'PUBG' Is Making Major Changes In Response To Fan Backlash

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the OG online multiplayer battle royale. Since its release in 2017, PUBG: Battlegrounds has gone on to amass millions of fans and whilst plenty of those fans are still sticking by the game today, they sure know how to keep developers Krafton humble.

Like most online multiplayers, PUBG: Battlegrounds is in receipt of regular updates and in July 2020, Season 8 brought with it a complete remastering of Sanhok - a mountainous and jungle-themed map inspired by the islands of both Thailand and the Philippines, and first made available to players in 2018. The remaster brought adjusted cliffs and rocks, a relocated temple, and extra cover to the map but it turns out that new doesn’t always mean good.

Here's a throwback to PUBG: Battlegrounds' original launch trailer.

PUBG: Battlegrounds' upcoming Update 17 will begin to implement the 2022 roadmap previously set out by developers, including slowly reverting Sanhok to its original form. The project is being referred to as the ‘Sanhok Rollback’ by developers after they addressed fans’ dismay at the updates in a community post. “Sanhok is one of the areas you’ve been pretty vocal about. We’ve attempted a few changes in an effort to modernise Sanhok, but at the end of the day, many of you still preferred the original map.”

The patch notes of the latest Update 17 offered further insight. “As you may have already heard from our 2022 Dev Plan, Sanhok’s appearance of when it was first released - yes, with Bootcamp’s lobster-shaped building, docks, ruins, and quarry, and the original blue-and-green jungle theme - will be making its comeback this update.” 

The devs attempted to justify the changes but confessed, “Our continuous monitor of our players’ voices has made us realise the reworked Sanhok was not producing the anticipated positive gameplay experience.” Whilst old favourites may be returning to the island, so too must new features disappear including the loot truck, spotter scope, and mountain bike. You win some, you lose some but for many, this will be a winner winner chicken dinner.