Anyone who has ever wished to re-experience the classic days ofPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSis in luck.PUBGwill be running an Erangel Classic event for two weeks soon. Players will get a replicated feel ofPUBG’s early days, including Erangel’s original map layout, reduced recoil with gunplay, the armored UAZ, and more.
In a recent interview with Game Rant,PUBGproduction director Taehyun Kim shared that, after getting player feedback, the team realized that many in its community wantedPUBGto return to its roots. Completely reverting to its original UI and gunplay balance was “impossible,” but PUBG Studios worked to get it similar enough and hopes for players' approval. Kim added releasing Erangel Classic would be “a great opportunity” for the team to gather direct feedback.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
PUBG Erangel Classic Interview
Q:PUBGhas transformed over the last seven years. What influenced the decision to bring players back to the early days?
A:Players’ demand and nostalgia are the catalysts for our decision to bring backPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’ old elements to the game for a limited time. We learned from our community that players who have loved the game since long ago often miss the oldPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSthinking that it feels more natural and authentic than the advanced version we have now. This is why we decided to introduce the old elements for a limited time to offer an interesting refresh that can rekindle nostalgic memories and help create new memorable moments.
Q: Were there any challenges reverting back to the original UI, gunplay balance, etc?
A:Completely reverting the UI and gunplay balance wasn’t possible because it was impractical to simply apply the old assets to the current version of the game that has evolved through seven years of updates and optimizations. Therefore, we aimed to recreate the UI and gunplay balance based on the past records and data. While not identical to the old version, this approach produces a result that is similar enough to be acceptable for the current gameplay and players.
Q: Can you talk about how this event got its start development-wise?
A:We believe that releasing Erangel Classic will be a great opportunity for us to gather direct feedback from players on the changes and updates we’ve implemented over the years.Player feedback is crucial for improving the game; they provide the insights we need to check if newer features and elements have a positive or negative impact on its gameplay.
Q: Was there any specific aspect or detail that brought nostalgia for the development team?
A:A lot of things evoked nostalgia when we designed Erangel Classic: the distinct atmosphere of the early Erangel, weapons placed on wooden tables on the starting islands, rough font, low recoil, technical flaws and bugs. Among these, the most nostalgic for the dev team were the frequent bugs from the old Erangel map.
We think some players might expect to exploit those bugs in Erangel Classic. In the current Erangel, however, most of the bugs were already fixed, so we had to consider a lot of things to decide whether to bring those bugs back. Eventually, we decided to provide Erangel Classic with the bugs fixed. We understand some of you may be disappointed, but please keep those bugs just as a memory.
Q: The Helmet and classic skins will be up for grabs in the world spawn. How do these items add to the nostalgic experience?
A:The Helmet (Lv.3) and classic skins are perhaps the most representative elements of the oldPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSand Erangel. The direction of thePUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSupdates over the past seven yearshas been to make it easier for playersto get the items they want based on player feedback. Completely reverting those updates would cause significant fatigue for players, so we decided to bring the Helmet (Lv.3) and classic skins back as world spawn items because they are relatively free of balance issues. As the helmet isPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’ iconic item, players can hopefully have a bigger excitement when looting it.
Q: The Tommy Gun, which is the most damage-dealing SMG, can once again be found in care packages. Competitively, how does this affect the dynamics of the battle royale?
A:We’ve adjusted the performance of the Tommy Gun to resemble its earlier stats, and it’s now available in Care Package and removed from world spawn. These changes were not part of the initial design. After the news of Erangel Classic was released, however, we discovered many players wanted the weapon to be found in the Care Package again and incorporated this feedback during the very late stage of the development. Although the Tommy Gun wasn’t favored by many due to its relatively low performance compared to other Care Package weapons, we think it’s a meaningful change that players can meet this nostalgic weapon again this way.
Q: When using the Flare Gun, players will once again get the UAZ instead of BRDM. While the durability is less than the BRDM, what does it add to Erangel Classic’s gameplay?
A:In Erangel Classic, you can use the Flare Gun to get a bulletproof UAZ instead of the BRDM. As demonstrated in Rondo, this special UAZ is an armored vehicle that provides a good balance for gameplay. It’s less durable than the BRDM but compensates with better mobility. Your enemycan deal with your bulletproof UAZ more easily than the BRDM, maintaining the overall game balance. We hope this vehicle effectively offers the old Erangel’s gameplay and driving experience without damaging the overall balance of the game.
Q: Players will experience less recoil, like in the early days, but not for SRs, Handguns, and Crossbows. Why did thePUBGteam think this was important gameplay-wise?
A:Recoil is the biggest difference in the gunplay between the old and presentPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. We had balance adjustments mainly for the core weapon groups like ARs and DMRs, which led to a huge increase in the recoil with the introduction of new weapons. To recapture the old gunplay, we had to reduce their recoil. Intentionally, the recoil wasn’t adjusted for SRs, Handguns and the Crossbow as they are less affected by recoil. In fact, the big increase in the recoil was due to the overall balance adjustment for ARs in the past.
Beyond Erangel
Q: After being part of the battle royale category for seven years, what doesPUBGadd to the genre?
A:One ofPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’biggest contributions to the genre is that the game has made BR popular across the globe. With its vast player base,PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDShas played a key role in the Battle Royale genre with a significant impact on the market and even contributed to the emergence of various sub-genres.
Q: How did you come up with the idea to prepare an Erangel Classic movie with influencers like Shroud and WackyJacky101?
A:The Erangel Classic campaign was designed to recapture the fun players enjoyed in the early days ofPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSand evoke a sense of nostalgia for the past. To reproduce the fun from the past, we tried to include universally enjoyable elements and representative figures who enjoyed the oldPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSand play the current one. In the, Shroud and WackyJacky101 have a time-traveling journey to bring the old Erangel back to the present.
We will also have a streaming event with Shroud where he forms a squad to have a fierce competition against the other squad during the PUBG: Squad Battle. This event will be held from 7pm to 10 pm on May 18 (UTC).
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A:Erangel Classic may not be a perfect restoration ofPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’earlier experience;We’ve seen remarkable technical advances over the seven years, which made it difficult for us to reproduce the earlier version of the game’s gameplay identically. That said, we did our utmost to bring back the feel and experience from its early days and hope you can enjoy Erangel Classic with your friends who played PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS with you before, reminiscing about the past and making new memories together.
[END]
PUBG: Battlegrounds
WHERE TO PLAY
Fight to be the last player standing in an action-packed battle royale. Parachute into a treacherous battleground with only your wits for protection, as you loot gear and outsmart your enemies in a fierce battle royale. Build the ultimate soldier from scratch and test your mettle against up to 99 other players across three unique maps. Only one life. Only one shot at victory per match. Wreak havoc on your own or take on the challenge in a squad of up to four players to increase your chances of survival - and glory. Squad up and join the Battlegrounds for free and experience the original battle royale.
