Bluehole Inc. has begun the process of releasing the next major PUBG update on PC.
It has been confirmed that a lengthy period of maintenance is required before the new Vikendi snow map can go live.
The good news is that this process has already begun and will be ready in time for many in the UK when they wake up.
For those in the United States, the server downtime could be more disruptive.
“PC Players: Live servers will undergo maintenance for 8 hours on Dec 18 4:00pm PST / Dec 19 1:00am CET.
“The parachute overhaul and our newest map Vikendi will be available on live servers once maintenance ends.”
For those in the UK, the new PUBG update should be available to download by 8am, GMT.
The new Vikendi map is coming to PC first, followed by PUBG Mobile on December 21.
It was recently confirmed by Tencent that the new snow map will be available to download on December 20 but that servers wouldn’t go live until Friday.
So the players who will get to try out the new fully fledged level outside of beta testing will be those on PC.
PUBG UPDATE 24
The new PC update is about more than just adding a new snow map and is set to bring other big changes.
A new weapon is also being added to the game and will only be available to use on the Vikendi snow map.
The AR G36C can load 30 bullets – 40 with an Extended Magazine – and has a lower and upper rail for attachments, but cannot attach a stock.
The new Snowmobile vehicle is also making its debut on Vikendi, seats 2 players and performs much better than other vehicles on snow and ice.
The one downside is that it performs much worse on other terrain and will probably not be the top choice for all-terrain travel.
A new Survivor pass for Vikendi is going live on December 19, giving players the opportunity to complete missions and receive rewards throughout the duration of the 10-week event.
PUBG PATCH NOTES FOR PC VIKENDI RELEASE
The official patch notes for today’s PUBG PC update can be found below:
Vikendi Gameplay
- Vikendi is 6x6km map. The gameplay of Vikendi is quicker than Erangel and Miramar, but offers an arguably more tactical experience than Sanhok.
- Players can throw snowballs while waiting to board the plane in the starting area
- Vehicles will be more slippery in snow or icy areas. Acceleration on icy terrain is slow and you lose more general vehicle control as you speed up
- Footprints and vehicle tracks will appear as players travel in snow-covered areas. Keep an eye out! These are great to help identify if enemies have passed by recently
- Keep in mind that footprints and tracks in the snow don’t stay around forever!
General
- Temporarily removed the feature that allows you to inspect your weapon by pressing the ‘J’ key.
- Added the Vikendi trailer to the game launch intro.
Redzone
- The center of the red zone spawns outside of the play zone
- The smaller the play zone, the smaller the red zone
Bluezone
- The first circle of every game is much smaller than other maps, but subsequent circle sizes change less drastically.
- This facilitates more blue zone variety and unique experiences.
- Similar strategies work on Vikendi to Erangel and Miramar for the first three phases, but the zones will close slower starting from phase 4, similar to Sahnok. We feel this leads to a good balance between strategy and gunplay throughout the duration of each match
Item Spawn Balance
- The overall item spawn rate is at a midpoint between our maps – offering a unique place between the spawn rates of Erangel and Sahnok.
- Level 3 helmets spawn in the world
- Level 3 vests spawn more often than other maps
- Smoke Grenades are spawned at a higher rate compared to other throwables
Added a new AR – G36C
- G36C spawns only in Vikendi
- Chambered for 5.56mm ammo, it can load 30 bullets and 40 with an Extended Magazine
- G36C has a lower and upper rail for attachments, but cannot attach a stock
NEW VEHICLE: SNOWMOBILE
Added a new vehicle – Snowmobile
- The Snowmobile only spawns in Vikendi
- It seats 2 players and performs much better than other vehicles on snow and ice, but is more difficult to drive on other terrain.
Added a Replay editor system
- This system allows you to create dynamic video clips with creative camera angles and special effects using your replay files
- You can also create 3D paths for the camera and camera angles and export clips
- Guide & Tutorial of the replay editor system will be updated later.
Gameplay
- Improved the character animations used in the air.
- Character movements are much more fluid and have been improved to be more realistic.
Parachute System Overhaul
Please share your feedback regarding the parachuting changes!
- Freefalling
- Holding SPRINT [Default SHIFT] now puts you into a dive at full speed straight down towards the ground
- Turning speed is now much faster and has increased control, responsiveness, and precision
- Parachuting
- Added new freefall animations and increased overall control and responsiveness
- Holding SPRINT [Default SHIFT] helps you drop faster and land quicker
- Holding WALK [Default LCTRL] lets you glide, when you want to travel a longer distance
You can now cut the parachute while relatively close to the ground, while still moving through the air.- This can be used to strategically to get to your drop point faster, but be careful, as you can take damage if you drop too far
- Added new landing animations
- The speed in which you land matters, as landing too fast may force your character to roll, or roll for longer, before you can gain full control of your movement
- Colliding with buildings or objects while parachuting will now automatically cut your parachute. Be careful!
- The parachute no longer disappears instantly after landing
- Improved blood hit effects
- Improved the visuals of blood particles when players are shot.
- Improved the visuals of blood effects that appear on screen when shot by other players.
- Slightly decreased the maximum number of shots possible to fire per second with the M16A4
- Players now receive damage from Molotovs that hit their vehicle
- Molotovs that hit around the vehicle, or when driven through an already-exploded Molotov will not damage those inside
