A Sneak Peek Of PUBG’s New Upcoming Map - Taego
Originally codenamed “Tiger”, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) newest map, Taego, is a mere two weeks away from release. Taego will go live on PC test servers beginning on June 30, before its official launch on July 7 for PC and July 15 for Consoles.
As we get closer to release, details on Taego have begun to emerge. Taego will be the first 8x8 map in THREE years. This South Korean-inspired map features large open fields, rural settlements, and stunning waterfalls. All in all, Taego is a beautiful sight to behold.
But Taego is more than just a visual masterpiece. This map includes all kinds of systems and mechanics completely new to PUBG. Let’s take a sneak peek at this upcoming map and overview all the new additions.
Self-Reviving
While most battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends are constantly innovating, PUBG has remained largely the same. PUBG has built up a reputation as the old school battle royale and thrived in that niche.
This new map Taego looks to change that. Taego will introduce modern battle royale mechanics never before seen in PUBG — like the self-revive. The Taego teaser trailer shows a brief glimpse of a player bringing themselves back to life with a defibrillator. This short clip essentially confirms that a self-revive mechanic is coming to PUBG.
While playing on Taego, PUBG players will need to remember to finish their kills, or they may find their enemies returning to life with a vengeance.
Respawn/Gulag System
Battle royale games have made a living by copying mechanics and features from one another. Now it’s PUBG’s turn to get in on that action.
The PUBG dev team confirmed back in May that Taego would feature the ability to return to battle after an initial defeat - AKA - a respawn mechanic. However, the devs did not provide any further details on how respawning would work.
Based on recent information from renowned PUBG leaker, PlayerIGN, Taego may feature a respawn/Gulag system similar to the one Call of Duty: Warzone made famous. Fallen players will have the opportunity to battle it out in the Gulag for a new lease on life. Winners of this 1v1 battle will spawn back onto the map via a special helicopter.
PUBG is pretty much the only battle royale left on the market with no respawn mechanic. If you die, that’s it - there’s no getting back into the game. Some players love this aspect of PUBG, but there’s no denying how unfortunate it is when you die early and have to spectate your friends for 20 minutes.
Whatever the method of respawning may be, Taego’s respawn system will be a welcome addition to Duos and Squads, especially.
Click to enlargeNew Zone Mechanic
One area in which PUBG does innovate is with their zones. PUBG has blue zones, red zones, and black zones. Each of these zones works differently and adds flavour to the map. The locales on the map remain the same each match, but the zones will always be different.
Taego appears to have some sort of inverted blue zone. Instead of the blue zone closing slowly around the map and forcing players toward a centre point, the invented blue zone will start in a location and expand outward, forcing players away.
Outside of the short teaser clip, details on this inverted blue zone are unknown. Will it be player-activated or simply random? How far outward can the inverted blue zone expand?
The inverted blue zone may be something different entirely. Could this new mechanic work similarly to the Heat Shields introduced in Apex Legends? Perhaps this new zone mechanic will be a deployable item that players can use to stay safe within the zone for a limited time.
At this point, we have more questions than answers when it comes to Taego’s new zone mechanic. The devs are keeping these new features largely under wraps and forcing the player base to speculate. With Taego’s official release just a couple of week’s away, more information on what this new zone mechanic actually is will likely be revealed soon.
Click to enlargeEmergency Airdrop
Based on the trailer footage, Taego may include yet another feature from the Call of Duty series. The Taego teaser trailer shows a clip of a cargo plane releasing dozens of airdrops from the sky. This incident reminds us of the Emergency Airdrop killstreak from Call of Duty.
The loot within these supply crates will vary. There appears to be a few big boy Supply Drops in the crowd while most are just standard supply crates.
The occurrence of this event will certainly spice up the mid-game portion of the match. Even one Supply Drop usually has multiple teams racing to contest it. Imagine 10+ Supply Drops falling from the sky at once. The battle over this high-tier loot is guaranteed to be an exciting one.
Click to enlargeNew Guns And Vehicles
Players will find two brand-new guns on the island of Taego. The two guns in question are the MK12 DMR and the K2 Assault Rifle.
The MK12 is a designated marksman rifle (DMR). This new weapon will perform well at long range and deal high damage per shot. The downsides of the MK12 will be its slow fire rate and single fire mode. The MK12 will use 5.56 ammo.
The MK12 actually already exists in PUBG Mobile. In the Mobile version of the game, the MK12 has the following stats and attributes:
- Damage: 46 - 48
- Effective Range: 150 m
- Magazine: 20 bullets (30 with an Extended Magazine)
- Attachment Slots: Scope, Magazine, Grip, Muzzle
These values and attributes are all subject to change, but the two versions probably won't be far off from one another. PUBG players can expect the MK12 to perform and act similarly to the Mini 14.
Next, we have the K2 Assault Rifle. Fitting for Taego’s theme, the K2 Assault Rifle is produced in South Korea. The K2 Assault Rifle has a similar design to the M16 and comes with semi-auto, 3-round burst, and full-auto fire modes. This AR uses 5.56 ammo as well.
In the automobile department, the Hyundai Pony Coupe will be available for use on Taego. Hyundai is a South Korean car manufacturer and the Pony Coupe is one of their most popular and mass-produced models. This iconic South Korean vehicle is the perfect fit for Taego.
Taego has PUBG players more excited than they have been in years. We’re finally getting a new 8x8 map packed full of modern-day battle royale features. Starting June 30, PUBG players can see first-hand how Taego compares to the OG maps like Erangel and Vikendi.
