Long-time PUBG players, you’re getting a gift this month. The original Erangel map is returning, and changes to the gunplay, map layout, and visuals are designed to give you a nostalgic blast from the past while still delivering the evolved gameplay you’ve come to expect.
For those who don’t know, PUBG first launched in Steam’s Early Access in March 2017. It became one of the most popular games of all time, shattering Steam’s record with 3.2 million concurrent players. Erangel was the game’s first battleground and is still part of the rotation, but it’s seen countless updates and changes over the years as PUBG has grown. This new update will take Erangel back to its roots.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the UI has been reverted to the Early Access version of the game. That includes the match start timer, kill/survival UI, original world map and minimap, and old-school font and graphics. As soon as you drop into your first match, you’ll feel like you stepped into a time capsule.
The layout of the map also has been changed back to its original form. Remember when you started each match by rushing to grab your favorite weapon? Well that’s back, with bench weapons reinstated on the starting island. You can also find the Tommy Gun in the Care Package, just like the good old days.
Once you get your hands on that favorite weapon, you might notice it fires a little differently too. While not an exact copy of the old-school design, many guns have reduced recoil to emulate the OG experience (these changes won’t apply to sniper rifles, handguns, or crossbows). You also might notice that it’ll take more time to knock down enemies, like it used to.
In the leadup to the throwback event, publisher Krafton has collaborated with popular PUBG streamers and influencers to celebrate. Shroud is a popular Twitch streamer with more than 10 million followers, and he established himself as one of the best PUBG players in the world early in the game’s lifespan. He became well-known enough in the community that he got to design his own in-game weapon skins.
WackyJacky101 is a PUBG player and content creator who specializes in guides, tutorials, testing, and analysis to help gamers get the most out of their PC games. He created a massive spreadsheet called PUBG Tools with detailed information — including base damage, time between shots, average bullet velocity, and bullet travel time — for every weapon in the game, and he updates it whenever a new weapon is added or changes are made to weapon balancing. It’s become an invaluable resource for players.
Shroud and WackyJacky101 teamed up for a time-traveling video to build excitement for the release of Erangel Classic, and Shroud will put together a team for a Squad Battle event on May 18. The Erangel Classic update will be live for two weeks for all players — May 14–28 on PC and May 23–June 6 on console. The classic map will replace the current Erangel map in Normal Match during those two weeks.
