Console players have a new reason to jump back into PlayerUnknown’s BATTLEGROUNDS, as the massively popular multiplayer shooter has recently announced cross party play will be coming in PUBG’s newest update. This new round of game tweaks, which also includes the much-anticipated 8v8 PUBG Team Deathmatch mode and an abundance of changes to how grenades work, is scheduled to arrive on the game’s Public Test Server later this month.
Although a number of other franchises have begun making a name for themselves as popular battle royale alternatives, many players still prefer the more realistic, harsh world of PUBG over the heavily-stylized look of games like Fortnite and The Darwin Project. The developers of PUBG have been consistently tinkering with the game’s mechanics, levels, and weapons since it was first released, and even recently added small lightweight planes in PUBG for a limited time, presumably just to see if players would like it. Now, one of the game’s most requested features from console players is about to become a reality.
According to PUBG’s official website, the upcoming 6.2 update for consoles will finally bring with it Cross Party Play, or the ability for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players to invite each other into a single party. PUBG’s entire Friends list has undergone changes as well, now displaying four different tabs which can help users differentiate between their friends, current teammates, and previously met players. In addition to the announced PUBG 8v8 Team Deathmatch mode, the development team has also implemented a number of new tweaks and changes to PUBG’s gameplay, with a specific focus on grenades.
Frag grenades are now fifty percent heavier than they used to be, taking up more inventory slots in a player’s backpack, and they will also now deal twenty percent less damage to players who are currently laying down prone. Pulling a grenade’s pin is now louder and easier for other players to hear, and the ringing sound from stun grenades can now affect players through walls. Additionally, molotov cocktails have been reworked so that their fire spreads faster and does more damage over time. Other changes and gameplay tweaks include the removal of the blue zone’s distortion effect and the introduction of an Apex Legends-style follow system for parachuting team members.
Players who are interested in the full breadth of gameplay changes to PUBG can check out the game’s website, which contains an additional breakdown on how each of these features will be implemented, as well as descriptions about the game’s Pubic Test Server maintenance hours and feedback surveys. While PlayerUnknown’s BATTLEGROUNDS isn’t quite as popular as it may have been two years ago, the constant changes and updates provided by the developers show their dedication to the title, and judging from the game’s standing in various eSports circuits, it isn’t going anywhere soon.
Source: PUBG
