PUBG Arena Mode Cancelled After Just One Day
Well, that lasted long, didn't it? Just over 24 hours after PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile's new Arena Mode was introduced, PUBG Corp has pulled the plug on the latest addition. It was a short (and not-so-sweet) ride for PUBG Arena Mode. Taking over sections of the Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok maps, Arena Mode had all the potential to be a fan-favourite addition to the battle royale favourite.
PUBG Arena Mode brought a tournament experience to the game and teased the potential of big changes for its future. Sadly, just 26 hours after Arena Mode burst onto the PUBG scene, it's been axed due to a "critical issue impacting game stability".
Arena Mode was being trialled on PUBG Labs in four windows for PC and console. The first PC trial was supposed to run from today (September 18) until the 21st. Now, PUBG Corp has confirmed its dropped the PC experience for now.
Posting on Twitter, the official PUBG account confirmed, "It's unlikely the game mode will return this weekend". There's still hope developers will fix the issue in time for the next PC window, which is due to start on September 25, with the account promising it will provide an update on any potential changes when it can.
Fans were disappointed with the latest development. One player wrote, "Dang it just got into 1 game and it was super fun Hope you also re-balance the prices slightly and fix the throwables observer bug for next week". Another added, "That's unfortunate.. Looks like a lot of fun! Hope it gets resolved!". The 64-player squad match was being tested in Labs before a potential rollout to the main game. The fact PUBG Arena Mode has fallen at the first hurdle isn't a great sign.
When it comes to how PUBG Arena Mode works/is supposed to work, squads are dumped in various sections and have to take on up to two other teams. Gifted three lives, squads lose one each time the final player is downed. Although winners advance into a stronger position for the next arena, Sudden Death is activated when three or fewer squads are left. No matter how many lives your team has left, only one will come out on top.
Arena Mode includes additional perks like a reduced revive time of just five seconds and the ability to buy new weapons with currency earned from killing enemies. The idea of a new weapon looting system and 64-player mode was enough to see Arena Mode grab headlines. Sadly, it's now getting attention for all the wrong reasons. There's still no news on whether Arena Mode will make the leap to PUBG full-time, but here's hoping the PC problems are just a small stumbling block.
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Images via PUBG Corp