PUBG Battlegrounds dev on shaking up the formula with new map Rondo

PUBG Battlegrounds might be known as the grandaddy of battle royale games, but there’s plenty of life in the game yet.

While we’ve seen new maps, Rondo marks PUBG's largest and most visually diverse inclusion yet. It’s also the first map since Deston arrived last Summer.

Between the challenges of adding a larger cityscape, to the new weapon and more, we spoke to PUBG’s In-Game Production Director, Taehyun Kim, about everything players can experience on Rondo.

Rondo & Rondo we go

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We’ve seen classic PUBG maps on an 8x8 scale, notably Erangel and Miramar. Rondo follows that trend, something that Kim explained was down to experience.

“Our development team has gained knowledge and know-how from our previous experiences in developing numerous 8x8km sized maps,” he explains.

“I wanted to build on this experience and also make the most of it to provide more entertainment to our players.”

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Krafton certainly did make the most of it, too, with Rondo being the largest playing area of any PUBG map since launch.

“Each map has its own unique characteristics,” Kim explains, “and the development team strives to provide visual differentiation when developing new maps.

“Currently, many maps have a Western look. The ninth map, Deston, was also developed with the U.S. state of Texas as a motif and received many great responses from our Western players.

“When planning this new map, I wanted to provide players with a new visual, feel and atmosphere, hence the East Asian look.”

Sights & sounds (of gunfire)

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The visual difference is immediately striking and remains varied throughout, something the PUBG development team worked hard to achieve.

“I thought it would be monotonous to fill all areas with a one-period art concept, so we added various period art concepts,” Kim reveals.

“At the same time, we tried to provide uniformity in colour so that it would not feel chaotic no matter which region you go to.”

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When it comes to the terrain, PUBG Battlegrounds has often been accused of erring on the side of being too green or brown, with a ‘MilSim’ aesthetic that’s become the game’s calling card alongside the colourful characters and maps of its rivals.

Rondo offered a chance to shake things up, offering a different kind of verticality to that found in the likes of Taego et al.

“The terrain itself was intended to be flat so that movement would not be difficult,” Kim explains.

“The unique cliffs and ground cliffs rising on the plains provide a gameplay experience that has not been seen in existing fields where cliff play is usually only possible when there are tall structures, but in Rondo, you can experience it even on the plains.

“To provide players with a fresher gameplay experience, we added two very different aspects to the map: a modern city with stylish buildings and verdant places with a traditional past.”

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The city Kim is referring to is Jadena City, and it marks the game’s most advanced urban location, with skyscraper-like buildings and tight streets. Adding such a sizeable POI didn’t come easy, though, especially with Rondo’s size making it resource-intensive.

“High-rise buildings are one of [the biggest challenges],” Kim tells us.

“As more data accumulates, outcome or performance can be hurt. Cutting down data to the level of Erangel is what we had to do, but it took more time and effort than any other maps.”

Old dog, new tricks

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Aside from a new battleground, PUBG’s Rondo map adds a new weapon, the JS9 SMG – something the game’s website recommends for Rondo matches.

“Players may be wondering why a submachine gun is added,” Kim admits.

“Of the many guns and maps in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, many users mainly use guns with 5.56mm or 7.62mm ammo. I thought that using a variety of guns would make the gameplay more interesting, and also that it would be nice to see a lot of submachine guns used.

“I thought of ways to make a submachine gun keep its unique points and still look like a main weapon. After a long discussion, the new submachine gun, JS9, was added.

“If you try it, you will be able to feel that the specifications are quite good. It can be used as a main weapon up to a certain distance, though shorter than a medium range. Though it may not be a popular idea in shooting games, I wanted to create a gun that even entry-level players can easily use. I don't know if it will work out as expected, but I wanted to add a firearm that would be easier for those people to use.”

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It’s not just the JS9, either. Kim also points to the new ‘Stun Gun’ secondary weapon, and says the team had a great time playtesting it.

“I wanted to see what kind of fun players had with the stun gun. For example, during internal play testing, a team member used this not on an enemy, but on a teammate who was going to loot a crate. It brought a lot of fun and laughter for us.

“It was shown very briefly in the trailer, but when you get hit by a stun gun, you go into a groggy state for about four seconds. The stun gun itself is non-lethal, but if you get hit by it you will die because you can’t do anything for four seconds.”

If all of this has got you excited to drop into Rondo, good news - the map is out right now.