PUBG Test Servers on PC get Vikendi snow map with new weapon, snowmobile and more

At the Game Awards 2018, Bluehole revealed the new snow filled map Vikendi for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. It was announced that the new map will be available on PC test server later but it is now available for download for those who own a copy of PUBG on PC. The company has detailed everything new being introduced to the game with the Update #24 for the PC version. As we already know that the new Vikendi map will feature snow-laden landscapes but there will also be some game elements bound to it. For example, players will have to wary of their footprints left on the snow that could give their position away. The new map also brings a new weapon, a new vehicle and adds some new features to the game. 

The most notable addition with this new update is obviously the new Vikendi map, which is 6×6 km in size. It is slightly bigger than Sanhok and will come with plenty of new areas to explore like a cosmodrome, a prehistoric Dino Park, Castle and more. The update log hints that night mode will also be available in Vikendi and as soon as the sun sets, “auroras fill the moonlit skies.” The game developers say that Vikendi is a mix of all the best parts of their previous maps. The new map also gets a new exclusive weapon and vehicle. The G36C Assault Rifle will now be available only on the new map but it replaces the SCAR and Snowmobile is the new vehicle that will help players navigate through the terrain. 

The in-game replay system has also been revamped so that users can edit clips, create 3D camera movements, and export their captures. After some time, the patch will also overhaul the Parachuting system, which will enable users to glide or dive during freefall. It is also said to improve animations, and let players cut the chute before hitting the ground. There are many more new changes that come with the update and do note that some of these new features have also been carried over to the PUBG Mobile version 0.10.0 update. You can read it in the patch notes below.

NEW MAP – VIKENDI NOW ON TEST SERVERS

During this test server phase, Vikendi will be the only map available to play and squads the only mode. Vikendi is not yet available in custom matches.

Vikendi Gameplay
Vikendi is 6x6km map. The gameplay of Vikendi is quicker than Erangel and Miramar, but offers an arguably more tactical experience than Sanhok.
Players can throw snowballs while waiting to board the plane in the starting area
Vehicles will be more slippery in snow or icy areas. Acceleration on icy terrain is slow and you lose more general vehicle control as you speed up
Footprints and vehicle tracks will appear as players travel in snow-covered areas. Keep an eye out! These are great to help identify if enemies have passed by recently
Keep in mind that footprints and tracks in the snow don’t stay around forever!

Redzone
The center of the red zone spawns outside of the play zone
The smaller the play zone, the smaller the red zone

Bluezone
The first circle of every game is much smaller than other maps, but subsequent circle sizes change less drastically.
This facilitates more blue zone variety and unique experiences.
Similar strategies work on Vikendi to Erangel and Miramar for the first three phases, but the zones will close slower starting from phase 4, similar to Sahnok. We feel this leads to a good balance between strategy and gunplay throughout the duration of each match

Item Spawn Balance
The overall item spawn rate is at a midpoint between our maps – offering a unique place between the spawn rates of Erangel and Sahnok.
Level 3 helmets spawn in the world
Level 3 vests spawn more often than other maps
Smoke Grenades are spawned at a higher rate compared to other throwables

NEW WEAPON: G36C

Added a new AR – G36C
G36C spawns only in Vikendi
Chambered for 5.56mm ammo, it can load 30 bullets and 40 with an Extended Magazine
G36C has a lower and upper rail for attachments, but cannot attach a stock

NEW VEHICLE: SNOWMOBILE

Added a new vehicle – Snowmobile
The Snowmobile only spawns in Vikendi
It seats 2 players and performs much better than other vehicles on snow and ice, but is more difficult to drive on other terrain.

Replay Editor

Added a Replay editor system
This system allows you to create dynamic video clips with creative camera angles and special effects using your replay files
You can also create 3D paths for the camera and camera angles and export clips
Guide & Tutorial of the replay editor system will be updated later.

Gameplay
Improved the character animations used in the air.
Character movements are much more fluid and have been improved to be more realistic.

[UPCOMING] Parachute System Overhaul
Updated parachuting system will be applied to the test server on Dec 10. We’re looking forward to your feedback on this updated feature!
Freefalling
LSHIFT now puts you into a dive at full speed straight down towards the ground 
Turning speed is now much faster and has increased control, responsiveness, and precision
Parachuting
Added new freefall animations and increased overall control and responsiveness
LSHIFT helps you drop faster and land quicker
LCTRL lets you glide, when you want to travel a longer distance
You can now cut the parachute while relatively close to the ground, while still moving through the air.
This can be used to strategically to get to your drop point faster, but be careful, as you can take damage if you drop too far
Added new landing animations
The speed in which you land matters, as landing too fast may force your character to roll, or roll for longer, before you can gain full control of your movement
Colliding with buildings or objects while parachuting will now automatically cut your parachute. Be careful!
The parachute no longer disappears instantly after landing

Improved blood hit effects
Improved the visuals of blood particles when players are shot.
Improved the visuals of blood effects that appear on screen when shot by other players.
Slightly increased delay between single shots of the M16A4
Players now receive damage from Molotovs that hit their vehicle
Molotovs that hit around the vehicle, or when driven through an already-exploded molotov will not damage those inside

Survival Title System(Season 2 Beta)

Changed Season 1 Beta Rank system to Season 2 Beta Survival Title System.
For more information, please check the Dev Letter (Introducing our new Beta Season 2 Title System) released on Dec 5.

UI/UX

Changed the overall lobby theme in celebration of our latest map – Vikendi
Applied the snowfield environment theme
Applied a snowing effect
Changed the background music
Improved the Store feature
Added additional sorting features to sort by Featured, Newest, Price High to Low, Price Low to High
When you preview items in the store, only the selected item to be previewed will be displayed on your character. All items equipped in your wardrobe will be unequipped.
If you preview a helmet skin, makeup or other items covering the face, all other items equipped on the head will be unequipped
Combined the 'Career' and 'Leaderboard' menu in Statistics into a 'Season' menu
Added On/Off option keybind for the on-screen key guide
You can toggle the on-screen key guide by pressing ALT+K
You can change the default setting for this feature in the settings under the Gameplay tab

Play Menu UI Renewal

Improved the map and game mode selection UI

Training mode can now be found under the PLAY menu, next to public match

Performance
Optimized foliage and vegetation rendering
Improved CPU performance by optimizing the object creation process
Improved GPU performance for Medium and Low options by adjusting graphic quality related to the 'Post Processing' with those settings (tuned HBAO+)

Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where each weapon had a different delay between reloading and being able to fire
Fixed an issue which caused vehicles to sometimes pass through players, when rolling down a hill
Fixed an issue which prevented the system menu from opening when clicking a specific spot on the button
Fixed an issue when laying prone right next to a wall, your weapon could move through the wall in FPP
Fixed an issue when spectating a player who died in Replay Mode, the follow camera stopped working
Fixed an issue which caused sudden frame drops temporarily when quickly toggling voice/sound options repeatedly
Fixed an issue that caused the region indicator in-game beneath the health bar to display as “UNKNOWN”
Region indicator will now not be shown until before the match countdown starts
Fixed an issue which caused character animations to look unnatural when players were pushed by a vehicle moving down a hill
Fixed an issue caused after restarting the lobby with 'Open Crate’ and 'Preview' buttons displaying on the left side of the screen in the Store Inventory page
Fixed an issue which caused the camera to fall into the ground in replay mode after parachuting
Fixed an issue where the angle of the spectated player's view was different from that of the player

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