PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUB) is set to introduce a much-requested feature on specific servers: First-person-only camera angles. Set to show up in the next monthly update, it will be a feature rolled out to some servers in the EU/NA regions for solo and duo players first, before expanding into other areas and other game types.
Battle royale games like PUB are intense, survival-focused multiplayer affairs — though that may not always be the case — where awareness of your surroundings is incredibly important. One problem, as some see it, with a third-person perspective then, is that players can rotate the camera 360-degrees around them to see all at all times. A forced first-person perspective stops that in its tracks, and some PUB servers will soon offer that kind of gameplay.
Announced on the official PUB twitter account, we’re told that it’s looking to “#MakeHardcoreGreatAgain” with first-person servers. They’ll be introduced in specific regions first, but when the system is a little more polished, gamers from all over the world will be able to try out that way of playing the game.
The developers are keen to point out that this isn’t a forced gameplay type. Traditional, third-person PUB games will still be playable, but for those who want to try out a server where everyone’s viewpoint is as restricted as it would be in real life, the option will be there.
The response from fan communities like the PUB subreddit has been very positive, with many people suggesting that this should make the game more intense, as well as removing some of the camera exploits that let people check around corners with no fear of being shot at.
Some, however, have raised concerns that PUB‘s first-person camera angles aren’t as yet up to scratch for such a major investment in that perspective. PUB‘s PR team acknowledged as much in Twitter discussions, stating that the developers are working hard to improve animations and other aspects of that sort of gameplay before it releases to the public.
One other detail we learned in the hours following the announcement was that the first-person mode would come with a field-of-view slider (thanks, PCGN). That will go some way to helping with user comfort, which can be affected by a restricted or overly expansive field of view.
You won’t have to play in first person though. Indeed, you don’t even need to kill your enemies if you don’t want to.
