PUBG
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The Black Shark looks like a gaming phone, runs like any other
Some of the most popular mobile games have player bases far exceeding those of big-name, AAA console titles. And where simple but addictive puzzlers like Candy Crush Saga used to be the pinnacle, we now have much more elaborate and engaging games like PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor. Already this year, we've seen a resurgence of devices aimed specifically at the 'mobile-gamers' demographic. In Europe, there's now one more: The Black Shark, which recently went on sale, starting at the introductory price of €469/£409 (roughly $525).
Jamie Rigg11.30.2018
Federal Trade Commission agrees to investigate loot boxes
The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to investigate loot boxes in games, along with their impact on kids. The agency's commissioners committed to the probe after Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) raised the issue at a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing. Loot boxes offer players in-game items, but because you can often buy them with real money and the virtual goods within are awarded at random, some claim they're tantamount to gambling.
Kris Holt11.28.2018
'PUBG' details its bug-fixing achievements and plans for next year
PUBG Corp. is ending its bug-squashing "fix PUBG" campaign to focus on new development priorities for the year ahead. "Build stability and quality" are now its "most important value," explains the company in an open letter posted to Steam, ahead of battle royale gameplay and new content.
Saqib Shah11.20.2018
Xbox's Black Friday deals start early for Live Gold members
Microsoft's Xbox Black Friday sale is kicking off early for Xbox Live Gold members, and you can grab discounts on some of the biggest titles around right now. Red Dead Redemption 2 was only released a few weeks ago, but you can save 10 percent in the sale.
Kris Holt11.15.2018
'PUBG' comes to the PlayStation 4 on December 7th
Even after a juicy rumor dropped that Player Unknown's Battlegrounds was coming soon to PlayStation 4, many gamers still had their doubts. You can banish all those negative thoughts now, as Sony and PUBG have announced that the game is indeed coming to the PS4 console and soon, too. It'll arrive on December 7th, easily in time for Christmas, with the popular Erangel, Miramar and Sanhok maps. A much-touted snow-themed map (aka Vikendi) will arrive a bit later in winter of 2018.
Steve Dent11.13.2018
The Joker and Harley Quinn are going to wreak havoc in 'PUBG'
The world of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is colliding with the DC Universe. The Joker and Harley Quinn -- the Jared Leto and Margot Robbie versions from Suicide Squad -- will be making an appearance in PUBG as playable character skins that will be available sometime soon.
AJ Dellinger11.06.2018
'PUBG' could be en route to PlayStation 4 this year
Since 2017, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been exclusive to PC and Xbox. That could be changing. The battle royale game may appear on PlayStation 4 soon if a Korean ratings board slip-up (spotted by Eurogamer) is to be believed. Each time I've spoken with PUBG Corp over the past year, whoever I've talked to said that a PlayStation 4 version wasn't in the cards because the team wanted to get the Xbox version up to par with the PC first. It looks like that time may have come.
Timothy J. Seppala09.19.2018
'PUBG Mobile' update adds Sanhok map and new weapons
PUBG Mobile's recruited 20 million daily active users (outside of Korea, Japan, and China) in just six months. To celebrate, Bluehole is giving gamers a massive update led by the arrival of the Sanhok map. That also means new weapons (Flare Gun, QBZ, Muscle Car and Bulletproof UAZ), along with a new Season Page that shows all your data -- including titles, highest tier reached and more -- and the usual gameplay improvements, this time tweaking the chat system, clan rankings, air drop items, and friends list, among others.
Saqib Shah09.14.2018
'PUBG’ launch on Xbox brings Sanhok map, but no War Mode
Bluehole celebrated the full launch of PUBG 1.0 out of its preview phase on Xbox One by adding the small map Sanhok, which debuted on PC back in June, and a special Event Pass. Unfortunately, players will have to wait for War Mode, which will only be available on certain weekends and for special events, starting in mid-September.
David Lumb09.05.2018
Honor’s Play gaming phone is far from perfect for 'PUBG'
The new Honor Play is business as usual for Huawei's under-brand. A marriage of surprisingly good specs, premium-esque design and a mid-range price tag is Honor's modus operandi, but the Play was created with a specific demographic in mind: The avid mobile gamer. While most phones are more than capable of running games, the Play has a couple of special features that are supposed to give you, the player, an advantage over the competition.
Jamie Rigg09.01.2018
Honor's affordable gaming phone is designed for 'PUBG'
Honor, a spin-off brand from Huawei, makes decent middleweight smartphones that are often, well, kind-of unremarkable. This time is different. Honor is going after a specific smartphone audience: The mobile gamer -- especially if you're into PUBG Mobile. The Honor Play was officially unveiled at IFA today, and all the major features are aggressively aimed at gamers. While there are no plans for a US release, the Play is priced keenly enough, at 329 euros (roughly $380) that, heck, some mobile gamers might even bite.
Mat Smith08.30.2018
'PUBG' is adding an expansive training mode
As part of its "Fix PUBG" plan to, well, fix many of the issues in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds like sluggish performance and cheating, PUBG Corporation is adding a training mode to the game. Between five and 20 people can play together in the dedicated two-square-kilometer map, and work on any gameplay aspect they might want to sharpen up on, from parachute landings and driving, to shooting and vaulting.
Kris Holt08.23.2018
The latest Xbox One gamepad innovation: trigger grips
As sure as the sun sets, Microsoft spent some time at Gamescom talking about a new variant of its killer Xbox One gamepad. This time, it's one themed around PlayerUnknown's BattleGrounds. But rather than just being a superficial upgrade as is the norm, this one features a functional embellishment too: a grippy texture on the tops of the triggers. Cool. There's also a subtle digital camo pattern replete with scuffs and scrapes from battle. The metallic D-pad shows a similar kind of wear, and there's a blue-zone-esque circle around the left thumbstick. It ships in October and pre-orders are open right now.
Timothy J. Seppala08.21.2018
'PUBG' developer plans three month sprint to 'fix the game'
PUBG Corp has unveiled a three month roadmap to improve PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in response to a "fix the game" clarion call from certain pockets of its fanbase. The scheme will cover server performance, anti-cheat solutions, and vows to iron out several bugs and UI inconsistencies.
Katrina Filippidis08.08.2018
'PUBG' brings fickle weather patterns back to its big maps
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has a new patch with quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes and a few notable features to add a bit of realism. Random weather patterns return to the game's first two maps, Erangel and Miramar. The update also enables bullets to penetrate arms and hands, doing more damage if they would hit more vulnerable body parts behind them. In other words, your character's flailing limbs won't block higher-damage headshots anymore.
David Lumb08.01.2018
'PUBG Mobile' adds fast-paced War Mode and clans
PUBG Mobile just got some spicier gameplay, whether you're just looking for a quick fix or striving for glory. Both Android and iOS versions of the game now include War Mode, which ditches the familiar battle royale in favor of a deathmatch-style experience where respawns are available and kill counts are the key to victory. At the same time, competitive players are getting their fill with clan support (including insignia, missions and a Clan Shop).
Jon Fingas07.25.2018
Popular 'PUBG' streamer faces ban for playing with cheater
There's no question that PUBG's creators want to crack down on cheating, but some players have wondered: is it really willing to go after superstar players if they play dirty? Apparently, the answer is yes. PUBG Corp has issued a one-month ban to Shroud (aka Michael Grzesiek), one of PUBG's best-known streamers, after a session where he initially complained about and then played with a cheater. The hacker both took Shroud around in a flying car and helped him spot rival players that were otherwise invisible. And did we mention that the hacker wasn't part of Shroud's squad, which is a bannable offense by itself?
Jon Fingas07.10.2018
'PUBG' creators drop lawsuit over 'Fortnite' battle royale mode
If you were hoping PUBG Corp's lawsuit against Epic Games over Fortnite would be a knock-down drag-out fight to determine which battle royale game emerges triumphant... well, you'll be disappointed. The PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds developer has dropped the South Korean lawsuit, which alleged that Epic was imitating its interface and in-game items through Fortnite's Battle Royale mode. PUBG declined to explain the reason for the change of heart (we've asked Epic for comment), but there are a few potential candidates.
Jon Fingas06.27.2018
'PUBG' celebrates 50 million sales with first Steam discount
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is now enjoying its first Steam sale since launch. According to a recent Steam update, the price reduction -- a 33% discount which brings the price of admission down to $19.99 -- honors an important milestone: 50 million global sales.
Katrina Filippidis06.20.2018
The ‘Fortnite’-sized ‘PUBG’ map goes live Friday
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' third map 'Sanhok' will officially go live with a new patch on Friday, June 22nd. Its small-scale area (4km x 4km, a quarter the size of the other two and similar to Fortnite's map sizes) is expected to make for quicker games, and will come with a map-exclusive weapon that replaces the fan-favorite SCAR-L rifle. For now, Sanhok will be exclusive to the PC version.
David Lumb06.19.2018