PUBG Is Finally Fixing One Of Its Biggest New Player Hurdles

Like any live-service game that has been around for a while, PUBG: Battlegrounds has faced the challenge of attracting new players to a world that has grown and evolved over several years. To combat this, publisher Krafton Inc. has released a new update for the game that introduces a revamped onboarding experience, improved team communication, and new modes to the longrunning battle royale.

Krafton says that the new Basic Training mode is designed to get players up to speed quickly and is comprised of 17 chapters. These cover the basics from movement to looting, and include more advanced lessons focused on combat and Blue Zone survival. An NPC partner will accompany players at all times to offer them guidance as they hone their practical skills.

Update 42.2 also adds improved team communication with a redesigned Message Radial System, which is designed to make messages easier and more intuitive to use. Players can now also drop markers in the field, while new Map, Mission, and Match Log tabs should help make the processing of in-game information more seamless. Arcade mode has gotten several quality-of-life tweaks, and on console, players can choose new graphics modes to suit their visual preferences.

Resolution Priority sharpens the game, while Frame Rate Priority does what it says on the box by focusing on frame rates. Finally, Taego and Rondo have received map-specific optimizations, and other content drops include the new Contender Glasya, the Fashion Exhibit Lobby, a new Progressive Weapon Skin for the SLR, and the introduction of the new Survivor Pass, Just Married.

PUBG has gone through several changes over the years, and recently, it introduced a Payday mode in the game that brought developer Starbreeze’s popular heist-themed IP to its servers. Having been around for almost a decade, PUBG: Battlegrounds is one of the titans of the live-service genre and still attracts over 700,000 players a day on Steam alone. That success has proven elusive for several other games, as PUBG franchise director Taeseok Jang recently reflected on how games like Highguard and Concord had a run of mere weeks after launch.