TPP/FPP
Mode: 4-man Squad
Map: Erangel
Maximum Player: 64
How to join: Click the banner on the left bottom above the 'START' button

Dec 3, 2019

Holiday Skins available now!

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

On the roof, some campers heard clop clop clop.
Oh my gosh, is it Santa getting off those shots, shots, shots?
The noise you hear on the roof isn’t reindeer,
it’s a North Pole sniper - sporting sunglasses and a beard.

Hit the Battlegrounds with a “Ho, Ho, Ho!” by throwing on a festive sweater or gingerbread onesie. Want a more traditional look? Try the Peppermint Presents set - the coat and hat combo is only $9.99.

Tis the season for Kris Kringle to deliver special holiday skins to the PUBG store. Grab these items before January 1st, because you can only get “Peace on Earth” during this special time of year.

Holiday Skins available for a limited time are:

Festive Wish Sweater

$2.99

Ginger Bread Onesie

$7.99

Peace on Earth - Kar98k

$9.99

Ginger Bread Mask

10,000BP

Yule Scarf

$0.99

North Pole Operator Pants

$2.99

Peppermint Presents Set

$9.99

Nov 24, 2019

PGC 2019 - Winner Winner Gen.G Eats PGC 2019 for Dinner

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

The world watched as the final day of the PUBG Global Championship gave rise to a new battle royale esports champion, PKL’s Gen.G!

Champion’s Journey

Gen.G’s path to PGC victory was by no means a straight line as we watched them evolve into a champion team before our eyes. The Gen.G we saw in Manhattan Beach for the Group Stage and Semifinals is a far cry from the team that showed up to Oakland. They were able to work their way through those early rounds well enough, but they were not where fans expected them to be. Gen.G came to Oakland far more decisive and aggressive. Once they found their feet, their star player and slaying juggernaut Pio was able to come alive with big kill sprees and a strong flank game to give his team that extra edge.

Gen.G never secured a Chicken Dinner on Day 2 of the Grand Finals, but they effectively nursed the lead they established on Day 1 to get the job done. That and a ferocious 10 kills on the last map of the day to overcome a two point deficit was all Gen.G would need to overpower 4AM.

Match Winners
Match 1 (Miramar) – FaZe Clan
Match 2 (Miramar) – Na’Vi
Match 3 (Miramar) – 4AM
Match 4 (Sanhok) – VC Gaming
Match 5 (Erangel) – 4AM
Match 6 (Erangel) – Na’Vi

Miramar Madness

When it comes to the Grand Finals, no ordinary format would do. The final day of PGC 2019 had players starting out with three matches on Miramar, finishing with two on Erangel, with a Sanhok game in between. Typically Miramar is a strong NPL map, however today it was PEL’s Na’Vi and Faze Clan who took the first two wins. Genesis made a valiant effort to take Match 3, but 4AM’s Forever managed to take it in a 2-v-1 prone showdown.

In It For The Long Haul

A big pattern for the final day of PGC was teams not going down until late in the match. Much like being the first to fall asleep at a sleepover, if you go down too soon, you miss all the good stuff. Getting knocked out early was not an option if teams wanted those points. That meant teeny tiny circles with LOTS of bodies and lots of action.

This pushed teams in terms of multitasking skills as more often than not, there were three if not more parties involved in firefights. Casters were working overtime keeping up with all the high stakes battles.

When it was all said and done and sorted, however, Gen.G went wire-to-wire in the Grand Finals, save a brief scare from PCL’s Four Angry Men, and left no doubt about their championship pedigree. They’re the winners of $2M USD in prize money, thanks to the PGC crowdfunding programs, and Gen.G stand undisputed as the last survivors of PUBG Esports in 2019.

Nov 23, 2019

PGC 2019 - Grand Finals Day One: Gen.G Leads the Charge

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

The PGC Grand Finals have arrived! Oakland Arena was filled with PUBG fans ready to cheer on their favorite top teams. There was no shortage of chaos and show stopping moments and the audience was LOVING it!

Top Guns

Gen.G set the bar high by taking the first two wins on Ergangel with a hefty amount of kills in their pocket. From here on out, if anyone wanted to take that top spot from Gen.G they would have needed to deliver some efficient killing runs. If ever there was a team that was capable of doing so, it was Four Angry Men. These PCL favorites were nothing short of vicious with aggressive tactics and tight, methodical rotations. Watch as xxxLu is able to clean house thanks to his team getting him access to this angle.

Two teams that turned in consistent performances were OGN Entus Force and OGN Entus Ace. At one point, these two PKL teams had an epic showdown with OGN Entus Ace coming out victorious and taking the win on Sanhok.

Potential Landmines
The teams on the bottom may not be where they want to be on the leaderboard, but there are some that could easily disrupt the ranks on Day 2. Getting the kills, but never the Dinner we have The Rumblers. If they could turn their solid edge game into some wins they could be a much bigger threat. Waldoe in particular made a big show of himself, managing to move into the top five for kills. PML’s Global Esports Xsset (GEX) is another team with lots of potential to cause problems for the front runners. They found themselves staring down Gen.G’s barrels often and managed to take them out with common sense instincts.

This is not the first time GEX has showed this level of composure when they’re in a bind as they made similar moves in both the Group Stage and the Semifinals. There’s a reason they’re here for the final show. Meanwhile, Faze once again pulled out a last minute surprise on Miramar by taking the last Chicken Dinner of the day after playing quietly for most of the evening. They are a prime candidate to pull off an upset come Day 2.

New Day, Same Teams
The beauty of the Grand Finals is that while teams may get knocked down or disillusioned on Day 1, everyone will punch in again tomorrow. By now everyone on the battlegrounds has had a chance to get acquainted with one another. Day 2 will be the occasion when teams will try to throw one another off by changing their playbooks. Some adjustments may be minor, other teams may come in looking to completely reinvent themselves. The best mindset going into the final day of PGC is to assume NOTHING.

Match Winners
Match 1 (Erangel) – Gen.G
Match 2 (Erangel) – Gen.G
Match 3 (Erangel) – TSM
Match 4 (Sanhok) – OGN Entus Ace
Match 5 (Miramar) – Tempo Storm
Match 6 (Miramar) – Faze Clan

You’ll want to be tuned in to http://watch.pubgesports.com on Sunday, November 24 at 5:00 p.m. PT to watch the incredible conclusion of PGC 2019!

Nov 20, 2019

PUBG adds spike traps and helps out Vikendi's snipers

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

Starting now, you can ruin your fellow players' leisurely car trips across the map in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds with a handy new spike trap. I dread to think how much more messy bridge crossings are going to become.

Update 5.2's spike traps, not surprisingly, puncture tires, and you'll be able to find them scattered over the maps, waiting to be added to your arsenal. Once you plonk them down, however, you won't be able to pick them up again, and they only affect a single vehicle each.

This means you won't be able to just grab a spike trap and become a bridge troll for the rest of the match. You'll need to find multiple spike traps if you want to ambush more than just one car.

5.2 also introduces a map waypoint system that lets you place up to four waypoints on the map for your team to follow. It's not nearly as flashy as spike traps, but it's probably going to get a lot more use. PUBG is all about cautious, methodical trips through places where any number of threats could be hiding, so getting everyone on the same page and being able to more clearly direct your pals sounds like a massive boon.

Vikendi's been tweaked, too, with PUBG Corp making a bunch of changes that should make snipers happy. The windows on some buildings have been reduced to provide snipers with more cover, and there will be better sight lines in cities and popular areas thanks to the removal of some buildings, trees, rocks and debris.

Players will also be able to start delving into PUBG Labs. It's a new way for the developers to test content on willing guinea pigs, dropping experimental features and settings into the Labs menu where players can access them and play around with them in the live client. You can find out more about how PUBG Labs works in the introduction post.

Update 5.2 is out now.

Nov 20, 2019

Playerunknown's Battlegrounds deploys spike traps and starts loot box changes

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

Update 5.2 hit Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds today, adding spike traps we can throw down to puncture tyres and overhauling a fair bit of the snowy map Vikendi. I can’t imagine I’ll often intelligently use a spike trap in an ambush, but you can be sure I’ll throw down every last one I see, just in the hope of ruining someone’s day. Probably my own when I immediately forgot about the trap and try to pull a three-point turn. And god help me if the laaads come across a cache of them. Long-overdue loot box changes start today too.

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Nov 19, 2019

Update 5.2 - Now Live

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

Update 5.2 is now on live servers.

The latest patch of Season 5 gives players a new defensive item for taking the air out of the competition, literally. The Spike Trap is available now and bridge camping will never be the same. There have also been some changes to Vikendi’s buildings and terrain for a better gameplay experience, a new way to point your squad towards victory, and even a new way to experiment with us as we look toward 2020 and beyond.

First up, players can now bring their ambush arsenal up a notch and cover their 6 on a dark desert highway with the all-new Spike Trap. Deploy these spiked surprises in the path of an oncoming vehicle to quickly and effectively burst their tires. Spike Traps spawn across all Battlegrounds, are single use - only affecting a single vehicle each, and cannot be picked up again once placed.

There have been balance changes made to Vikendi to further solidify the snowbound sniperland. First off, a number of buildings have had their windows reduced to provide better cover while inside. Several of Vikendi’s key locations have had minor updates to improve map navigation and match flow.

Players who like to take charge of their squad’s destiny can now utilize the Map Waypoint system. While your map is open, you can select specific areas to place up to four waypoints for your team to follow.

This update also introduces players to PUBG Labs, a place for our developers and fans to collaborate on updates and experiments within the PUBG ecosystem. You can get all the details in our dev letter: Introducing: PUBG Labs. In addition to all of this there have also been a number of bug fixes and several QOL improvements that you can read about more in our patch notes.

Update 5.2 is now live on PC servers and is coming to consoles next week. Plot your course, explore new terrain and cover your tracks with Update 5.2! Your Fight. Your Story. Your Battlegrounds.

To view the full patch details, check out the latest patch notes.

Nov 19, 2019

Limited Time Broadcaster Royale Twitch Streamer Skins Group 11

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

Want the freshest looks while you dodge Mirados in the Badlands? New skins are available in the store from your favorite Twitch Broadcaster. This round features 9, yes NINE, of your favorite streamers that drop the pain on the battlegrounds.

Skins are available for between $2.99-$9.99 each and can be purchased through the in game store until December 10, 2019 PST before the server maintenance starts. Show your support for your favorite personality as each sale directly benefits them, so pick up your favorite skins, drop in and frag out in style.

This group features items from:
BanKai – GrandPOObear – MoMaN – vsnz – BreaK – Danucd – hambinooo – Halifax – DrasseL

Nov 19, 2019

Play like the pros with PGC 2019 mode!

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Hawkinz

Hello Survivors! The PUBG Global Championship is happening right now, with the Grand Finals taking place on November 23 & 24. To celebrate, we've prepared a special mode for you to be a part of the action and play like a PUBG Esports pro!

PUBG Esports matches are played using different rules than normal public matches in PUBG. From Nov 20 - 25, you can play the game using the SUPER (Standard and Universal PUBG Esports Ruleset) (Yeah, we know we NAILED the acronym) presets.

The PGC 2019 game mode will differ from normal games in the following respects:

This mode uses the official SUPER settings that our official matches use. (Learn more about S.U.P.E.R here).
Weapon spawns also follow this ruleset (Increased ARs, DMRs, SRs, and Throwables)
Red zones are disabled
20 cars with exclusive decals and 23 boats are spawned in fixed locations
Flare guns do not spawn

PGC 2019 mode schedule and available queues

After PGC mode concludes, the 'Skill Based Ratings' experiment will be begin using the new PUBG Labs section of the live client, so be sure to check it out and give your feedback! For more information on PUBG Labs and 'Skill Based Ratings', check out our DEV letter "Introducing - PUBG Labs"

Get a piece of the action with PGC 2019 Mode and tune into the Grand Finals on Nov 23-24 to see who takes home the ultimate chicken dinner!

Nov 18, 2019

PUBG is ditching crates you need to pay to unlock

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

PUBG's loot box system is getting an overhaul, with locked crates set to be removed altogether. Not unlike CS:GO's system, these locked crates have always required a key to purchase, and keys can only be obtained with real world money: they cost $2.50 in-game, and at variable rates on the Steam Marketplace. But come December 18 they'll be obsolete.

This means all crate contents can now be unlocked using PUBG's BP currency, which is rewarded by the playing the game, unless you choose to purchase crates via the Steam Marketplace.

In a dev letter on the PUBG website, the changes are explained in detail. Random crate purchases with BP will no longer have the chance to contain locked crates starting from December 18. Locked crates already owned will still operate in the same way into the future. The dev letter confirms that the probability of receiving locked crates has been "continuously" lowered for a while now, but since this hasn't solved the problem, they're nixing them altogether.

"The value of marketable loot box in PUBG is solely determined by the users and getting items through the marketplace or selling them back is also part of the PUBG experience," the update reads. "However, the value of the locked crates are very low among other PUBG items. This means that paid crates are not an appealing reward to players, making the experience of acquiring a locked crate less enjoyable."

The statement continues: "We have been thinking about this carefully and we want to ensure that we steer clear of revenue models that fail to satisfy fans, especially if they include a low success rate. We will continue to tweak our business model where possible to offer more compelling value for the money you choose to spend with us."

As for changes to BP crates, "more preferred skins" will appear in lower tiers, and AR category skins will be "evenly distributed" between all tiers of crate. Meanwhile, the "overall graphic quality" of crate skins has been improved, and the likelihood of obtaining middle tier crates has been increased by 20 percent. The top-tier crates are still hard to get (the statement doesn't specify the odds) but "they will still remain difficult to obtain".

Locked crates will no longer be available in PUBG beginning December 18, but they'll still be purchasable on the Steam Marketplace if they already exist, and keys will only be purchasable if a locked crate is in your inventory. On November 20 a new Venetian Crate will be released and will be available for a week. Details on that crate are on the website.