3 unique ways PUBG can reinvigorate itself in 2020

Despite being around for nearly three years now, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds remains one of the most popular battle royale games today. However, that popularity is inevitably fading. Here’s three ways PUBG can reinvigorate itself and remain one of the best BR games available.

Competition from Apex Legends, Call of Duty’s Blackout and, of course, Fortnite has understandably diminished PUBG’s player base. That could wain further with the all but confirmed introduction of Modern Warfare: Warzone, too.

That’s some serious competition right there, with all of them catering to a specific battle royale niche.

That could be the younger generation with Fortnite, the fast paced play of Apex Legends and those who enjoy the super smooth gameplay of CoD: Blackout. PUBG provides a more realistic experience though, with its slower and more methodical action.

The addition of Karakin

All of the above have done a great job of adding updates to their respective games to keep it fresh. PUBG is no exception, with the developers changing pace (quite literally) with the addition of Karakin.

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Their newest map measures just 2x2km, a fraction of the size of the original Erangel map which is 8x8km. While the player count has been reduced from 100 to 64, the pace of the game has dramatically increased.

Now players have a choice between the tactical experience of maps like Erangel and Miramar, as well as the hotdropping paradise of Karakin. It has proven a popular addition to the game and is evidence that the developers are actively trying different ways to keep the game exciting.

With new games always on the horizon and a new generation of consoles scheduled for late 2020, they will need to find new ways of keeping PUBG relevant in the battle royale space. Here’s three ways they can keep PUBG exciting and maybe even get players from the past to return.

The Ultimate Chicken Dinner

100 players drop but only one can get the coveted Chicken Dinner. What about if 1,000 players (or more) could drop and get an ultimate Chicken Dinner?

We know a 1,000 player battle royale wouldn’t work, at least on current systems. Besides, brand new maps would need to be created to accommodate so many players.

What about if there’s a way to do this without breaking the game and having to develop a 20x20km world? Well, fortunately there is.

Winners from a varying number of matches could be placed in the same lobby together. This would massively add to the intensity of battle royale as getting that ultimate Chicken Dinner would be a huge challenge in itself.

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After playing so many rounds, a lot of players have deviated from the survival mission, going just for kill totals. It will be a refreshing change of pace to have that one round where everyone wants to win – a throwback to the early days of PUBG.

Given the number of lobbies available at any one time, this idea would probably work better with quads as you’d only need 25 winners, as opposed to the 100 solos would. An alternative method for solos, and perhaps duos as well, could to be to take the top 10 of a match.

Either way, the ultimate Chicken Dinner sounds like something worth having. After all, not many players would be able to accomplish such a feat.

Karakin within Erangel and Miramar

Karakin, the fifth map to be introduced to PUBG, has been received positively by players. You might think a map that small with 64 players might be a recipe for disaster, but it really isn’t.

In fact, it arguably performs better than any other map (that applies to both PC and console). On paper you’d think it would be a random free-for-all, but thanks to the excellent design, namely the natural verticility of the map, there is a good balance of all types of gunfights.

The success of this could be transferred over to one of the existing maps. Think Sosnovka Island in Erangel or the Prison/Minas del Sur/Los Higgos island from Miramar.

Everyone loves the Military Base and it would be a welcome addition if that could be a map in of itself. It would also encourage players to explore the island in its entirety – something that doesn’t happen often due to the center being the key.

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The loot in such a scenario could remain the same, making it rare and adding a new tactical dynamic to the game. Alternatively, the new cutoff map could learn from Karakin whereby loot is increased dramatically.

The island doesn’t need to cutoff from the mainland either. Instead, a small portion of the southern part of the main island could be included so the bridges a brought into play. After all, who doesn’t love a bridge camp?

200 player battle royale

If you can have a 100 player battle royale, why not 200? Well, the reason is performance issues but that was more applicable a few years ago.

With Modern Warfare: Warzone seemingly ready to claim the accolade of the first 200 person battle royale game, it shows the capability is there. This could be something PUBG could implement, too.

If Sanhok works with 100 players, then we can be sure Erangel and Miramar can work with 200. It would also fix the pacing issues some players feel those maps are victim to.

Again, whether loot is increased or left the same is another topic, but doubling the player count would certainly be a fascinating addition to the game.

A lot of people thought was slowly winding down but there’s no doubt there’s a dedicated player base that continue to play the game, and more importantly want it to succeed. The developers are also keen to keep it fresh, as evidenced by the introduction of new maps and various other features.

These are just three ideas PUBG could use going forward. Maybe the developers have a few ideas of their own up their sleeve, too. Let us know if you have any ideas on our PUBG Facebook page.