New ‘PUBG Arcade’ will feature Team Deathmatch within Update 6.2

PUBG published a dev letter detailing the new ‘PUBG Arcade’ and Team Deathmatch game mode set to arrive alongside Update 6.2. The notes include more details about the new game mode, and mention the team’s plan to introduce other game modes down the road.

The announcement came in a dev letter posted to PUBG social media channels, where the company revealed ‘PUBG Arcade’, a new tab located within the main menu that will play host to alternative game modes to the company’s innovative Battle Royale experience. ‘Arcade’ will feature the long-awaited Team Deathmatch game mode when Update 6.2 hits live servers, expected to be available by Thursday morning for North American players.

As for Team Deathmatch itself, it feels as though PUBG really combed this one over before taking their plans public. The new game mode mirrors standard ‘TDM’ action but offers a few unique characteristics to keep it interesting and unique to PUBG.

The Team Deathmatch mode places two teams of eight players versus one another, where the first team to reach 50 Kills wins the round – the first team to take two rounds wins the match. Gameplay is set across seven separate areas located across four of the maps that players already know and love, offering a change of scenery to players that return match after match. Varying weather has also been enabled, allowing for more combinations between the seven maps and numerous weather conditions.

"Locations for each of the seven TDM Battlefields:Erangel – Stalber, Sosnovka Military BaseSanhok – Paradise Resort, DocksVikendi – Podvosto, PeshkovaMiramar – Campo Militar"

Though the community was craving the freedom to customize your loadout with sights, grips and attachments, PUBG has elected to continue with eight “Spawn Kits”, which are just preset loadouts, at this time. I have a feeling that its a decision the team isn’t entirely attached to, and it’s self-evident that customization would be welcomed by the majority of players.

These eight Spawn Kits provide the player with individual strengths and weaknesses, something that will be important to consider when habitually springing for the Sniper or Assult Rifle loadout. If you’re playing on one of the close-range maps with Foggy weather conditions, for example, maybe give the Shotgun or SMG Spawn Kit a go. You can select and change your Spawn Kit by opening the map, which will also display the individual player statistics for each team.

When eliminated, players respawn on the map with ‘brief invulnerability’ near teammates when it’s safe to do so. This should reduce the likelihood of spawn camping and allow for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. I’m excited to see PUBG go with this respawning method, rather than their former Warmode respawn system that made players parachute from the airplane in incremental flyovers as if you were beginning a new Battle Royale match.

More from App and Gaming News

• Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1: Last major update released
• GTA 6: Who is Lucia and what is her role?
• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Is GTA 6 coming to PC at launch in 2025?
• GTA 6 trailer arrives early, confirming 2025 release: Watch it here!

Immediately marked by the community, and the feature I’m personally most excited to see is the new ‘TDM Boost Gauge’. Unlike standard boost items used in Battle Royale, the TDM Boost Gause will be filled after each kill and assist, granting a 10% heal for each second. So, if you receive damage during an exchange but are able to get that kill or assist, your health with regenerate after five seconds at the rate of 10% per second. Kills will improve your boost gauge by 50%, with every assist contributing 20%. This boost may allow for complete domination by highly skilled players, but it’s going to be interesting to see in action.

Overall, this game mode is exactly what PUBG has been missing in my opinion. I have, along with an outspoken part of the PUBG community, requested Team Deathmatch or another game mode be added into the game. I felt as though PUBG lacked something in the middle ground to attract and retain players looking to spend some time in a game without too much investment. For daily players, this point likely won’t resonate but have some middle ground in between the intense and occasionally adrenaline-filled matches of PUBG Battle Royale and the snooze-fest of Training Mode may do wonders for the player base.

It may too early to say what this game mode, and those coming down the road, could do for the North American player base long-term, but its certainly going to earn the attention of every player that’s either switched to other titles or departed PUBG in recent months.