September 23, 2020 PUBG’s Arena mode is heading back to Labs for testing again, after being disabled last week.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds could be getting a “64-person, squad-based” Arena mode. Developer PUBG Corp. recently added the mode to the battle royale game’s ‘Labs’ testing ground as a new experiment, which aims to combine “intense PUBG gunplay with the tactics of an arena shooter”. It was disabled shortly after for game stability reasons, but goes back up for testing today (September 23).
“Arena mode is a 64-person, squad-based match that drops you into one of several sectioned-off zones on Erangel, Miramar, or Sanhok,” a Labs blog post explains. “You’ll fight it out with up to two other squads to claim victory in your arena. Should you lose, your team will lose one of its three chances, which eliminates you once they’re gone.” Score a victory, on the other hand, and you’ll progress into the next round in a “stronger position” than your opponents that lost.
Once the game gets down to three squads or fewer, the mode switches players into a sudden death-style arena. At this point, it’s winner-takes-all – regardless of who’s got the most chances remaining. There are some other key differences to normal matches, too – primarily, that PUBG weapons don’t spawn in the world. “Instead, you will need to use currency that you earn by eliminating other players to purchase your arsenal through the Loadout menu,” the post says.
Plus, “small, intense fights” can play out a little differently, in that knocked teammates can be revived in just five seconds – which, with strong teamwork and tactics – can be a real advantage in the mode.
As with every experiment brought to PUBG Labs for testing, there’s no guarantee that Arena mode will make it to the live game. The mode will be available to try out on PC for four more days, according to the dev on Twitter, with revised testing dates now being September 24 through 28 and again from October 1 to 5.
Arena Mode returns and will be available to play for 4 days.
PC: September 23, 8pm PDT
Console: September 24, 4am PDT (after maintenance)Another testing window will run at the start of October.
Full event schedule and details below.https://t.co/aX0Uf3PUMU
— PUBG Support (@PUBG_Support) September 23, 2020
Feedback will then give the studio some idea about if or how to move forward with it. “As always, your feedback here is important and will help shape the mode should we decide to continue development on it,” the post says.
Go get suck into the PUBG Arena mode on those dates if you’re keen to give it a go, and check out our PUBG glider spawns guide if you’re looking to catch some air in the main game.