The free-to-play, low-spec version of PUBG, PUBG Lite, will close down at the end of the month.
Originally known as PUBG Project Thai, PUBG Lite is a low-spec version of PUBG that allows players with basic PCs and laptops to access the game. It was first trialled in Thailand, before rolling out to other territories a couple of years back.
Now, however, the free-to-play game is being shut down on 29th April. No reason was given for the decision.
It's April Fools' Day, and aside from being a living nightmare for journalists around the world, it's also an opportunity for game developers to put out some very silly stuff. This year it seems PUBG Corp has taken up the gauntlet, releasing an arcade-style minigame for PUBG where you fight chickens. And it's called POBG (short for Playeromnomnom's Battlegrounds) - although that doesn't exactly solve the debate on how to pronounce the acronym. I'm going with pob-guh.
The minigame can be accessed through PUBG's main menu, where it appears as a little arcade cabinet. POBG is based on a pixel art version of PUBG maps (inspired by the work of artist Alexey "Gas13" Garkushin). Having played it for a couple of levels, I have to say, it's a surprisingly high-quality April fool. Players must shoot their way through "rooms" full of chickens, who parachute from the sky and immediately start firing semi-automatics in your general direction. (The choice of chickens is a reference to what happens when you win a regular PUBG game, which gives you the famous message "winner winner chicken dinner".) You can pick up ammo, health and different weapons along the way, and find cover behind various crates and pieces of debris. Once you've cleared a stage, you can also acquire various bonus abilities to help you collect some chicken dinners.
If you're wondering exactly what this looks like, you can find a quick demonstration of how POBG plays in the video above. Apparently this minigame is actually rather extended, with later stages taking place on other PUBG maps like Vikendi, and even some boss fights with overgrown chickens. I'll probably need a little more practice to earn my wings.
PUBG Season 11 is kicking off at the end of this month, and it seems like the season will update some features of South American map Paramo, along with a couple of tweaks to spawn rates and game mechanics.
Season 11 heads to PC on 31st March and consoles on 8th April, bringing with it some alterations to Paramo: players can expect to find terrain improvements and extra field cover, along with an "expanded dynamic world system" (a feature that switches up major landmarks between matches). The item spawn rates in the Secret Room and for the Care Package Helicopter are also being increased, while players will now have the ability to "create custom games with the map". With the new additions, perhaps they should rename the map to Paramore - I can't imagine that's taken.
Something that really does sound a little different is the new Emergency Pickup mechanic, providing players with a new way to travel across the map. Players can use the item to deploy a "high-altitude fulton balloon", which once fully inflated, will call in an airplane to pick up the players after a one-minute wait. The players then get hoisted into the air, and carried towards the centre of the white zone - unless they choose to jump out early, and parachute back to the ground. PUBG Corp describes it as a useful way to outrun the blue zone or find a remote area to loot, but explains it's also a heavy item and can draw the attention of nearby players. Use at your own risk.