PUBG's Maps Will Be Remastered, Starting With Erangel

PUBG Corp. is updating the maps in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The first map in the game, Erangel, will also be the first to be remastered.

"As some of you inferred from some recent leaks of a map image, we are working on new ways to balance loot and otherwise improve our maps, Erangel being the first," PUBG Corp. wrote in a blog post. "The addition of compounds is just one way we're testing internally, but is certainly not the ONLY way." In order to ensure any map changes "feel good when completed," PUBG Corp. plans on "testing several potential changes to Erangel soon." The exact details concerning these possible changes and planned tests will be revealed "in the coming weeks."

The blog post also reminds players to keep in mind that "leaked images are usually just a snapshot in time and rarely represent the entire plan or scope of what's being worked on." So the image of the new Erangel map may not turn out to be the changes that PUBG Corp. ultimately goes with. If, however, the image is to be believed, PUBG Corp. plans on adding numerous housing compounds to Erangel, creating new drops spots and points of interest to the map.

Along with the remastered visuals and layout, PUBG Corp. also intends to rebalance loot placement and drop rates on PUBG's maps. Like the visual and layout remaster, the loot rebalance will be coming to Erangel first. PUBG Corp. hasn't yet revealed what the rebalance patch might entail but it plans to test the changes with players first before solidifying them.

In November 2018, PUBG Corp. executive producer Taeseok Jang published a blog post detailing the company's plans for PUBG in 2019--which hinted something like map remasters might be coming. "Build stability and quality are now our most important value, and upon that base we will build new battle royale gameplay and new content," he wrote. "At first, this is likely to slow down our build cadence, but as these processes become more proficient, we hope to provide new content as fast as before, while maintaining our new stability and quality-first goal."