PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) PC roadmap outlined for 2018

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) continues to be one of today's biggest titles on Xbox One and PC, following its record-breaking success last year. After its growth via Steam Early Access and a subsequent "official" launch later that year, the intense battle royale shooter maintains an unprecedented following worldwide.

The game's developer, PUBG Corporation, has now taken to the game's official blog to outline its upcoming plans for the year ahead. Promising players a steady stream of content, its post has announced a variety of new features currently in development for the title.

Today's biggest announcement is a new four-kilometer by four-kilometer map expected to hit the game's test servers in April. Coming in at almost a quarter of the size of Erangel, this map promises "higher player density and shorter matches" with a faster-paced, more chaotic experience. Aerial concept art appears to show a tropical location with dense foliage and sparse settlements. A new eight-kilometer by eight-kilometer map has also been confirmed, though further details weren't provided.

A dedicated emote system is also on the way to PUBG, providing new ways for players to express themselves during battle. Activated through a radial menu, actions can be performed during matches to communicate with other players.

Teases of other major content drops were made, including new game modes outside of the traditional battle royale mode, new vehicles and weapons. Improvements are also on the way to existing gameplay elements, including deeper gunplay mechanics accounting for limb and vehicle bullet penetration. Third-person and first-person animations are being reworked too, for a natural fit into gameplay.

For a full breakdown of the complete PUBG 2018 roadmap, make sure to check out the full post on the game's blog. A console roadmap is also expected in the near future, expanding on the upcoming content and features for Xbox One.

What do you think of these announced plans? Make sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.