PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has shown off a new movement mechanic and accompanying set of animations that could have a significant effect on the game. A free running-style vault should make chases much more intense and will allow those under fire to get into cover much more quickly. You’ll also be able to take a fast and alternative route out of buildings, by dive rolling through ground-floor windows.
Bluehole’s hit battle-royale title, Battlegrounds, is still very much in Early Access. While that does mean there are some parts of it that are a little janky, it also means new features are still being added to the game, like first-person-only servers. The next one Bluehole has in the works is an overhaul on player movement that will give everyone a better chance to dodge incoming attacks from all angles.
Showcased in a new video titled “vaulting WIP,” we see a character vaulting walls and tables that are waist high, climbing on top of small buildings and other obstacles, and pulling themselves onto roofs that are within reach. This will make for much more varied assaults on first-floor buildings, as well as offer new avenues of escape for those who are being chased down by frying-pan-wielding enemies.
Shown off in an earlier trailer at E3 2017, the update should also introduce dive rolls for those looking to leave a building quickly, and cartwheel vaults and slides across car hoods. That last point alone is going to make for some great movie-like moments in upcoming games.
Although these new ways to move in-game seem unlikely to do away with some of the crazy vehicular stunts that we’ve seen used to access certain roofs within the game in the current release build, these new free running moves will make it much easier to climb into new parts of the map. As Polygon points out, partial vaults and climbs could enable some clever peeking around and over corners and rooftops for those in first-person mode, where camera tricks for increased visibility are nigh on impossible.
Perhaps best of all, these new moves will allow for even more weird videos in Battlegrounds. We’ve no doubt that we’ll see some great dive rolling and climbing videos when this update hits public testing. It’s not clear if it will be in the next one expected at the end of this month, but we’re certainly edging closer to these new movements hitting the main game.
