PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is already one of the biggest multiplayer games of 2017, even though it’s still in early access, with its official release recently pushed back to the end of the year. The experience hinges upon tense alliances made between competitors, but a new video demonstrates what happens when players attempt to get along with one another.
The clip, produced by gaming commentary channel DooM49, places 50 players in a map and sees them engage in a variety of different activities that don’t involve killing one another. They take part in a destruction derby, go for a quick swim, and even engage in a little target practice.
If you’re not familiar with Battlegrounds, it’s something of a spiritual successor to the popular “Battle Royale” mod for DayZ and other multiplayer titles. Up to a hundred players parachute onto an island, and from there on out they’re locked in a deadly contest to gather the best gear and kill off all their competition.
Brendan Greene — better known as PlayerUnknown — was the original creator of the mod, and he eventually decided to turn the game type into its own standalone game. Battlegrounds was the end result, and the title has already amassed a passionate fan base since it was released via Steam early access in March 2017.
The nature of the game means that players can never truly be sure of who they can trust, as anyone they meet in the game world could easily stab them in the back and steal their hard-earned gear. With up to 100 players in a game, forging partnerships with others can be the key to victory, even if these friendships are often quite fragile and temporary.
The high-stakes gameplay of Battlegrounds means that players aren’t typically afforded the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. The actual objective of the game is completely forgotten in the video by DooM49, leaving combatants to demonstrate just how much madcap fun there is to be had within the confines of the map.
If this clip has whetted your appetite to try out Battlegrounds for yourself, the game is available now via Steam early access, and is scheduled to hit the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at some point in the future.
