PUBG’s 2018 plans include new test server, maps, emotes and more

Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene finally revealed a detailed roadmap for what’s coming to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds this year — a lengthy list that the company says doesn’t even cover the breadth of the updates it plans to introduce.

After apologizing for the delay in revealing and deploying promised content updates late last month, Greene’s blog post runs down the major inclusions in the works for the game in 2018. Notable updates are the new Experimental Test Server, which gives players a chance to offer pre-launch feedback on content changes “sooner”; complete animation overhauls; and talk of prepping the game for future esports participation.

“This year we’re committing to a major content delivery cycle every two months, the first of which is planned for this month,” the post says of the cadence of release for these updates. “Each of these major updates will bring changes to specific systems and/or introduce new content. Smaller updates between the major ones will also continue throughout the year.”

The first content drop will include a new 4-by-4-kilometer map. That’s much smaller than PUBG’s other maps; it’s intended to “offer higher player density and shorter matches,” reads the post. The map will come first to the Experimental Test Server. There is also a much larger 8-by-8-kilometer map in the works, which should enter beta testing later this year.

Also soon to come: emotes, a limited range of which will debut “very soon.” PUBG Corp. says it will add more as the year goes on. You can see an early one below.

PUBG Corp.

Let’s quickly run down the rest of the planned updates:

• New vehicles and weapons
• Further customization options, as well as parachute and weapon skins
• Achievements, friends list and squad voice chat availability in the main menu
• Realistic “limb and vehicle bullet penetration,” as well as animations for entering and moving around in vehicles
• More responsive parachuting and melee systems
• Added detail to sounds while in vehicles and moving while armed
• An expanded custom game system, including preset saving
• A spectator replay system for live matches, in the hopes of improving the game’s esports viability
• The PUBG Developer Portal, which will be composed of a technical blog, Developer API and detailed patch notes. It “will support developers in the community by providing player and match data around gameplay performance,” as well as “allow esports groups and other third parties to create custom games within PUBG.”

“Please keep in mind that this list of new features and systems is not exhaustive as far as 2018 is concerned,” Greene concludes. “There are other things we plan to introduce that we were not yet ready talk about, so stay tuned!”