PUBG: Battlegrounds Somehow it's old enough to evoke nostalgia. The pioneering battle royale game, which entered Steam Early Access in 2017, will borrow a page from fortniteThe playbook and honor your first map. Classic Erangel will recreate the old-school battlefield from the start of the game during a limited two-week run in May and June.
Developer and publisher Krafton says the Erangel Classic map will reproduce the concepts, graphics, atmosphere and user interface of the original. However, it will combine them with “modern tweaks” to deliver “the enjoyable gaming experiences that players have become accustomed to.” In other words, like remasters of other classic games, the goal is to feel as close to the original as possible without discarding all the subtle quality-of-life improvements from the game's evolution.
If the idea of the revamped map sounds familiar, fortnite brought back its original 2018 island map late last year, breaking its player count records. (He peaked at 44.7 million players, marking his biggest day.) It's easy to see why Krafton would want a piece of that action.
Specific nods to the original map include foggy, rainy weather to add an air of unpredictability. Additionally, you'll find bench weapons on the starting island (prepare to fight for your favorite) and all weapons will have reduced recoil to match the original. You'll also have a Tommy Gun in the support package, an old map UI, and “charmingly tacky font and graphics.”
The staggered release will hit PC and consoles at different times, expanding playtime for those who own the game on multiple platforms (perhaps helping Krafton sell some additional in-game items). Erangel Classic will be available in PUBG: Battlegrounds on PC from May 14 to May 28 and on consoles from May 23 to June 6, replacing the modern Erangel map during those periods. Krafton says the May 14 patch notes will detail more details about all the map changes, so stay tuned.