PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds gets an Apex Legends-esque ping system
The makers of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds have released the thirtieth patch since the game left Steam Early Access status. Part of the 17.4GB patch is a ping system similar to that of Apex Legends.
In the patch notes, PUBG Corp. notes that a ping system has been introduced on the test servers to help players communicate and develop team strategy. It is intended for players who cannot or do not want to use voice chat. The ping system works with ‘radio messages’ that simplify mutual communication. Players who want to use this, for example, have to press the scroll wheel of the mouse or the F3 button, although other key bindings are also possible. Once this is applied, up to eight different radio messages will appear on screen, around the crosshairs.
The content of the messages and commands is context dependent. For example, if a player needs ammunition and is holding an automatic rifle like the M416, teammates are immediately notified that the requesting player needs 5.56mm rounds. The caliber is dynamically tuned based on the weapon used. Furthermore, a ping can be used to indicate the direction, or for example with found items to share the location. With a double click, teammates can be alerted to a observed enemy, whereby roughly the distance is also shown. The enemy player’s location will also be visible on the map. The chosen radio command and the information resulting from a ping will be visible on the left side of the screen in the chat messages, so that everyone on the team can see in text what the player meant by his ping. That text is also audible in the form of a voice-over, so that it comes across as a radio message.
PUBG Corp. also added a system where players can hold onto ledges. This means that players can, for example, get over high walls or climb on roofs and fences. This feature allows players to access areas that were previously inaccessible; for example, you can now jump from building to building. This system of using ridges is still at an early stage. Hanging from railings and sliding off them, for example, is not yet an option, although the developer of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds says that this will be added in a future update.