By Sagar V. Mankar 
As PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) celebrates its 7th anniversary, the game that pioneered the battle royale craze is gearing up for an epic year of updates and new content.
The 2024 Roadmap promises an overhaul that will elevate the live service to dizzying new heights. So what exactly is in store?
Destructible Environments
- Players can strategically destroy sections of buildings or build defensive barriers, opening new attack routes or securing areas.
- This dynamic element promises to add a layer of tactics and strategy, keeping the game fresh and engaging.
- Expect a preview of this feature in an April update, with further improvements to follow.
Transition to Unreal Engine 5
- Krafton promises that this transition “marks the start of an exciting journey” for the game.
- Unreal Engine 5 will likely bring enhanced graphics, improved performance, and cutting-edge visual effects.
User-Generated Content
- Krafton aims to empower players to create and engage with their content, similar to Fortnite’s creative mode.
- This feature promises to foster a vibrant, creator-driven ecosystem within the game.
- Expect to see player-made maps, game modes, and perhaps even custom skins or cosmetics.
Gunplay Updates
- Krafton plans to roll out gunplay updates every two months, offering a greater diversity of choices for players.
- This will empowered some of the less popular weapons and give you more viable options.
- To ensure these gunplay adjustments hit the mark, PUBG is introducing Gunplay Labs in the Arcade mode.
- Here, you’ll be able to test out upcoming balance changes and provide feedback before they go live in the main game modes.
New Team vs Team System
- This system will allow selective participation, enabling only those teams that wish to compete with.
- This system introduces fresh objectives, where both luck and skill will play crucial roles.
Survival Items, Character Actions, and Varied Modes
- The developers are focusing on enhancing the survival aspect of gameplay by adding items that facilitate transportation and looting, while also introducing a wider variety of character actions, such as vehicle vaulting and portable Ziplines.
- Additionally, special modes like the PvE “Survivors Left Behind” will receive regular updates, and the highly anticipated return of Fantasy Battle Royale is on the horizon.
Progressive Weapon Skin System
- A progressive weapon skin system will allow players to customize their weapons according to their preferences.
Matchmaking Improvements
- It aiming to provide a more balanced environment by pairing players of similar skill levels.
- Additionally, a map rotation service will be implemented, taking into account regional map preferences to enhance the overall experience.
Ranked Mode Refinements
- Ranked mode will see the introduction of the new map Rondo, as well as an array of items to add variety to the Ranked and Esports scenes.
- The developers aim to immerse players in the world of Battlegrounds, bridging the gap between the game they play and the game they watch.
- Rewards and the Rank Point (RP) system will also be refined to better reflect skill levels and encourage consistent Ranked play.
Anti-Cheat Efforts
- The developers remain committed to ensuring a level playing field for all players.
- Efforts will be focused on enhancing detection capabilities, leveraging advanced deep learning, tackling illegal software usage across all modes, and preventing re-entry of banned users.
- Additionally, the process regarding temporary game access suspensions will be refined to minimize the risk of unwarranted penalties on well-intentioned players.
- In 2023, a impressive 3.2 million cheaters were permanently banned from the game (33% more than last year)
With destructible environments, a transition to Unreal Engine 5, user-generated content, and a whole lot more, it’s clear that Krafton is going all-in to keep the battle royale experience of thier live service game fresh and exciting.
Let’s see if these new features can propel PUBG back to the top of the battle royale throne!
References: Krafton’s official announcements and roadmap for PUBG in 2024.