PUBG Season 4 and Erangel visual overhaul arrive with PC update 4.1

New Erangel has arrived! Today, PUBG announced PC Update 4.1, headlined by a visual overhaul to the beloved original map.

Playable right now on test servers, PUBG update 4.1 will make its way to live servers next week on Wednesday, July 24.

Speculation surrounding when the revitalized map would land on live servers has circulated since its reveal last month. The visual update brings a massive face-lift to the preferred map of many players, both casual and competitive. Alterations traverse every aspect of the map, ranging from the color of foliage and buildings to a complete reworking of the map’s landscape in particular areas.

This update goes deeper than visual improvements to Erangel. Players will be pleasantly surprised with the new features and items of a brand new Season 4 Survivor Pass titled “Aftermath”. Complete with a variety of exclusive character and weapon cosmetics, the first-ever vehicle skin will also be rewarded to players who purchase the pass.

A new cinematic trailer provides some context behind the new art and design throughout the updated Erangel map. The inspiration behind its makeover had been theorized by the community during the map’s first round of testing last month. This short trailer presents an intriguing storyline and the origin of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

Update 4.1 is brimming with new features. The Season 4 Survivor Pass will incentivize players to return to the battlegrounds to unlock their next item, while the new Cooperative Mission System will allow them to accomplish their goals with a friend. This is a new and interesting way to achieve more as a team beyond your placement each match.

As for gameplay updates, there are plenty. This update is littered with buffs and nerfs to a variety of weapons and vehicles. The most notable change for me is the improved stability of the three-seater bike. Additionally a tweak to the BRDM-2, the new amphibious vehicle added the last update, will now only allow teammates to climb into it. Prior to this new “locking” mechanism, enemy players were able to outmaneuver the large vehicle and climb aboard. Oh, and they added a new radio feature to every vehicle because I guess the rides weren’t already loud enough.

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Another significant part of this update revolves around the North American player base. The map selection and matchmaking queue times have been a sore spot for the region for a while now.

In the past, PUBG has tried to give the players more selection. At one point, you could select multiple maps, while avoiding the one you’re not too fond of. Later on, they tried to separate the four maps into mini-royale and battle-royale. In this iteration, they’re going to give players the option to select either “Random” or “Featured Map”. Meaning the other three maps, Miramar, Sanhok, and Vikendi will see a fair portion of the player base and anyone that opts out of playing the renewed Erangel.

This is good news for my fellow Miramar fans, but bad news if you’re someone who likes to hot-drop into Bootcamp on Sanhok. Eventually, PUBG plans to remove the “Featured” option and make all four maps randomized. I see a ton of re-queue in the future, just like the old days!

This update is loaded with new cosmetics and tweaks to existing features. Be sure to update the test servers and check it out for yourself, and let me know what you think of this update in the comments below.