There's no question in PUBG: Battlegrounds, one of the core modes in Ranked. Since the game was first released, nothing changed much in this mode. However, this year will give it a new life.
As revealed in the 2023 Roadmap, all existing eight-kilometer maps are going to be applied to Ranked, added after stabilization. However, the development team revealed that they won't be including all maps at once. Instead, a map rotation system, like in Normal Match, will be used with the probability gradually adjusted.
That's not the only change coming. Items and features available only in Normal Match are going to be added to Ranked, including the Blue Zone Grenade, Folded Shield, and even Emergency Pickup. According to the team, they're making sure that players feel the changes in Ranked but without damaging the balance. However, sensitive content perceived differently in Ranked, like the planned revive system, won't be added.
Finally, and probably the most important, the rewards available in Ranked are going to be enhanced. This should make players not only feel the attraction of playing Ranked but also want to take on new challenges each season.
Esports Changes
It goes without saying that any improvements for Ranked are bound to impact the competitive scene. The team shared that official PUBG Esports matches are usually conducted through a separate in-game ruleset known as the Standard and Universal PUBG Esports Ruleset or SUPER.
But when Ranked was introduced, many were able to experience an esports-like gameplay, leading to a gap between existing esports rulesets and the one for Ranked. To reduce this gap, the plan is to align the rulesets of Ranked and esports.
For the dev team, the ultimate goal is to give players who have shown excellent skills in Ranked a wide stage to display their ambition to compete with top-level individuals. At the same time, fans get the chance to have the same gaming experience as the professional players they support.
That said, all updates applied to Ranked will also be implemented on the official PUBG Esports matches. In addition, the in-game Esports mode will be adjusted to have the same settings as the Ranked mode.
If you’re excited about the new changes for Ranked, be ready for the new map currently in the works and many more things planned for the future.
PUBG: Battlegrounds is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS.