PUBG is one of the action-packed battle royales that started it all, but it has quickly fallen out of the public eye as Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends have become more popular. Though PUBG had some performance and visual issues on launch, it also introduced many innovative mechanics that are now commonplace in modern-shooters.
Those who miss the glory days of the OG battle royale shouldn’t get too down, as PUBG: Blindspot is dropping into the gaming marketplace soon. As a team-based shooter, PUBG Studios has innovated upon the original to create something truly different. Here’s what we currently know about Blindspot, plus the big difference between the newest title and its predecessor.
Though PUBG: Blindspot doesn’t have a confirmed release date, there will be a demo launching soon. The bite-sized version will be available on February 20th through Steam. The demo will offer a taste of what to expect when the PVP shooter officially launches, but all the little issues and bugs might not be hammered out just yet.
The availability of a demo means that PUBG: Blindspot will probably release sometime in the near future. Hopefully more details will be revealed soon, but the demo’s release may hold many of the answers we’re seeking.
In a shocking turn of events, PUBG: Blindspot won’t be first-person or third-person. Instead, it’ll offer a top-down view. Blindspot is still a PVP game and focused on guns as the primary weaponry, but each fight for survival will take place in a perspective that’s totally new for PUBG players.
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The top-down perspective will allow combatants to organize their team to create an effective plan of attack, which is perfect as Blindspot is often referred to as a strategy-shooter. Certain weapons and equipment are also more viable with a top-down view since you can more easily see where enemies are on the map.
One of the primary reasons that the original strategy-shooter was so popular is because it allowed players to switch between third-person and first-person views, but hopefully it won’t take too much adjusting for fans to move over to the newest entry. Top-down games may be a different monster altogether, but the strategic nature of PUBG still reigns supreme.
It appears that PUBG: Blindspot is going the way of tactical shooters like Rainbow Six Siege by offering a variety of characters to try. There will initially be ten operators, but more could be put into the final release. Even if the original ten are the only characters available at launch, character-based shooters tend to add new content every few months.
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Attackers in PUBG: Blindspot come equipped with gadgets that can be used to help push the defending team into a corner, allowing attackers to strike in the chaos and secure victory over the opposition. Each team will have five players, so you can build your dream team any way your group desires.
Each character is expected to have a unique skill-kit in some way, but we’ll have to wait and see which are the best. Like other team-based games, you’ll probably want a mix of certain abilities to create a balanced team. Eventually, the roster will probably offer dozens of playable characters, but the frequency of post-launch content drops will likely be determined by Blindspot’s popularity.
Like characters, more maps may be added to PUBG: Blindspot before its official release, but we currently have confirmation of seven. Four Demolition maps and three Deathmatch maps will be available in the demo, offering a plethora of places to explore and layouts to learn.
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Maps of a certain game mode will probably have special mechanics so that each experience feels unique, especially since Demolition and Deathmatch are so different. Demolition maps will offer a mission-like gameplay loop, while Deathmatch will be a more traditional strategy-shooter experience. Regardless of which mode becomes your favorite, you’ll have lots of maps to traverse in the demo.
The big question on every PUBG fan’s mind is whether or not the latest entry will replace the classic battle royale. Though it shares the same name, Blindspot is a very different game than PUBG, especially since it only offers a top-down perspective. As such, Blindspot isn’t a true sequel.
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There will likely be many similarities between the original PUBG and its indirect follow-up title, but it’s clear that they don’t have the same core-experience. The days of battle royale popularity are coming to an end, and although Fortnite is still going strong after seven-years, the initial hype around the genre isn’t what it once was.
Luckily, PUBG Studios is evolving its formula, so Blindspot will provide a great alternative to fans who crave a new shooter experience. February 20th will mark the beginning of an era for strategy-shooter fans, and hopefully the free demo will help introduce many gamers to a new way to play.
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