A new update has hit the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds test servers, bringing with it some new content for the recently released Vikendi map as well as a new weapon, a new vehicle, a new attachment, and a slew of changes to loot balance. Since it’s only been about a month since Vikendi went live, most of the changes in this update are geared toward responding to player feedback that the devs have gathered since the map’s release.
Chiefly, the balance of item distribution on Vikendi is being reworked so that SMGs won’t be quite so prevalent. Although the map was designed with SMGs in mind, the devs realize that many players thought that assault rifles were just too hard to find, so the AR spawn rate has been boosted by 20%, while the spawn rates for Tommy Guns and DMRs have been brought down by 52% and 16%, respectively.
The update also introduces a new gun, the Bizon SMG, which is exclusive to Vikendi and Erangel. This 9mm firearm holds 53 rounds and can be outfitted with muzzle and sight attachments, but its grip and magazine can’t be upgraded. Players will also now be able to find the new canted sight secondary scope, allowing players to equip a high-magnification scope for long-range engagements while being able to switch to the less powerful canted sight for close-range affairs. And last, but not least, the update also introduces a new Vikendi-exclusive vehicle, the snowbike. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and it will now be spawning in place of the motorcycle on Vikendi.
And in other PUBG news, the game’s esports website has recently been updated with all the details for its 2019 events, including the various participating leagues and the rulesets that will be used in official matches. And in Thailand, a new version of PUBG has just been rolled out. Known as PUBG Lite, the game is a modified (and free-to-play) version of classic PUBG tuned for lower-end PCs. It’s unclear what the long-term plans are for PUBG Lite, and there’s no telling if it’s going to expand beyond Thailand anytime soon, but it’s interesting to see the game trying to extend its hold by targeting players whose computers might not be able to run the fully-fledged (and notoriously poorly optimized) version of the game.
