PUBG map Vikendi is available to try now on the battle royale game’s public test servers, with a full re-release coming in December, as Krafton ups the size of the snow-covered arena and adds new features, vehicles, and systems, presenting some tougher competition for Call of Duty and Warzone 2.
Vikendi Reborn will enter the full PUBG map rotation on December 6, but willing players can try it right now via the Battlegrounds public test servers. Refreshed and revitalised, Vikendi is now an 8×8 rather than 6×6 map, and includes a new area called the blizzard zone, where combat gets tougher owing to harsh weather conditions and low visibility.
There’s also a new cable car system, either for zipping around Vikendi or hiding from rivals, and an extra group of POIs called lab camps, equipped with alarms that automatically activate should you take any loot from their precious supply drops.
The loot that spawns in lab camps comes in three varieties: yellow drops bring throwables, boost items, an M79 (potentially), and level 3 equipment (also potentially); red supply drops could contain any of the weapons you find in Vikendi; and blue supply drops contain attachments. Just keep in mind those pesky alarms, which are likely to alert any nearby squads to your plundering ways.
The comeback BR system has also been revamped on Vikendi Reborn, meaning you can battle it out to re-enter a match up to three times. If you get killed in the first phase, you’ll get a chance at the comeback BR. Get killed again in the second phase, and you’ll get a second chance, and so on. If the whole squad gets wiped, though, that’s just too bad – you’re out.
A lot of the features from PUBG’s other new map, Deston, have been implemented to Vikendi Reborn, including ascenders to swiftly scale buildings and the utility parachute to quickly get back down. There are also crowbars dotted around the map now which you can use to access various areas like locked buildings and loot cabinets. You can see the new version of Vikendi in action thanks to PUBG’s latest trailer.
If you want a chicken dinner, check out our PUBG tips guide. You might also want to play some of the best multiplayer games, or perhaps the best co-op games on PC, if you and your squad fancy a new challenge.