KRAFTON, Inc. is on a mission to revitalize the classic battle royale community with PUBG's upcoming 12.2 update. When you think about a popular culture phenomenon that shaped an entire generation, PUBG fits right in with Friends, Halo, Avengers, Facebook, and every other generational influence, putting battle royale on the map and inspiring waves of imitators. PUBG remains one of the most important and influential games of all time.
With the recent 12.2 update, the developers have made it clear that their primary goal will be to give the game a fresh start - and the team is closing in on a chicken dinner of its own.
Don't Call It A Comeback
To any avid FPS gamer, PUBG was the beginning of something new. It was a sweaty palm inducing battle royale with tactical shooting challenging players to work their way through ninety-nine opponents to claim victory.
PUBG became special because the game had the perfect battle royale ingredients blended with impeccable gun mechanics. It opened the doors for a new breed of content that would establish itself in the upcoming years.
PUBG, from its earliest days in beta, has always been a competitive game. The fan base increased exponentially, and players started investing more hours in the game.
Popular streamers started broadcasting the game regularly, and the hype was at an all-time high.
As other rivals emerged, PUBG added new weapons, maps, and moved onto new platforms including mobile, but 12.2 marks the biggest change to the title since those halcyon days of squadding up on PC.
Why 12.2 Hits Different
The biggest changes to PUBG 12.2 include the introduction of a new map, Taego, which features a return to the beloved 8x8 map size. More importantly, a fresh mechanic for the map revolves around keeping players in the game.
Comeback BR will allow for players that die in the first Blue Zone phase to fight for a second chance in the Comeback Arena. It's only available in Squads, though, so those looking for a more tense, traditional battle royale can still enjoy that, but it could be just the push to bring more casual players into the fold.
A second mechanic, also exclusive to Taego, allows players to revive themselves when 'down but not out', and it works in solo play, too. That makes leaving an enemy bleeding out to save ammo becomes less of a consideration, and adds a whole new item to chase across the map.
Add in a pair of new assault rifles and a new vehicle, and the 12.2 update is shaping up to shake up PUBG's competitive scene.
Scope for Battle Royale
The scope for the BR genre is still at an all-time high. Even with competitive shooters like Valorant and CS:GO, battle royale presents a different experience for both audience and the player.
KRAFTON has already established its dominance over the mobile gaming sector with PUBG Mobile and other titles. Now, the team has shown it's not afraid to change things up in the ever-evolving space.
Will PUBG bring players in from its other Battle Royale rivals? Time will tell, but it's clear that Krafton is keen to make big changes to make the granddaddy of the genre better.
12.2 is now live, so drop in
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!