Get ready to get up close and personal, because PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is getting a new map, and it’s a lot smaller those that have come before. The map, currently called Codename: Savage, is 4×4 km, a quarter the size of the 8×8 km Erangel and Miramar maps. PlayerUnknown himself Brendan Greene recently provided a peek at the map on Twitter:
ICYMI at my @Official_GDC talk, here’s an early WIP preview of our 4x4km map, coming soon to the new @PUBATTLEGROUNDS Experimental Test Servers!#ThisIsBattleRoyale pic.twitter.com/JGRv57A7ST
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— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) March 23, 2018
The first public testing phase for the Codename: Savage map kicks off on PC on Monday, April 2 at 7 PM PT and continues until Thursday, April 5 at 4 AM PT. This will be closed test, with PUBG Corp. encouraging fans to “keep an eye on [PUBG] social channels to maximize your chances of getting a key.”
PUBG introducing a smaller map is a fairly obvious attempt to combat Fortnite Battle Royale, which recently overtook PUBG in terms of monthly revenue. One of the criticisms Fortnite fans often level against PUBG is that games are too drawn-out due to its larger maps. Of course, PUBG partisans will tell you the sprawling maps are actually a good thing. We’ll see how PUBG harcores respond the new 4×4 battleground.
Can’t wait to try out the new map? Well, you can busy yourself this weekend with PUBG’s latest Event Mode, Flare Gun. Here’s how PUBG Corp. describes the limited-time match type:
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Flare Gun
Flare Gun is a special weapon that can be used to call in a care package to your location. Just aim it up, fire the flare and the airplane will drop a superior care package on that location. Only a limited number of Flare Guns will spawn in small single-story houses throughout the map (at this time only in Event Mode), but finding one is going to be worth your time!
Flare Gun mode is available right now, and will expire on April 1 (Sunday) at 7 PM PT.
What are your thoughts? Excited to try the new cozier PUBG map, or should the game stick to what it does best?
