Fortnite is the big game right now, but the game that actually inspired the Battle Royale mode was PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. It remains one of the most popular games on the planet. In fact, PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds has a chance to tip the scales back in its favor over the next few weeks. How you ask? Well, they are about to roll out their third map. The new island map was announced during a panel at GDC 2018. The smaller size of the map will make for faster and more intense battles among players.
Both of the previous maps – Erangel and Miramar, measured 8 km by 8 km. The new map, codenamed Savage, will only be 4km by 4km. Which means you’re going to run into other players a lot more frequently on this new map. By the way, that is the code name of the map, not its official name. At this point, we don’t know what the official name actually is. This is really exciting though. I mean, on one hand, the fact that they’re releasing a new map is exciting in itself. But on the other hand, this is going to give you an alternative to playing Fortnite. Even though, it was around to start.
A lot of people are still playing PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds, but like with anything, you have to keep it fresh. Which is why it’s no surprise that when Fortnite came out, some people moved over there. The other great thing about this map is that it’s going to be available sooner than originally thought. At least in comparison to when the second map was available. The PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds team wants players to get their hands on the map as soon as possible so they can get feedback while the map is still in development. That means, they can tweak the final product to be more in line with what players actually want.
The beta is already live on the Player Unknown Battlegrounds website. If you have a copy of the game on your PC, you can click “authenticate with Steam” and you’ll get your chance at using the new map. I think this update is coming at a really great time, especially given the popularity around Fortnite. Fortnite, though is becoming more and more popular because it’s expanding in terms of what OS it’s available on. This not only gives Fortnite a wider audience, but it also allows users to choose when and how they want to play the game. Maybe you don’t always have access to your PC, but you still want to get a game in on your morning commute. I think this is key when it comes to attracting new players.
The final test of the beta will wrap up on Thursday, April 5. Which isn’t that long, considering it was just released on Monday night. Which game do you prefer? Fortnite or Player Unknown Battlegrounds? Or do you play both games? I would imagine that if you play one game, there’s a good chance that you’ve at least played the other. Maybe you have a favorite or you pledge an allegiance to one over the other. Either way, we want to know.