PUBG Corp has recently got into the habit of releasing chunkier updates with more content and changes than we’ve grown accustomed to in the past. It’s no bad thing and shows the developer is serious about sorting out the game. This point is even more important given that Blackout is dropping very soon and PUBG will have to fight to retain every player they can. Here are five of the biggest changes to PUBG in Patch 22.
Ranking System
Borrowing from successful ranking systems in games like League of Legends, PUBG has implemented a tiered rank system. Players must complete 10 placement matches to figure out where they sit along the scale. Going forward, match performance, kills, position at the end of the match, and player numbers are translated into a point value that is then added or subtracted according to an elo scale running from 1400 to 2000. The system is being tested as a beta to start out with an initial 2 month long season to kick things off. PUBG Corp are planing end of season exclusives as well. There are separate ratings for each game type depending on whether you dive in solo, duo, squad, as first or third person and so on.
Map Selection
Map selection was removed for who knows what reason and has thankfully be reinstated with Patch 22. You can now choose what map to play, or select Quick Join to join the map with the shortest wait time if you’re eager to get playing. Map selection makes a welcome return, notably for those who are wary of the older maps or want a quick Sanhok-style blast of battle royale goodness.
Anti-Cheat
PUBG and cheating are synonymous by this point. We’ve all invariably encountered a cheater in game, but to give PUBG Corp its due, it is well aware of the problem and has taken serious steps to curb the problem, notably by employing the full force of the law to track down hack resellers in South Korea and China. Patch 22 introduces a brand new anti-cheat tech that’s been live on the test servers for a while now. The new tech sits on top of existing anti-cheat measures to provide a more robust filtering system against those who don’t play fair. As it’s still being worked on, so subject to occasionally issues, anti-cheat must be enabled and PUBG Corp are asking players to do so to further test how effective their new tech is.
Quick Select Wheel Menu
The wheel menu is among the best UI innovations ever in video gaming and PUBG has finally taken the dive and incorporated a wheel for emotes, throwables, and health items. No more diving into your inventory to heal up or find the right grenade, simply pop up the wheel and go for it. The change may seem insignificant, but these quality of life improvement do wonders to make PUBG an overall more enjoyable experience.
Everything Else
We’ve got a long list bug fixes, the usual performance enhancements, a trove of new skins, and a bunch of QoL changes. In addition, Patch 22 ushers in a new skin trade system whereby players can trade in multiples of a same tier item for a higher tiered replacement. You’ll need ten to roll the dice and are limited to max blue tier items in return.
