For changes this update, we focused on some survivability improvements to vehicles, a new explosive tool on the Battlegrounds, some quality of life improvements when parachuting and more!
The full patch notes are below, so let’s get right into it.
Gameplay
Season 7 Vehicle Balance
Vehicles are crucial tools on the Battlegrounds, and for a while now there’s been some frustration around dying instantly when your vehicle explodes. This patch seeks to add some more realistic survivability to how vehicles take damage and gives players a small window to bail out before the final explosion takes place.
Explosion Mechanic Changes
Vehicles no longer explode instantly upon reaching 0 HP. Instead, engines are now disabled and set on fire, causing the vehicle to explode after 5 seconds
Vehicles can still explode instantly if taking large radial damage, like from Red Zones, C4 etc.
Exploding vehicles now receive both linear and angular velocity, instead of only linear (vehicle movement after exploding should look a bit less static now)
Additionally, vehicles will no longer receive increased collision damage when they’re rolled over
Vehicle Damage Changes
Most vehicles now have multiple damage zones which apply different damage multipliers
Applies to the following vehicles: Buggy, Dacia, UAZ, Mirado, Pickup, Rony and Zima
All other vehicles receive damage as before, equally regardless of area hit
Damage zones:
Engine – 100% Damage
Engine area, usually located at the front
Body – 75% Damage
Front and rear doors, rear and bottom sides of body
Roof – 50% Damage
Roof panel, roof pillars, seats, mirrors
Boat Armor Upgrade
Boats are now granted 5 static damage reduction
New Throwable: C4
C4 is an interesting and powerful new tool that gives players new ways to strategically flush out timid opponents. With a massive 25 meter effective radius and damage that can penetrate cover, you’ll be wanting to run away when you hear this beeping brick of boom. A quick note about C4, we don’t intend this to be just another throwable. It has a pretty short range, but can be used to cut off enemy entry into a building or new zone, or as mentioned above can force enemies out of their safe positions.
C4 will start beeping and automatically detonate 16 seconds after being thrown
Detonation cannot be stopped or activated early
There is a warning LED on the C4 and audible beeping with increasing intensity, clearly audible inside the damage radius which warns you of the upcoming explosion
C4 sticks to most surfaces, including vehicles
It doesn’t stick to players
Effective damage radius is 25 metres, with a lethal damage radius of 15 meters
Damage extends vertically, but with slightly less range (lethal radius of 12.5 meters vertically)
The shockwave emitted from the explosion is so powerful it damages all enemies within its radius, even if they’re behind cover
Due to the weight of the C4 you can’t throw it far and you can’t carry many
Found as world loot on Erangel, Miramar, Vikendi and Sanhok
Good luck and try not to blow yourself up!
Spike Trap
Spike traps aren’t quite as effective as we hoped, so we’re increasing their length by 50% to make those trapped choke points more difficult to get around.
Spike Trap length increased by 50%
Vikendi Loot Balance
Increased DMR spawns slightly
Parachute Follow Feature
Added parachute follow back to normal matches to help teammates land together. This feature was temporarily removed after its addition in Update 6.2 due to some technical issues which have now been resolved.
During the pre-match countdown, follow UI will be shown at the bottom left of the screen
Open the map to select a teammate to follow
You can still select a teammate to follow up until exiting the plane
After selecting a teammate to follow, you can cancel on the map screen, or also by holding F while in the plane, or while actively following a player in your parachute
If you’re obstructed by terrain or an object, your follow will be cancelled
A new icon has been added to better highlight the “Disable Follow” option
Esports Tab
The new menu will include an overview, standings, and the next Pick’Em Challenge. The menu will be available through July, so be sure to stop back often to check out what’s happening with PCS1 and PUBG Esports!
Menu Breakdown
Overview: An Introduction to PCS1 and the Pick’Em challenge, along with match schedule for the event
Teams: All participating teams and their players can be found here, including individual player stats updated daily. Click regions and teams for more info
Standings: Up to date standings with a per region breakdown (APAC, Asia, North America, and Europe)
Pick’Em Challenge: Event page for the PCS Pick’Em Challenge where you can vote on who you think will take home the event victory. All details can be found here on how to participate for a chance to unlock exclusive rewards. We’ll also be sharing a separate announcement with more details before this goes live
Want more info? Read the PCS event announcement here. Stay tuned for another announcement on everything you need to know about the Pick’Em Challenge.
For everything PUBG Esports, head over to pubgesports.com, or hit the PCS1 logo in the esports tab for an easy shortcut when you’re in-game.
Vikendi
Train System Improvement
We’re glad so many of you are enjoying the updated Vikendi!
To help put more focus on the train system, we’ve added another line, additional stops, and some visual and audio improvements to let you know when your trains arrive and depart. We’ve added some more DMRs and some scenery changes to end out the season as well.
Train Line Adjustments
Added new train line
Towards the center of the map, we’ve added another train line spanning vertically to help better connect the whole system and make it easier to move across the map
Improvements to existing lines
We’ve put a bigger focus on longer routes, lengthening existing train lines which should help players travel a substantial distance, without having to change trains multiple times
Stations and signals
Trains will now move through two stations before changing direction, to give you some more time to catch up and jump on
New flashing traffic lights and unique arrival and departure sounds will now alert you to arriving and departing trains
Additional Cover
Added more tree and rock cover in towns and regions where it was lacking
Dinoland
Artificial geysers have been added to Dinoland
Loot Balance
Increased DMR spawns slightly on Vikendi
UI/UX
Network debug stats have been moved slightly
System pop-up message has been improved to display much more smoothly
Tommy Gun icon has been updated to more accurately represent the weapon
Changed logos for the 6x Scope and Shotgun Chokes
Network Statistics Data
A new Network Statistics Data Collection option has been added to help troubleshoot certain network issues and send relevant data back to PUBG
This is DISABLED by default
Performance
Reduced instances of FPS hitching/stuttering which could occur when first opening your inventory in-game
Survivor Pass: Cold Front
We’re nearing the end of Survivor Pass: Cold Front, so complete those missions, unlock rewards and spend your remaining your coupons.
The third season mission track is now available
Survival Pass: Cold Front ends July 15th 0200 UTC
After this, Premium Pass purchases won’t be available and you won’t be able to activate level up coupons
Grace period
From July 15th 0200 ~ before the July 22nd maintenance, players will be able to claim unclaimed rewards in the results page
The Coupon Store is available until the grace period ends, with any remaining coupons
Coupon store
Coupons can be spend in the coupon shop until July 22nd maintenance
Unused coupons will NOT be available after July 22nd maintenance
Ranked Mode
There are lot of questions when the Ranked season end and what rewards are available. We’ll be sharing more details on rewards closer towards the end of the season.
The current Ranked season will end with maintenance on July 22nd, with a new season commencing immediately after completion of maintenance
A timer will appear on the Ranked lobby screen one week prior to season end, so you can quickly see how much time is left
Ranked Rewards
Ranked Season 7 rewards will be given out the first time a player logs in to the game after Season 8 is live
Ranked Season 7 rewards are determined by the highest Rank Tier a player is holding at the end of Season 7 in either queue
Players who are on the Top 500 Leaderboards at the end of the season will receive bonus rewards
To clarify some confusion due to some ruleset info not being included in Update 7.2 patch notes, we’d like to let you know that the M249, DBS and Spike Trap intentionally do not spawn in Ranked Mode.
Map selection ratio adjustment
Sanhok Ratio Decreased
Decreased frequency in which you'll get Sanhok in Ranked Mode
We have been having discussions internally and looking at player feedback in regards to the Ranked Mode experience of Sanhok. The experience it offers is generally quite different to the larger maps and we have even considered removing it from Ranked Mode entirely.
Although, there are of course many players who do enjoy Sanhok in Ranked, so for now we've decided to just slightly reduce the frequency in which you'll get Sanhok matches in ranked.
Please keep the feedback coming on this.
Custom Match
Observing UI improvement
Auto (combat) spectate system (Ctrl + Z)
Use the hotkey to spectate players combat scenes by priority. This cannot be used when in freecam or follow cam
Switch to attacker’s perspective (Ctrl + X)
Can be used while using the auto spectate system
Switches to the most recent attacker who has attacked the player being observed
Cannot be activated while using Freecam or Follow Cam
New item visual effects
Observing a player who uses a throwable or healing item now displays a new visual effect
Increased team color visibility
Team color UI visibility improved
Team colors may seem slightly darker than before, with the added shadow
Custom Match List Overhaul
The custom match list page now displays matches of all game modes on one page
Skins & Items
New items
Swimsuits #1
CHECKERED SUMMER SET (Including Victory dance 20 emote)
RETRO FERN SET
Summer Bikini (Black)
Swimsuits #2
POLKA DOT SUMMER SET
RETRO SUMMER SET
PCS1 2020
PCS1 COMBAT SET
PCS1 CLOTHING SET
Weapon Skin – 3 Items
Emote – 1 Item
Emotes
Use Your Brain
Rev It Up
Victory Dance 17
Victory Dance 18
Sales period
Swimsuits #1 : 7/1 – 8/26
Swimsuits #2 : 7/15 – 8/26
Esports PCS#1 : 6/17 – 7/2
Emotes – 4 items : 20/6/24
Bug Fixes
Gameplay
Fixing an issue where the mouse cursor would stay onscreen while playing War Mode
Fixed an issue where sometimes weapons would clip through a player’s back while they were a passenger in a vehicle
Fixed the issue with boat/aquarail heaving awkwardly when hit by a throwable.
Fixed an issue which prevented leaning/peeking from working while crouched and using consumables
Fixed an issue where the appearance of AR and DMR compensators were swapped when attached to the MK14/SKS
Fixed an issue where character models could appear outside the vehicle when entering BRDM with a throwable.
Fixed an issue where grenades would not deal damage to a vehicle if they exploded while cooked.
Fixed the abnormal collision of the Zima/Rony's vehicle windows
Improved the animation for underarm throwing while prone.
Fixed an issue where weapon aiming animation would play incorrectly while in the UAZ backseat.
Fixed an issue where characters sprinting downstairs could get launched forwards.
UI/UX
Fixed an issue which displayed the wrong system message when declining a party invite
Fixed an issue with the Parachute Follow feature and the interaction UI not displaying a player’s correct keybinds in certain situations
Fixed a localization issue with the Mirado in the Last Match tab
Fixed the abnormal system message in certain language option.
Fixed the issue with changes in ‘Prepare Throw’ key settings not being applied to the key guide
Fixed an issue where the throwable weapon indicator would not update correctly in all colorblind modes.
Fixed the UI update timing for S686 reloads.
Skins & Items
Fixed a visual issue with PGI Title Wraps
Fixed the issue with character’s finger displayed abnormally when equipping ‘The Chain’ skin in character customization screen.
Fixed an issue where the camera was not locked in place on the preview screen for weapon skins, or item crates
Fixed a visual issue with High Waisted Shorts
Replay System
Fixed an issue with incorrect team color/patterns displayed in replays
Fixed the issue where buildings destroyed by the Black Zone on Karakin weren’t marked as destroyed when moving through replay timelines
The replay system has been updated. Replay files from previous updates are now unavailable for use.
Last month, we released update 7.2, which brought the long-awaited Ranked Mode to the Battlegrounds.
While we were expecting some cheaters to emerge in this mode, we’d hoped our new safeguards such as SMS verification would help prevent it. Unfortunately, this did not have the effect we’d hoped for and additional countermeasures will now have to be added.
Ranked games depend heavily on the reliability of the service, so today we’d like to talk about what we’re doing to improve our anti-cheat safeguards and increase our ban intensity.
Preliminary Measures – When players use cheats in a match, we will utilize immediate countermeasures to minimize the impact on legitimate players.
Additionally, we will improve the system to immediately ban the kicked user.
If the cheat used is easy for game logic to recognize, we will kick the cheater in real time. (This has already been applied as of June 3rd, 2020.)
Post Measures – Cheaters use sophisticated methods to get around systems designed to stop them, so we’re also reinforcing additional measures to help our efforts.
We have analyzed the patterns of players who unfairly raise their rank and have added logic to quickly detect and automatically ban the perpetrators.
We are dedicating more people to Leaderboard monitoring to ban the players who climb the leaderboard through unfair methods.
We will monitor the top ranked players constantly and will not let cheaters stay on the leaderboard for long. We will even be monitoring players’ results, even previous results, if there is any doubt.
We are making sure that any players who receive bans cannot be listed on the Leaderboard. (This has already been applied as of June 3rd, 2020.)
We will expand the range of monitoring on any users in doubt.
We will also be banning cheaters by analyzing the cheats that falsify gun-based logs.
We’ve begun to implement a greater number of hardware bans by improving the hardware ban system. (This has already been applied as of June 3rd, 2020.)
A mobile authenticator later this year.
If these measures still do not have the impact we expect, we have other measures we are ready to introduce, including increased ban durations against repetitive wrongdoers and raising the entry bar for Ranked mode to make it more difficult for cheaters with new accounts to re-enter Ranked Mode.
We’re thrilled so many of you are loving Ranked Mode and we hate cheaters just as much as you do. As long as there is money to be made from these cheat programs, the problem will never stop, but we’re dedicated to fighting this issue as fiercely as we can. We want the same thing you do, a fair and fun environment where you can show off your skills and see where you stand in Battlegrounds history.
The PUBG Free Play Weekend kicks off today, giving everybody the chance to play PUBG for the next 4 days completely free! On top of the free time, players who choose to purchase the game this weekend can do so at a 50% discount. Here’s what you can expect from the event:
Free Play Weekend & 50% Off Event
Event Schedule: 06-04-2020 17:00 UTC ~ 06-08-2020 17:00 UTC
During the event, everyone will be able to play PUBG for free
During the event, PUBG will be on sale for 50% off
Players participating in the PUBG Free Play Weekend who have not purchased the game won't have access to the in-game store
With recent major updates to our maps and the all-new Ranked Mode, now’s the best time to drop in and try the game that defined the Battle Royale genre. Already own PUBG? Grab some friends who have yet to take the plunge and treat your new squad to a free chicken dinner.
Promotions like this usually come with some questions, so we’ve prepared a short FAQ to answer what we can so you can focus on getting into the game and having fun with your friends.
We’ll see you on the Battlegrounds!
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FAQ
How long does the event last?
The PUBG Free Play Weekend will be open from June 4th 17:00 UTC to June 8th 17:00 UTC. During this period everyone will be able to play PUBG for free and also receive a 50% discount when purchasing the game.
Is any of the content restricted or unavailable to free players?
No. With exception to the in-game shop, Free Play Weekend participants will have access to the whole game, whether they own PUBG or not.
The in-game store will become accessible after purchasing the game.
Will earned rewards be any different for free players?
Free weekend players will receive the same rewards as regular players do.
Can free weekend players redeem codes for in-game items?
Bonus/gift codes can be only redeemed through the in-game store, which free weekend players won't have access to.
Will my progress and rewards be saved if I choose to purchase the game later?
All in-game rewards and achievements such as Pass rewards, BP, XP, and RP obtained during the Free Play Weekend will be saved for whenever you do purchase the game.
As the PUBG Continental Series (PCS) Charity Showdown comes to a close across Asia, APAC, North America, and Europe, we wanted to take this moment and thank all of our fans, players, and teams for helping us create a strong start to the 2020 PUBG Esports’ competitive calendar.
Four teams reigned supreme, with DivisionX Gaming (APAC), Tianba Gaming(ASIA), Oath Gaming (North America), and Northern Lights (Europe) taking the crown in their respective territories. In addition to their own winnings, a promised donation of $400,000 USD will be split evenly and given to each winning teams' charity of choice to aid in COVID-19 relief.
Additional donations from our amazing PUBG Esports fans will also be donated along with this. We will provide the result of donations with the upcoming announcement.
As previously announced, fans can look forward to two additional PCS tournaments held across Asia, APAC, North American, and Europe. Today, we’re happy to reveal that the names for these upcoming events are PUBG Continental Series 1 (PCS 1) and PUBG Continental Series 2 (PCS 2). For more details around the both PCS events, please find more details below.
PCS 1 and PCS 2 Overview
PUBG Esports fans can set their dates and look forward to PCS 1 in June and PCS 2 in August. Just like the PCS Charity Showdown, PCS 1 and PCS 2 will be held across four different regions: APAC, Asia, North America, and Europe. Each of the tournaments will be conducted using with the same overall format and ruleset.
Participating Teams Each regional event will feature a total of 16 participating teams, all of which must secure seeds through their regional qualifiers. For more detailed information around the regional qualifiers, please refer to each region’s announcement.
Tournament Operation
Fans can look forward to four days of intense competition over the course of two weeks. Each day will feature five matches across Erangel and Miramar.
Prize Money
Players will be battling it out for their share of each regional event’s $200,000 USD prize pool. The stakes will grow even higher as the Pick’Em Challenge returns. Taking the framework of the Pick’Em Challenge from last year’s PUBG Global Championship 2019 (PGC 2019), we look to offer another way to provide more loot for our participating teams and fans.
PCS 1 will take place from June 25 to July 5.
The schedule for each of the regional events are as follows::
The full schedule for PCS 2 will be announced at a future date.
PCS 1 Pick’Em Challenge
Hot off last year’s success during PGC 2019, the Pick’Em Challenge returns as a revenue sharing method for our pro teams to take part in during each of the upcoming regional PCS events.
From June 17 to July 2 (KST), the PCS 1 Pick’Em Challenge will give PC fans a chance to guess which team will reign supreme at each of the regional events. We're also happy to announce that our console players will be able to participate in the Pick'Em Challenge this year from June 23 to July 2( KST).
If your pick wins, you’ll get the opportunity to take home some champion level loot. While we’ll announce specifics on how to participate at a later date, we’re excited to give you a high-level overview of the program and a sneak peek at some golden loot.
Similar to last year’s PGC 19 Pick’Em Challenge, PCS 1 will include exclusive items that will be sold in-game. The items will be revealed at a later date, but 25% of the profits will be distributed back to pro teams across the four regions. 12.5% of the profits will be added to each of the regional prize pools, while the remaining 12.5% will be distributed equally amongst the participating teams.
Finally, please see below for a concept image of the items you can obtain through the PCS 1 Pick’Em Challenge.
We’re looking forward to extending the momentum built from the success of the PCS Charity Showdown by creating unique and interesting viewing experiences for PCS 1 and PCS 2. Thanks again for making our inaugural events a success and we look forward to announcing more details around both PCS 1 and Pick’Em Challenge.
As safety measures surrounding COVID-19 continue to keep people in their homes, the #PlayApartTogether message remains just as important. To further support this industry wide initiative, we're running a PUBG Free Play Weekend on Steam!
From June 4th 17:00 UTC until June 8th 17:00 UTC, you and your friends can try out PUBG at no cost.
Even better, the game will be available for purchase at a discount of 50% off so you can continue your Battlegrounds journey and work towards the all-new ranked mode! We know these times are difficult, but keeping yourself and others safe during this pandemic is important.
We hope you enjoy your free time in PUBG and we'll see you on the Battlegrounds!
50% Discount will only be available during the Free Play Weekend event
In-game purchasing will not be available until after purchasing the full game
Back in February, we asked for your help in trying something new. At the time, Australia was just starting to recover from devastating brushfires across their country and in an effort to help them through that difficult time, we set up a fundraiser through the sale of the Australia Fire Relief - Pan skin on both PC and Console. While the world has changed a lot since then, we wanted to share the results of your generous efforts and give an update on where we’re sending that money.
First of all, we’re extremely humbled to announce that you as a community have raised a collective $588,115.52 by purchasing the pan skin. This number is after platform fees have been taken into account and the amount that was sent to the WIRES organization via Globalgiving on May 19th (PDT).
For those curious, WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service) is Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization and has been caring for the wildlife of Australia for over 30 years. With the worldwide impact of COVID-19, their essential work has become even more difficult, especially in the wake of both a massive countrywide drought and the fires that killed over 1 billion animals.
Now more than ever we feel this is a worthy cause for the money you’re donated and we hope you do as well. It is truly inspiring to see the good that we can do together and we’re honored to be in a position where the sale of a small digital item and the generosity of our community can have such a big impact on the world. We’ll be looking at additional causes we can support in the future, but for now you have our deepest and most humbled thanks for helping with this campaign.
For more information on WIRES, you can visit https://www.wires.org.au/. Be sure to also drop by and send a thank you note (or just a follow) to community artist @swatercolour for donating the art used on the pan skin.
As many of you know, we’ve been working to add a skill-based ranking system to PUBG for quite some time. Ranked Mode provides an additional challenge for experienced players, allowing them to climb the ranks and see where they stand among other players. Ranked will be an ever-evolving core feature of the game going forward and comes with many things to understand, so let's go over some of the design goals and launch features. We plan to dive deeper into specific pieces in the coming weeks and months.
Goals
Provide an official way to measure skill in PUBG that shares inspiration and direction with PUBG Esports
Provide new ways for players to show off their skill and status to each other
Provide an environment specially tuned for serious PVP only competition
Provide a new queue that divides ranked from normal play, allowing their rules and settings to evolve independently and
with separate purpose
Provide a different atmosphere for Ranked play by introducing a special Ranked lobby and additional post game details
Provide new unique seasonal rewards, reserved for Ranked players of a given season
Introduce new systems that aim to help protect the integrity of Ranked games and leaderboard
How does a Season work?
At the start of each new Ranked season, all player rankings will be set to an unranked state. Players will need to complete their placement matches for each mode (TPP/FPP) they wish to play in to determine their starting rank. Your previous ranks will have an impact on placement in future seasons, however Platinum V is the placement rank cap regardless of previous performance.
As the season plays out, your matches will earn you RP that raises and lowers your Rank Tier and Division. At the end of the season, rewards will be given out based on your highest placement in the season. We’ll talk more about what those rewards are a bit further down.
What rules will be used?
64 players, FPP / TPP Squad only
Random Map (Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok)
No Redzone, No Bots.
The timing and the speed of the Blue Zone has been adjusted for more intense gameplay
Ranked will use a variation of the SUPER settings/loot that PUBG Esports uses, which focus on 64 player squad oriented play. Ranked settings mean more loot in your hands faster, a more competition-focused bluezone, and by very popular demand, NO Redzone. Ranked Mode will use the same maps used in the pro circuit: Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok, which will be chosen randomly each match. Finally, there will be no bots in Ranked Mode.
We made the decision to support both FPP and TPP. Although FPP is the main mode for esports, TPP is the most popular mode with normal players. We're keeping the focus on squad play to start, but players can also choose 1, 2 or 3 person squads. FPP and TPP will be ranked separately, with the highest achieved rank in either mode determining the rewards you earn that season.
There are a few other differences between Normal and Ranked matches as well. For example, crossbows and Motorgliders do not currently spawn in Ranked mode. We expect that there will be a lot of discussions about the rules and balance settings used in Ranked Mode, and will be listening to your feedback as we plan and evolve each system.
What about cheaters and penalties?
As TS discussed in his Community Letter a couple weeks ago, new restrictions will be in place to help preserve the integrity of Ranked matches.
Players may be required to authenticate their account using a unique phone number and reach a minimum level in Survival Mastery to play Ranked matches. If an SMS verified account becomes permanently banned, the device used to link the account also becomes banned, preventing it from being used again for another account.
Note: SMS authentication is not required for players on Console.
Being a skilled player means being able to perform at a high level under many different conditions. To that end we are introducing penalties in ranked mode for players who try to get around the random map selection. Players who try to "dodge" a game while still in the lobby will find themselves needing to wait out a timer before queuing up again. In addition, if a player leaves a game early, it will be recorded as if they had died at the time of leaving. This includes any RP loss that would normally occur.
Players are free to form their own teams with their friends but will not be able to queue for a match unless all players are within two Ranked Tiers of each other. The queue will also be unable to start if any player on the team is currently facing a ranked matchmaking restriction.
Any players who become permanently banned will be removed from the Leaderboards.
What can I earn?
Rewards are a time honored tradition of Ranked play. Being able to show off your accomplishments season over season is important to you and we want to give you cool stuff to allow for that.
Let’s start off with the main event. A ranked skin set will be awarded to all players who achieve the rank of Gold V or higher in any queue. The exact skins in the set will change for each season, but the designs will share a distinct Ranked aesthetic. It should be easy for anyone to tell at a glance that you’re using a ranked reward skin even if they can’t remember exactly which season it’s from. This skin set will be unique for each ranked season and won’t be offered anywhere else, so you’ll need to work hard and participate if you don’t want to miss any of these cool rewards!
All players who at least finish their placement matches will also receive a unique nameplate and emblem for their PUBG ID at the end of the ranked season. These ranked rewards will allow players to show off what tier they were able to achieve on their PUBG ID. For the best of the best among you, the Top 500 players in each region will find that the ranked nameplate and emblem set they receive will have something extra in the design to recognize them as a step above the other Masters.
Players can also earn progress toward all Season Pass Missions while playing in Ranked Mode.
Closing thoughts
Ranked mode is an important feature, and there are a lot of different opinions globally. We appreciate all of the discussions, ideas, and feedback on the topic. Ranked rules, settings, maps and perspectives will continue to evolve and we look forward to continuing to expand the feature.
Update 7.2 has just hit live servers and brings with it PUBG's long-awaited Ranked Mode. In Ranked Mode, up to 64 seasoned opponents battle it out in squad based combat to try and increase their Rank using a new competitive ruleset that puts more focus on loot and pacing. As you complete ranked matches, your Rank Points will rise and fall depending on your performance, which will move your Rank and Tier in turn. Reach at least Gold V and you'll be rewarded with some exclusive skins at the end of the season!
Also in this update is this season's balance pass, which makes shotguns a little more reliable, lowers the power variance between some ARs, and brings some quality of life improvements to vests. Unfortunately, due to a usability issue, we've had to postpone the planned Gas Can improvements to a later date. We'll keep you updated once we have a better idea of when to expect it. Update 7.2 is live, so read on for all the changes!
Update 7.2 is now available and brings with it weapon balance changes and the long-awaited Ranked Mode. With Ranked Mode, PUBG players can finally test their skills against the best players in the world, rising (and falling) through the ranks for great rewards and of course bragging rights.
This update also brings Bots to PC servers, which we know has been a controversial topic among the Community the last few weeks. Rest assured, we plan on making improvements to how bots currently work and most importantly, bots will NOT be in Ranked Mode games. To learn more about our intentions with Bots, you can check out this link.
Take a look at all of Update 7.2’s changes below!
Ranked Mode
Transition from Survival Title to Ranked
Survival Title has been discontinued. The new Ranked system will now replace it.
Unlike with Survival Title, only matches played in the new and separate Ranked mode will count towards your rank.
A player’s Rank will increase or decrease after each match based on their performance.
Legacy Survival Title season data will still be available to view in the Season navigation tab.
Matchmaking
A new ‘Ranked’ sub navigation option has been added to the ‘Play’ section of the primary navigation menu.
Options for Ranked play include TPP or FPP Squad modes.
1/2/3 man squad options are also available.
Matches will feature a maximum of 64 players.
Ranked matches will not have Bots.
There are additional requirements for starting a match in the Ranked queue. All squad members must meet these requirements in order to begin matchmaking.
A squad cannot enter the queue if two players (who have completed placements) are too far apart in rank from each other (10 divisions maximum).
Players need to reach a minimal Survival Mastery level of 20 before they qualify for ranked.
Depending on their platform and region, players may need to verify their account using SMS before they qualify for Ranked mode.If an SMS verified account is banned, the device connected to it will also be permanently blocked.
Players who have received ranked matchmaking penalties for actions such as repeatedly ‘dodging’ games after loading onto the island will need to wait out a matchmaking penalty timer before they can play ranked again.
Players may cancel Ranked matchmaking at any time with no penalty
Players who find a match and load into the pregame lobby will face Ranked penalties if they then choose to abandon the match.
Ranked Mode Ruleset
Ranked mode games will be randomly played on Erangel, Miramar, or Sanhok.
Ranked mode will operate under its own game settings.
Unique Season 7 Ranked settings include:
Overall increase in item loot spawns
No M249, DBS and Crossbow spawns
No Spike trap spawns
Red zone has been removed
Motor glider has been removed
The timing and speed of the Blue Zone has been adjusted to increase the pace of play
Exact settings are subject to adjustment throughout the season and especially at the start of new seasons.
Changes in the ranked mode rule set will be posted via announcements
Tiers and Divisions
There are a total of 6 tiers in the Ranked system (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master) with 5 Divisions (V – I) within each tier.
A player’s current rank is determined by their Rank Points (RP) in a given queue.
At the start of a Ranked season, players will be considered ‘Unranked’ in all queues.
The first 5 games they play in each ranked queue will count as placement matches.
At the end of the fifth placement match, players will be given an initial rank for the season.
How Climbing Works
After a player dies, they will receive an adjustment to their RP based on their performance. The metrics that determine performance are:
Kills
Assists
Personal placement
When a player exits a Ranked match, they will be presented with a new pop-up modal celebration that shows the player their performance metrics as well as the change to their RP.
Players who are at Diamond rank or above will begin to face RP ‘decay’ if they do not play any Ranked games for a week or more in a row
Ranked Rewards
At the end of the season, players will receive Ranked rewards based on their Highest Ranked tier that season
Ranked rewards are unique and only obtainable by playing Ranked during the season they are awarded
All players will receive a nameplate and emblem recognizing their Tier
Players who ended the season at Gold or higher will receive a set of Ranked reward skins
[/list] Leaderboards
The Leaderboards have returned and have been updated to work with Ranked mode
Leaderboards now list the Top 500 players per server, sorted by RP
The Leaderboard you see is for the region you’ve played the most Ranked matches in.
Once a player enters the leaderboard, their region will be fixed for the rest of the season
Leaderboard positions update every 4 hours
Players who end the season on the Top 500 Leaderboards for any queue will receive a small additional reward to recognize the achievement
Bot Opponents
As happens with many games, we’ve seen the general skill level of our players grow significantly over the last 3 years. While PUBG veterans continue to hone their skills and improve, we’re seeing more often that many newer players are being eliminated early with no kills – and oftentimes with no damage dealt. You’ve been telling us for a while that the widening skill gap is creating a more and more challenging environment for some of our players and we’re now ready to talk about our plan to help this.
Bots will only appear in normal games and are designed to appear less as your skill increases, but we’re also aware of their current state and are looking at your feedback. We’ll be adjusting the balance, intelligence, and functionality of bots as time goes on.
The Ratio of bots in each match is dynamic.
The ratio of bots in each match will change according to player skill and the matchmaking pool in each server.
Bots can only join Normal matchmaking games
Players will not be placed on a team with bots and bots will not fill in the empty slots in your party.
Normal match with bots will start fresh with new MMR
Bots actions are limited
Bots can perform basic actions such as walk/run/crouch/prone/shoot and are also capable of doing basic low height parkour, swimming, parachuting and looting.
Leaning, jumping, ledge grab, and the use of throwables will be added at a later date.
Achievements, trophies, missions, and Mastery can still be earned and completed.
Actions against bots are counted towards missions, Survival & Weapon Mastery, as well as platform achievements and trophies.
Bot spectate and Death Cam
Death Cams from the perspective of bots will be available, but they may look a little odd until we make our planned improvements.
When a player is killed during a match, spectator is prioritized to remaining human players. However, if all players are eliminated, players can spectate bots.
For more information on bots, please read our Dev letter from Console here.
Gameplay
Weapon & Armor Balance Assault Rifle:
With the introduction of Ranked Mode, we wanted to get in some balance adjustments we’ve been planning. The goal of this balance adjustment is to strengthen the characteristics of each weapon type, so that tactics change depending on the firearms you choose and to help make sure one particular weapon isn’t seen as overpowered.
The M416 has long been the most powerful AR and one of the top guns in the game as a whole, so we’ve adjusted it and buffed some of the other ARs to give players alternative options.
We’ve also adjusted shotguns, which were seen as almost useless unless at extreme close range.
Increased reload times for M416, M16A4 and SCAR-L
We’ve adjusted the reload time of some of these mid-range weapons to make them less of a go-to for their effectiveness in all situations. This change should especially affect close quarters engagements, as you’ll have a longer window to rush opponents reloading an AR.
M416
While fully equipped, the M416 was lethal even in far distances with its superior stability
Kill distribution rate over Distance/Phase
The power of rapid and accurate sprays were even capable of replacing DMR positions in ranges over 30m. We don’t believe one gun should always be the optimal choice in all circumstances, but rather give players choices depending on their needs in the current situation. Of course, we will be watching the data constantly for future adjustments.
Decreased base damage by 1 (41 → 40)
Decreased muzzle velocity from 880 m/s to 780 m/s
Changed damage curve distances from 60m – 450m to 50m – 350m
Weapon damage per round per pick up
M16A4, MK47 Mutant
These two weapons do not support full-auto firing mode, which already led to them being picked up less. Add to that stability issues or lower firing rates and it’s easy to see why they weren’t being picked up as often. We’ve made some adjustments to give them more life on the Battlegrounds.
Decreased recoil when firing in quick succession in semi-auto and bursts mode.
Added tracers (shooter only).
Beryl M762
Based on the analysis result on the weapon damage per round per pick up, it seemed Beryl M762 had somewhat less performance than expected compared to other assult rifles.
Increased muzzle velocity from 680 m/s to 740 m/s.
Decreased recoil.
Shotguns:
As the gun metas in the game have stabilized, shotguns were quickly left in the dust as they had little use in most late game situations. With this update, we have adjusted the shotgun group so that they can be used more reliably throughout a match.
Body damage multiplier changes
Increased limb multiplier from 0.9 to 1.05.
Increased head multiplier from 1.25 to 1.5.
IIncreased hip-fire accuracy.
IDecreased accuracy penalty during movement.
IDecreased damage drop over distance for all shotguns.
ISaiga S12K
Extended and Ext. Quickdraw magazines now hold 10 rounds.
ISuppressor adds slight pellet spread reduction (2/3 of choke bonus).
S1897
Increased the pump-action speed
Sawed-off
Increased reload speed.
Armor:
Vests not only provided armor but also provided additional inventory space. However, it felt pretty bad to immediately lose that space when your vest was destroyed in combat. Your survivability also drastically decreased once your vest was destroyed. leaving you extremely vulnerable until you found a new one. With this change, ‘destroyed’ vests will no longer disappear, and neither will your inventory space.
In addition, vests will continue to provide 20% protection and slight aim punch reduction once destroyed. The base protection level of the destroyed vest is the same no matter the type of vest you’re wearing. This should mean more competitive engagements, even if the situation doesn’t allow for the looting of a new vest.
Gas Can Improvements
Due to an issue found with its new features, the planned Gas Can update has been postponed and is not included in Update 7.2. We will provide further details in the future. With the last Gas Can update, we made it so gas cans could explode when being shot. We’re adding more options with this update, which should give players some more innovative ways to set traps and take down opponents.
You can equip the Gas Can in a melee weapon slot.
Press “attack” to pour gas on the ground. It takes around 7 seconds to empty the can.
Spilled fuel can be set on fire with gun shots, molotovs, and grenade explosions. Fire deals the same damage as a molotov, but burns longer (~20 seconds).
Spilled fuel evaporates in about 3.5 minutes.
You can also throw the Gas Can the same way as melee weapons (aim, then press attack), which causes it to release some fuel upon landing, making it easier to ignite and explode.
Gas Cans cannot be picked up or reused after being thrown, but can still explode.
Changes to Gas Can explosions:
Deals less initial damage. Max 40 dmg, which scales down with distance from the explosion.
Now sets the nearby area on fire like a molotov, dealing damage over time.
UI/UX
Main menu navigation bar update With the addition of the new ranked mode, the main menu navigation bar has been updated.
New ‘Ranked’ option has been added under the ‘Play’ menu
‘Public Match’ has been renamed to ‘Normal’
‘Mastery’ and ‘Replay’ menus have been moved to the ‘Career’ tab
Tire UI Improvements
Improved the icon/ color of a vehicle’s tire UI to provide more intuitive information on tire status
100% – Grey
When tire is damaged – White
When tire has less than 50% durability – Blinking Orange
When tire reaches 0% durability (destroyed) – RED
Seat UI improvement
Improved the color of the vehicle’s seat UI to provide more intuitive information
General vehicle”s seat UI color changes
Players character: White → Yellow
Teammates: Green → White
Enemy players: Yellow → Red
Empty seats: Grey (Same as before)
Starting plane’s seat UI color changes
Onboard players: Yellow → White
Empty seats: Grey (Same as before)
Preview Scene Improvements
Character’s full body, instead of only torso, will be displayed when entering wardrobe, weapon, and equipment sections.
In item previews, items no longer return to their previous state when players click-off the mouse button
Game button UI improvement
The square and round buttons used in-game are now updated to have more consistency
The selectable area for ‘Game mode select button’ has been fully expanded
Kill feed icon and system message for train kills
New killfeed icon and system message for train kills has been added.
Item description improvement
Additional description has been added to item skins which had some unclear target item (Crowbar, Machette)
Sound
Tweak of Window Breaking Sound’s Spread Curve
Currently, stereo panning of window breaking sound is too sensitive. We’ve tweaked its sensitivity for more natural stereo panning
Bluezone Humming Sound
Bluezone humming sound will be played only when the wall is moving
Survivor Pass: Cold front[[/h2][/b] The 2nd track of Survivor Pass season missions has been unlocked, Please note that new missions will be unlocked after the Live server update!
World
Erangel: Hall of Fame Update
All-time winners team and players names are engraved in Hall of fame
New name plates have been added to the trophy and uniform cases
Vikendi: New small house sets added
In order to enhance loot in spots outside of major landmarks, some small house sets have been added with improved item spawns.
Supplemented item spawn spots in certain buildings in Dinoland that had below average loot.
The replay system has been updated. Replay files from previous updates are now unavailable for use.
Bug Fixes
Gameplay
Fixed the issue where character could slide abnormally when going through specific steps
Fixed the issue where character could occasionally prone and slide forward
Fixed the issue with Gas Cans sometimes not exploding even after reaching 0 HP
Fixed a binding issue with aim/ADS
Fixed an issue which caused teammates to be muted mute when changing the voice input mode to ‘disabled’
Fixed minor graphical issues with the appearance of sights when attached to the Tommy Gun
Fixed the issue with prone characters on trains moving slightly when the train curves
Fixed an issue where flares were not correctly displayed when viewed from underwater
Fixed an issue where equipping a full set of weapon attachments wasn't recorded for Survival Mastery in the Last Match Summary
Fixed an issue where character could reload S1897 / DBS / WIN94 without the reloading animation [(]When a male character is crouching, the model stretches abnormal between the hips
World
Fixed missing texture in Castle, Vikendi
Fixed some floating objects in Goroka, Vikendi
Fixed the issue with movement blocked at building entrance in Yasnaya Polyana, Erangel
Fixed the issue with being able to see through a specific aircraft object in Sosnovka Military Base, Erangel
Fixed the issue with multiple doors stacked on top of each other in certain buildings on Vikendi
Fixed the issue where players could enter an unintended building in Military Base on Erangel.
Fixed an issue where you could see through a building in Volnova on Vikendi
Fixed the issue with multiple doors stacked on top of each other in certain buildings on Vikendi
Fixed the issue where players could enter an unintended building in Military Base on Erangel
Fixed an issue where you could see through a building in Volnova on Vikendi
UI/UX
Fixed an incorrect kill message on Karakin ‘killed by BZ signal grenade’
Fixed an issuing causing the health bar to display incorrectly when using healing items
Fixed the Lean Forward Motorcycle Air control setting from displaying as unbound
Fixed the server region displaying as KOREA/JAPAN with German language setting
Fixed the issue with spectating players status UI in the minimap not instantly changing
Fixed a bug where the speed boost icon on the HUD could display greyed out before the boost has expired
Fixed an issue with PUBG ID's missing for certain squad members in the Last Match Summary
Sound
Fixed the volume adjustment of teammates not working correctly
Fixed an issue where footsteps of players out of line of sight couldn’t be heard properly
Fixed an issue where grenades bouncing multiple times in mud wouldn't make sound
Skin & Item
Fixed the clipping issue with Jockey Boots
Fixed the issue when wearing a coat and holding a Panzerfaust the character’s waist area shakes excessively
Fixed a clipping issue when equipping PGI title hand strap and Ogre’s jacket at the same time
Fixed the abnormal flashing effect of Level 1 helmets on the ground
Fixed the issue with a specific AKM skin not being exchangeable for BP
Fixed the texture on the 6x scope lens
Fixed an issue with AWM bullets not making sound when impacting ice
Fixed an issue where the PLAYERUNKNOWN’S Trenchcoat obscured player’s view in FPP
Replay
Fixed the player list error displaying wrong number of players during replay.
Fixed a misalignment issue of spectated players crosshair location in deathcam and replay.
Test Server Bug Fixes - May 14th
Fixed the issue allowing players to see through the ceiling by vaulting in Bootcamp, Sanhok.
Fixed the issue with being able to completely see through a certain building in Miramar.
Fixed the issue with prone players taking damage on trains when near the edge of the train
Fixed the issue with players getting damaged occasionally when moving between trains
Fixed the issue with abnormal appearance of characters with certain skins
Fixed the abnormal appearance of dropped Lv 1 helmet item
Fixed the issue with sounds effects for burning spilled fuel from a Jerry Can burning not playing correctly
Test Server Bug Fixes - May 18th
Fixed the issue with train carriages clipping with each other at certain locations
The sound of cinemat played when launching the client has been muted
Game trailer played when launching the client has been removed
Fixed the issue with player's character appearance not displayed as a zombie when equipping certain face skins in zombie mode
Fixed the issue with Gas Cans continuing to explode when destroyed by players in training mode
Fixed the missing stair texture at a certain location on Volnova, Vikendi
Fixed the issue with players being unable to use in-game voice chat on the match result screen
Fixed the issue with audible range of equipping and unequipping Panzerfaust being shorter than other
Test Server Bug Fixes - May 19th
Removed a truck located inside a certain building in Vikendi
Fixed an issue with the Dinoland alex skin which the skin to move awkwardly when the player was prone and equipped with a Win94
Fixed the issue where players could pour infinite amount of fuel with the updated Gas Cans by following certain steps
PUBG Continental Series (PCS) Charity Showdown is almost here and will kick-off its journey starting from APAC on May 14! We're providing English broadcasts as well as multiple other languages with the best PUBG Esports talent for all the matches around the world.