When Season 7 kicks off in PUBG this week, it will bring back a fan favorite map and fill some lobbies with bots for the first time ever with PUBG update 7.1.
Vikendi is back after several months away, during which time PUBG Corp. sought to remodel the game in key ways. As a result, the wintry map has been given a massive overhaul. Snow cover is now limited in some regions, particularly in the south, giving Vikendi more visual diversity. Some locations, like Abbey, have been moved to other regions, while others, like Tovar and Movatra have been removed completely. Others still have been given facelifts in their same locations as before, like Volnova getting more cover for players to duck behind.
With less snow on the map, snowmobiles and snowbikes have been removed in favor of the cursed motorcycles and sidecar motorcycles, while the marquee changes add a burst of color and speed to the map in the form of a moving train which players can board and fight on, as well as the decrepit Dino Park being remodeled into the vibrant Dinoland.
PUBG Corp. says it's been listening to player feedback regarding the skill gap is ever widening, as new players give it a try only to get dusted by the veterans who have resisted so many games that followed in PUBG''s footsteps. To combat this, some maps will be filled partly with bots, to give players a better chance of surviving until later in the rounds. Player deaths with no kills or damage dealt were on the rise, so these bots, like they do in Fortnite, are meant to give newer or less skilled players more opportunities to shine.
The studio promises this will just be the first iteration of its bot system and they will improve their behavior in the seasons ahead. Still, the bots are already mindful of things like bullet drop and environmental hazards and to some players won't be distinguishable from human players.
Alongside the big changes, comes, of course, a new Survivor Pass. Titled "Cold Front," the pass features a lot of Dinoland-centric cosmetics, including a full-body Alex the T-Rex outfit for players who climb high enough through the pass' unlock tree.
All of this hits PUBG on consoles tomorrow, April 28. You can read the full patch notes at the game's official website.
