PUBG Mobile UPDATE: Tencent talk future plans in new interview

PUBG Mobile Season 8 is about to begin and will likely be followed by plenty of new updates and seasonal events.

But what new stuff could be coming to the game in 2019? And how is Tencent planning on developing the popular mobile title alongside the original PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds?

The two versions continue to offer the same kind of content but they both cater to different audiences.

And from the sounds of it, new crossover events and eSports tournaments are going to continue to be a big part of PUBG Mobile over the coming months.

We got to ask Tencent Esports Director James Yang some questions on what might be coming next to the game.

One of the things we asked is where PUBG Mobile is most popular, with the latest data suggesting places like India and Australia.

This wasn’t something that could be answered by Tencent but we did find out more on how the development team tries to keep such a large, global audience happy.

“PUBG Mobile has proven to be an extremely high-quality, enjoyable franchise that satisfies a large player base around the world,” Yang explains.

“Since its launch, we have published more than 10 versions with over 1,000 updates, due to the unique environments of different countries and regions for which we provide special optimisations and adjustments.

“We’re continuing to work on and develop new, exciting content that refines the PUBG Mobile experience to meet players’ expectations.

“These include balancing PUBG Mobile’s global and local marketing approaches, addressing the regional needs and culture of players and understanding the unique aspects of each marketing environment.”

It certainly sounds like Tencent knows just how diverse a group of gamers they have playing PUBG Mobile, and it would be interesting to hear more about how regional optimisation works.

We also asked how the development team go about collecting data on player issues and how they use that to shape future updates.

“PUBG Mobile connects with our community through various social media channels with more than 8 Million total followers,” Yang adds.

“We continue to monitor our community on a daily basis and pay attention to players’ feedback. Also, for every update, we conduct research to validate the refinement of our product with the aim of providing the best gaming experience for our players.”

Something we also wanted to know is how PUBG Mobile could diverge from the PC version in the future.

There is massive scope for this to happen and both games are fundamentally different when it comes to how they are marketed and supported (Free-to-play and Paid Product).

So could we see some exclusive PUBG Mobile maps launched in the future? Yang wasn’t able to give a definitive answer but did confirm that PUBG Mobile would stay connected to the original PC experience through gameplay feedback.

“PUBG Mobile and PC versions both share the same vision and values of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds IP,” Yang explains. “For PUBG Mobile, the team focused on delivering the original PC version’s core excitement to mobile platforms.

“We’re in a fortunate position where the PUBG Mobile team can learn from the game’s successes on other platforms and vice versa. Moving forward, we will benefit from being able to improve the PUBG Mobile experience using these resources.

“No matter how the upcoming updates are conducted, our goal is always to provide the best gaming experience for our players.”

Something we do know for sure is that eSports is a big part of Tencent plans moving forward in 2019. And while we didn’t learn about any of their secret projects for the coming year, Yang teased that plenty more crossover events and eSports tournaments are in the works.

The big news right now is the launch of Season 8 and the new Royale Pass content for Android and iOS. One of the surprise changes that have been confirmed is the new high frame rate option.

This has been added to HDR for some high-end device and indeed points to some exciting future upgrades for mobile gamers. As technology evolves and PUBG Mobile continues to prove popular, we can expect more of these changes in the future, offering better graphics at the cost of battery life.

source: express.co.uk