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Bluehole has full PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds release in its sights

Bluehole has full PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds release in its sights

Developer Bluehole says it has a final server patch to roll out before it starts offering something resembling its launch build on the game’s test servers in the next couple of weeks.

A patch due out this week will increase the damage players receive in the blue zone. For the unfamiliar, a round of PUBG is governed by a succession of blue zones – circles that gradually enclose around a specific area of the map, funnelling players ever closer together.

Early circles are fairly gentle with the damage they inflict, meaning that some pro players would deliberately play within the zone, healing out the damage. Zoning until the late game became a viable strategy for those who found the necessary healing items, but the tactic frustrated much of the user base. These changes appear to address that concern, but will possibly have dire consequences for those who land on the map’s extremities and fail to find a vehicle.

The studio says that it will in early November offer players the first chance to try out its eagerly anticipated vaulting and climbing mechanics, which promise to significantly alter gamers’ relationship with the game world. It also promises that some much called for optimisation work will also be delivered at this time, offering hope for those whose machines still struggle to run the game smoothly.

“Please keep in mind that the live server build and the developing PC 1.0 build are not easy to integrate or merge together,” Bluehole warns. “Even if some of the issues are resolved during internal development, these changes cannot always be reflected upon the live servers immediately.

“If we had kept rolling out weekly patches, our official launch schedule would have been delayed. Therefore, we have decided to merge improvements, bug fixes, and other features, all at once to the test servers, which will then be implemented cumulatively for the 1.0 release.

“We are aware that we still have quite a bit to do before our official launch, and we genuinely appreciate all of the support our players have shown for our game. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to provide our players and community with a better game experience.”


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