The second batch of hot new PGI.S items will be arriving in the esports shop on Feb 27th!
These items, which will be purchasable starting from 11:00 KST on the 27th, are in addition to the current items in the shop, so don’t worry if there’s stuff from the last batch you still want!
However, do remember that you only have until March 27th 18:00 KST before all items are out of the shop for good, so make sure to pick up what you want before then.
PGI.S Batch 2 Items
Don’t forget that every PGI.S purchase supports our teams and contributes to the total prize pool.
So far, the total amount of the prize pool has been DOUBLED reaching approx. 4.8 million dollars!
Pick up your favorite items and tune in each week as the PGI.S action continues!
PUBG LABS: Zone tag
A whole new way to play PUBG is coming to LABS!
In Zone Tag, players will compete to gain and keep possession of a ball that spawns into the match. From this point on, the entire blue zone will center on the player holding the ball, bathing them in a pillar of light and following them until they are knocked and the ball is dropped. All players in that squad also benefit from an unlimited boost gauge! If not held by any player, the ball will seek an eligible target nearby or begin making its way towards Pochinki in the center of the map, dragging the Blue Zone with it until it is picked up again.
This mode is meant to be fast and furious, so land vehicles will spawn at every possible point on the map, are invulnerable to weapon damage and tire puncture, and provide players with unlimited ammunition while inside. Your gun will still have a capacity and require a reload when empty, but reloading it will not consume your ammo stockpile.
Once phase 6 of the game begins, the ball will disappear and the circle’s location will be set. From this point on, zone settings will be like any other match and squads will have to battle it out to be the last ones standing.
A few more quick notes on the rules; water, the small islands around Erangel, some generally inaccessible rooftops, and ferries are all no bueno. Entering one of these restricted areas will automatically detach the ball and players in these areas are not considered eligible targets for it to attach to. Players will also receive damage just by entering the water, so keep those boots dry as you plot out your route.
A detailed breakdown of the rules can also be found below. LABS: Zone Tag will be available from February 9th – 15th for PC and from February 23 – March 1st for Console. This is something pretty different for us, so drop in and let us know what you think! Get the ball, fend off your attackers, and set up your own end circle to finish off any who remain in Zone Tag!
The Ball
The Ball spawns on a random player at the start of the match.
The Ball drags the center of the circle along with it wherever it moves.
The Ball grants a special visual effect to the carrier.
All players in the carrier’s squad receive a full boost.
The player with the ball will be lit up by a pillar of light visible starting from 100m distance.
The Ball cannot be manually dropped or passed but will drop automatically if a player is knocked, killed, or enters a restricted area.
When not attached to a player, The Ball will slowly rise into the air for 5 seconds or until it is no longer blocked by a structure.
The Ball will then seek a new eligible target within 30m and begin to home in on them.
If no eligible target is found, The Ball will remain stationary for 15 seconds before it starts to move towards the center of the map.
A system message will appear for all players when The Ball is dropped or picked up.
The Circle
“The Ball” drags the center of the circle along with it wherever it moves.
There are still circle phases, which shrink the circle and increase damage.
At Phase 6, the Ball disappears and the center of the circle is locked until the end of the match.
Restricted Areas
Entering a Restricted Area will detach the ball and make players ineligible to receive it.
Restricted Areas include:
Small islands off the mainland
Inaccessible Rooftops and High Ground
Ferries
Water
Player who steps into water with a ball will receive damage and have the ball detached.
Vehicles
Land Vehicles will spawn at every possible spawn point on the map.
Boats and the Motorglider will not spawn.
All vehicles are immune to weapon damage and cannot have their tires punctured.
However, we cannot guarantee damages from crashing into objects!
Spike traps are not spawned.
While inside a vehicle, reloading weapons will not deplete your ammo reserve.
Service schedule
Zone Tag will be available in LABS on both PC and Console during different times.
PC: February 9th – February 15th
Console: February 23rd – March 1st
Settings
Erangel- Sunny
TPP & Sqaud Only
Minimum number of players: 40(PC) / 32(Console)
Maximum number of players: 100 (PC/Console)
The ball has blocked all access from bots. No bots will be available in this mode.
Notes when playing in LABS
LABS games do not provide XP for gameplay rewards.
LABS gameplay will not be applied to Career.
LABS gameplay will not count for your Survivor Pass missions.
Esports 2021: Road to PGC
Hello, PUBG esports fans,
When we think about PUBG esports, there are three main things we focus on in our efforts to deliver the best experience possible.
First is you, our fans. This means providing as many ways for you to conveniently watch as possible, including new screens that you can watch right on the Battlegrounds as you play, awesome new rewards for the Pick’em Challenge, giveaways throughout the broadcast, and more!
Second, is our players. We’ve steadily worked to increase our prize pools, worked with and accommodated teams as best we can during this unprecedented pandemic, and introduced even more revenue sharing into our programs so that participating teams can earn even more.
And lastly, a focus on global competition. PUBG is and always has been a worldwide game. The reason we’re able to put on tournaments like we do, is because of the widespread support from our fans that continues to this day. Giving as many regions as possible a chance to represent their home is important and something we try to do as fairly as possible.
We kept these goals, among others, in mind when coming up with our 2021 esports plan, and we are happy to share our current schedule with you all.
ROAD TO PGC
Starting with the upcoming PGI.S tournament, we are planning a total of four global esports tournaments in 2021.
We tried something new last year with the PCS format, and based on your great support have decided it will continue this year! PCS4 will be held in June and PCS5 will follow, in September.
The action culminates at the PUBG Global Championship (PGC), which will mark the conclusion of the 2021 PUBG esports season. Look forward to a hard fought final showdown in November!
PUBG CONTINENTAL SERIES 2021 INFO
Much like their predecessors, PCS4 & PCS5 are online tournaments that take place across four different regions.
However, there are several changes to the PCS tournaments in 2021. First of all, the North American region has been expanded to also include the Latin American (LATAM) region, allowing teams from Latin America to also represent their region in PCS. The consolidated region will now be called the Americas.
We’re expanding our selection process for which teams can participate and also plan on increasing the overall number of matches. We hope to provide a stable window of opportunity for skilled players to show off what they can do while giving our fans more Battle Royale action to look forward to.
Lastly, we’re also looking into the addition of more third-party events to further diversify and bolster PUBG esports. More info on that at a later time!
PUBG Global Championship INFO
More matches and tournaments is fun, but it’s important to also celebrate the best of the best from around the world. That’s where the PUBG Global Championship comes in.
Teams will qualify for PGC based on points collected from their regional tournaments. There will also be additional ways to qualify for PGC. In certain regions, this also includes a wildcard system and third-party tournaments.
The goal of this is to allow teams who may be outside of PCS regions to still have a chance at qualifying for PGC.
Once all qualification tournaments have concluded, teams who have earned the most points will advance to PGC 2021 to battle with the best PUBG teams in the world for their shot at the ultimate Chicken Dinner.
Profit Sharing
Giving participating teams opportunities to earn money is always a priority for us, and our current crowdfunding systems, such as Pick’Em Challenge, will continue in 2021. Of course, we’re always looking at ways to improve profit sharing and give teams even more opportunities to earn cash.
PUBG is proud to have some of the greatest fans and teams in the scene, and we thank you for your tremendous support over the years. We’ll constantly work to keep our tournaments fun and rewarding to watch and look forward to delivering the best esports action yet in 2021!
That’s all for now, thanks and we’ll see you at PGI.S!
Update 10.3 - Patch Notes
Hey Survivors,
Update 10.3 is here with an assortment of new features and performance upgrades including a new Weapon Sound Selection system, some lighting improvements for Karakin, and even the ability to emote with your teammates!
Dive into the full patch notes below for details on everything new!
11.1 Update In consideration of the PGI.S tournament schedule, the next monthly update will be later than usual. Also, from next Season the general structure will change and we'll have more details to share with you as we get closer to release.
Weapon Sound Select System
As previously introduced in last December's Dev Letter, we're happy to be implementing the Weapon Sound Select System. This feature allows players to select between the original and remastered versions of certain weapon sounds.
Supported Weapons:
Select your preference from the Settings Menu, under the Audio tab.
Karakin Map Improvements
Kicking AFK Players in Training Mode
Emote With Your Squad Mates
Certain emotes can now be used together, in sync with teammates! Emotes which support this feature are displayed with two characters in the emote image.
Improved Store Experience
Season 10 is Soon Wrapping Up
Haven will only be around until the end of Season 10, enjoy the most out of it while it's here!
Survivor Pass Schedule
Survivor Pass: Breakthrough comes to an end on March 24. You still have two weeks from that point to claim all your rewards and access the coupon shop. Although, you'll no longer be able to purchase or use Level-Up Tokens, purchase the Premium Survivor Pass, or complete missions from that date.
In regards to the Ranked Season schedule, stay tuned and we'll keep you updated with specific Ranked announcements.
Reputation System Update
The Reputation System introduced is one of our newest features, implemented in Update 10.2 and is designed to encourage positive player interactions within the community. We have received lots of player feedback so far and a common trend we're seeing is that some players feel certain penalties are too harsh.
We hear your concerns and are making the following changes with Update 10.3:
We'll continue reading your feedback and make additional improvements in the future. Please, let us know your thoughts on these change.
Performance Enhancements
We have made multiple improvements to various pipelines and processes to improve overall performance.
Items & Skins
Emotes
Valentine's Day Skins - February 13, 11 AM KST - March 13, 11 AM KST
Bug Fixes
Gameplay
UI/UX
PGI.S Broadcasting Channels and Talent Lineup
Hello, PUBG Esports fans!
Coming up at the Studio Paradise, Incheon, South Korea in February, The exhilarating journey of the PUBG Global Invitational.S is just about to begin! We’re providing English broadcasts for PGI.S across all regions, as well as multiple languages, with the best PUBG Esports talent and casters for every match, all around the world.
There are much more special pieces of PGI.S content ready for your entertainment! Every Tuesday, WEEKLY PGI.S will be live just before the main matches begin, to cover results of the previous week's PGI.S! On every Saturday 6PM, the PGI.S SHOW, a weekly PGI.S-themed show will be live with special guests. Stay tuned and don't miss a single episode!
Our biggest tournament ever, the PUBG Global Invitational.S, is just two weeks away!
32 teams from around the globe will battle week over week to claim as much prize money as they can! Let’s take a look at the tournament and rules for PGI.S 2021.
PGI.S Tournament Structure
[previewyoutube="0hUlboZ2FCc;full"] First off, starting with PGI.S, we’re adopting a new ruleset for PUBG Esports. All PUBG esports will have identical bluezone settings to PUBG Ranked matches!
We will continue to monitor and review the new rule set with the aim to gradually combine PUBG esports and Ranked matches into identical rule sets.
Rank Decision Starting on February 5th, before the main tournament starts, teams will battle it out in 24 deciding matches across 3 days. The results of these matches will split our 32 teams into 4 different groups and decide their placement order for the first set of Weekly Survival matches. The Top 16 and Bottom 16 teams from this decision are important - more on that in a bit.
Weekly Series The meat of PGI.S are 6 different Weekly Series where teams battle for placement and prize money. These consist of the Weekly Survival matches held during the week and the Weekly Finals matches held on the weekend.
Unlike our previous tournaments, teams earn prize money each week and the team with the most at the end of the tournament is crowned the winner.
Weekly Survival Let’s go over Weekly Survival first.
Weekly Survival matches are 16 matches played over the course of 3 days during the week. The object here is pretty simple, 16 teams fight to the last team standing. The team who brings home the Chicken Dinner moves on to the Weekly Final. The remaining 15 teams are joined by the next team on the Bottom 16 waiting list and another match begins. This goes on until 16 teams qualify for the Weekly Finals.
The first 8 teams to win a Survival Match each week also win some prize money, with more money given the sooner you win.
Weekly Finals The 16 qualifying teams from the Weekly Survival matches then compete in a 10 match tournament over the weekend. This tournament follows traditional PUBG Esports tournament structure and the top teams bring home an even bigger amount of prize money, which increases week over week.
These 16 teams become the first teams to play in next week’s Weekly Survival matches and the Bottom 16 compete in another set of placement matches to determine their position on the waiting list. These placement matches happen on Saturdays before the main tournament starts.
*Bottom 16 placement matches are not broadcasted. You can find the placement results from your region's official PUBG esports social channels!
Prize Pool
PGI.S offers teams plenty of opportunities to earn prize money throughout the tournament. In fact, there’s a whopping $3.5 million available to be earned! The team who collects the most prize money over the course of the tournament will be declared the 2021 PGI.S Champion.
*Total prize pool of $3.5 million includes the minimum guarantee of approx. $1 million to benefit all participating teams.
Here are the ways teams can earn prize money once again:
Weekly Survival
The first 8 teams to win a Chicken Dinner during each week’s Weekly Survival win prize money. Prize money earned decreases each game, so winning early earns you more!
Weekly Finals
The TOP 4 Teams at the end of the Weekly Finals earn prize money according to their rank. Total prize pool of each Weekly Finals tournament increases week over week starting from $50,000 during the first week, up to an astounding $1 million during the final week!
This format allows teams plenty of time to win some prize money and plenty of ways to come back if their early performance wasn’t great. We hope it makes for an exciting tournament!
PGI.S Item sales profits
We’re giving teams 30% of the profits earned from the sale of PGI.S gear in the store. This money doesn’t count towards the overall winner, but will be distributed to teams based on how much prize money they won during the tournament. Pick up some cool PGI.S gear, get some voting coupons for the Pick’em Challenge, and support your favorite teams in the process!
How much prize money will your favorite team take home? Find out when the 2021 PUBG Global Invitational.S begins in February! We’ll see you on the Battlegrounds!
PGI.S Pick'Em Challenge
Hello, PUBG Esports fans!
The Pick’em Challenge is back just in time for PGI.S!
Like before, you’ll be able to predict winners from among your favorite teams to win great PGI.S prizes. There’s also a brand new set of PGI.S items available for sale, with an increased portion of the sales going back to support the teams! For this tournament, 30% of the item sales revenue goes back to teams and will be distributed proportionally to the amount of prize money each team wins.
Read on for info on how you can support your favorite teams and enter to win the Pick’em Challenge! [previewyoutube="vh5VHkxogFg;full"]
PUBG Esports Shop
The Esports Shop is back! Starting from Jan 20th for PC and Jan 21st for Console until April 14th, you will be able to spend your earned Esports Points to purchase various exclusive PGI.S items. Since PGI.S is running for an extended time compared to our other tournaments, we’ll be adding an additional batch of PGI.S items on February 27th, so keep an eye out for those as well! There will be plenty of options to spend your hard-earned EP on!
Purchasable PGI.S items:
Main events of Pick’Em Challenge
The PGI.S Pick'Em Challenge games begin on Feb 6th and will feature three different Challenges for you to play and win!
Event 1: Weekly Final TOP 4
Each week of PGI.S features a Weekly Final, where teams who won during the week face off for prize money. Your job is simple; predict the TOP 4 teams of that Weekly Final! You don’t even have to pick where the team will place, if your chosen team lands in the top 4, you’ll get a prize according to their ranking. This means you can win as many as 4 times per week, though each pick will require a voting coupon.
The second event changes up between even and odd weeks and will cost you one voting coupon per pick.
For weeks 1, 3 and 5, you’ll have to choose which team will have the highest Weekly Kill Point total during the Weekly Final. While not the easiest task, a correct guess will earn you a whopping 200,000 EP!
Weeks 2, 4 and 6 are a little more simple, choose a team that will win a Weekly Finals Chicken Dinner. If your chosen team wins a Chicken Dinner during any of the 10 games, you win 25,000 EP! You can only win once per team, so additional picks increase your odds and potential prize amount!
Event 3: Survival Tournament
Last but not least, this final Challenge event asks you to choose the winner of the 32-team event match that ends PGI.S. You may place your picks from March 5th through 7th, and a correct guess will earn you 50,000 EP to spend!
This is a free event, which requires no voting coupons but can still net you a sweet 50,000 EP for a correct guess!
* Survival Tournament week is a free event week. No voting coupons will be required.
FREE Voting Coupons and EP!
PGI.S also comes with plenty of opportunities to earn Voting Coupons and Free EP just by watching and interacting during the tournament. Please note all earnable broadcast rewards are PC only. Further updates will be announced in the future. The first method is simple, visit the Esports Tab once per week to earn a weekly Free Voting Coupon!
Weekly Survival
Weekly Final
Rank decision & Event Week
*You can only obtain one free voting coupon per account per week, and earn max 80,000 free EP throughout the whole PGI.S event.
The Esports Tab is open now, so head over and check out the first set of awesome PGI.S items! Plan out what you want and start saving your EP to pick up your gear.
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the above, we’ll have an explanation video out next week to help guide you through the event as well, so be sure to stay tuned to official PUBG channels!
PGI.S is almost here, so do your research, make your plan, and start winning alongside your favorite PUBG esports teams!
Pick'Em Challenge FAQ
1.Voting
Q. Where can I vote? A. Go to the Esports Tab > Pick’Em Challenge Event Tab in-game to cast a vote.
Q. Where can I see the number of voting coupons I own? A. Go to the Esports Tab > Pick’Em Challenge Event Tab to see the number of the voting coupons you own.
Q. What happens if I get a refund after I have already voted? A. Refunding items invalidates any votes you have cast that used coupons from that purchase.
Q. What happens if I still have voting coupons when the voting period ends? A. You can no longer cast a vote one the voting period has ended and any remaining voting coupons will disappear when the Pick’Em Challenge period ends.
Q. Can I vote again for the same team more than once? A. You can only vote for each team once per challenge. When new challenges start each new week, you are free to cast any vote you like once again.
Q. Can I vote for the same teams in the Survival tournament event? A. You may only vote once and since it is a free event, voting will not require a voting coupon.
2.Rewards
Q. What can I earn as a reward? A. If you choose correctly during any of the challenge events, you will earn a certain amount of Esports Points (EP). This EP can be used to purchase PGI.S event rewards in the Esports Shop.
Q. When will my Esports Points (EP) be delivered? A. EP is granted on every Tuesday when the new week of Pick'em Challenge events open. Your points will remain available to spend in the Esports shop until April 14th 11:00 KST. If you do not receive any of your earned rewards, please contact the Support team for help.
Q. Will the EP I earn expire? Can I save it for the next Pick'em Challenge? A. EP earned during the PGI.S tournament must be spent before 11am on April. 14th, 2021. Once the Esports Shop closes, you will lose any remaining EP you have.
Q. Can I trade the PGI.S items that I purchased in the Store in the Steam Community Marketplace? A. No. PGI.S items purchased from both the Store and the Esports Shop cannot be traded on the Steam Community Marketplace.
Update 10.2 - Now Live!
10.2, our first update of the year, is now live and giving you new ways to travel in style, view the upcoming PGI.S esports event, and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBQbC8pxDZ8
First up, we've got a brand new vehicle hitting the Battlegrounds! The Coupe RB is a vintage two-seater with a need for speed. This zippy little vehicle won't help much with squad transport but it'll certainly get you and your passenger where you need to go, and fast! As the fastest Battlegrounds vehicle on four wheels, the Coupe can reach speeds up to 150 km/h. If you wanna go fast and furious, pick up the new Coupe RB on Erangel, Miramar, or Sanhok!
For a little added fun on two wheels, there are now a selection of vehicle emotes for the Dirt Bike available at the press of a button! Simply left click (default on PC) while in the air on the Dirt Bike and style your way across the Battlegrounds.
Up next, we're bringing all the action of PGI.S to you in more ways than ever, including in your own Battlegrounds! You can now watch the PGI.S matches in the PUBG client or even while in your own matches on one of several display screens located throughout the maps. Don't worry, we're not going to spam your game with PGI.S tournament sounds, these displays will be visual only.
Speaking of PGI.S, the esports tab has once again been unlocked in preparation for the tournament. Navigate over and read up on all the participating teams to get yourself ready for the next Pick'em Challenge. As always, there are plenty of great skins available for those who participate and choose the winners correctly! More information on the PGI.S Pick'em Challenge will be out soon.
There's plenty more in the patch, so be sure to check out the full patch notes to get all the details. A new year and Update 10.2 are both here, so drop in and check out everything new!
PUBG Labs: Arena Mode
Hello Survivors!
Last September, we introduced Arena Mode, our take on the classic arena shooter game mode where teams face off across several rounds, purchasing their gear with earned currency and fight to survive as long as possible.
We received a ton of great feedback on this mode and are now happy to roll out the upgraded version for everyone to try out. One of the major issues we saw was that it became quite difficult to mount any sort of comeback once your team had lost a round and all their items. In fact, your chances of winning the overall game sharply dropped with even one loss. We've taken some steps to make losing a match a little less punishing while also rewarding teams who are able to make it through without losing at all. We hope this helps strike a fair balance and makes the Arena a more exciting place.
Let’s take a look at what Arena Mode the 2nd Iteration has in store.
Arena Mode - 2nd Iteration Changes
Since the last test, we have been receiving requests for a TPP version of Arena Mode. For this test, we'll be trying out TPP to see what different gameplay patterns it brings out and the different experience it can provide.
Schedule
PC January 13 - January 18 4pm KST 2021 January 12 - January 17 11pm PST January 13 - January 18 8am CET
Console January 21 - January 25 4pm KST 2021 January 20 - January 24 11pm PST January 21 - January 25 8am CET
For more details on the rules of Arena Mode, you can check out our Previous Announcement.
We hope these changes will make for a more fun and rewarding Arena Mode experience, but are excited to hear what you think as well! Drop into the new Arena Mode and give it a try. Afterwards, let us know what you think so we can continue to improve it!
Best of luck and we’ll see you in the Arena!
PUBG Team.
Update 10.2 - Patch Notes
Are you ready for the new PGI.S? The PUBG Global Invitational.S sets teams from around the world against each other in a weeks long tournament.
Teams will battle for placements in weekly tournaments and rack up prize money as the overall tournament goes on. You can follow along all the action with our new livestream displays in-game as you play! Displays will be setup in various spots around Erangel and Miramar, showing live PGI action in your own games. There's a new Pick'em Challenge available as well, giving you a chance to earn sweet PGI.S gear for predicting the winners.
This will be a tournament unlike any other, so tune in, pick'em, and win! Visit PUBGEsports.com for more information.
Livestream Screens
PGI.S Lobby Update
Other PGI.S related updates
New Vehicle: Coupe RB
There's a new roadrunner in town. Introducing the Coupe RB, a vintage sportscar with a blazing top speed of 150 km/h, making it second (on land) in speed only to the Motorbike. The Coupe RB won't carry your whole squad, but it will get you to where you need to go fast. Try out the Coupe RB on Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok!
New Feature: Reputation System
Keeping in-game interactions healthy is important to us. We know passions can run high on the Battlegrounds, but toxic behavior is never justified. To help keep things more civil while you kill each other, we're introducing a new Reputation System to PUBG. This system will assign you a Reputation Level from 0-5 depending on how you treat your fellow players. Your Reputation Level will be displayed in the Team Finder, giving players searching for a group an idea of what kind of teammate you'll be. Your Reputation Level will naturally increase as you play games, as long as you are not exhibiting toxic or otherwise disruptive behavior. We hope this helps everyone have a better time on the Battlegrounds!
Reputation level is affected by the following factors:
Ranked Mode Update
We're updating Ranked Mode leaver penalties to allow players some leeway to leave without punishment in certain situations. You can check out all the details around the system and how it works below.
Leaver penalties should be waived for players who are still ALIVE and leave within 5 minutes after the plane takes off if the player :
If a player qualifies to have their leaver penalty waived by leaving the match, then the match is considered to be competitively invalid for that player. This means:
Gameplay
Stunt Emotes
And you thought flips were cool. Now you can trigger random stunts while mid-air on the Dirt Bike to really style on your enemies. There are a total of 6 new stunts available and best of all, they're easy to perform. Simply hold down LMB while in the air on a Dirt Bike and watch how cool you are.
Hello, PUBG Esports fans!
