PUBG might be getting very weird

A number of updates and improvements will be coming to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in 2018, but one of the most interesting and potentially exciting pieces of news is the addition of a second test server coming to the PC version of the game.

“This year we want to involve our players in the ongoing development of PUBG even more than before, and to aid with this we plan to open an Experimental Test Server so we can get your valuable feedback on our feature/content development cycle sooner and for you to have a real impact on how our game changes and develops going forward,” the official blog post stated.

It sounds as if the standard server will be the place to go if you want the most stable version of the game possible, while the existing test server will be the best hangout for players who want to play with features that are still being perfected before they’re released into the main game. The experimental test server, on the other hand, will be where you can see features and updates that are very early in the development process.

The blog posts illustrates the differences between these two test servers when discussing how things will be rolled out. The new, smaller island map that is designed to increase the pace of the game? That’s coming to the experimental server first.

“[The map] will offer a higher player density and shorter matches and we want to get it into your hands early this time around so we can use your input to make it a great experience for everyone,” the post explains.

The new emote system that will allow players to react to each other non-verbally, on the other hand? That’s coming to the standard test server. There is also yet another new map coming to the game that sounds like it’s going to hit the experimental test server first.

“Another new map that we’re working on is planned to be 8x8km in size,” the post says. “As with the smaller map coming to the Experimental Test Servers, we want to get this into your hands early in its development, so you can help us make the gameplay great on this new map.”

Why this is great news

The addition of a second test server will give the development team more freedom to try strange or risky ideas without disrupting the experience for players who want to seriously test new features or just play the standard version of the game. It’s going to be a playground with even fewer rules, and that’s a great way for games of this nature to evolve.

There’s nothing that beats the act of letting players mess with new features to find the unexpected fun in changes to the game, and it’s very possible the experimental test server will lead to new ideas that neither the development team nor the community sees coming. Players are remarkably creative when it comes to finding the limits of every new idea that’s brought to a game this big, and the experimental test server seems like it will give those players new ideas to play with.

I can’t wait to see what comes of it ... from the safety of the standard server, of course.