Attendees of GDC got a sneak peek at the upcoming PUBG 4x4km Tropical map that will be hitting the Experimental Test Servers soon. We first heard of the new, smaller PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds map from the 2018 roadmap, but this is the first time we’re getting to lay our eyes on it.
The new (as yet unnamed) tropical map is one-quarter the size of Erangel and Miramar and should encourage a much faster-paced playstyle. One hundred players in a quarter of the space of the existing maps should make matches much more intense, especially given that Erangel and Miramar can sometimes feel a bit crowded.
PUBG was the surprise hit of 2017, but stiff competition for Fortnite: Battle Royale has stolen some of its thunder. Given that major studios are likely to start copying the battle royale formula for their games, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is going to have to keep bringing new and exciting things to the table if it wants to hold its place as king of the genre.
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
— PLAYER @ GDC (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) March 23, 2018
PUBG Corp can likely expect some criticism from this reveal though. The Xbox One version of PUBG is still very rough around the edges and hasn’t even received Miramar yet. With the PC version pulling ahead of the Xbox One so quickly, console players are sure to get saltier as time goes on.
There’s no word on when the new map will release to the PUBG Experimental Test Servers other than it’s “coming soon.” Another 8×8 km map has been in development for some time that’s supposed to be covered in dense forests and snowy mountains. However, we’ve heard nothing new about this map for some time, and it seems like it must have taken a backburner to the development of the 4x4km map.
A smaller map does seem like an excellent way to shake things up in PUBG. Some players are already predicting the game’s fall from grace, and with Fortnite’s massive success PUBG is going to need new content to keep players from jumping ship.
(Click on Image Below to See Full-Sized Version)
