PUBG now lets you bring friends back from the dead

PUBG: battlefields changes the rules around player deaths in the battle royale and brings a new revive system to the game called Recall. The mechanic allows players to respawn a dead teammate and helps “ease the sense of frustration at death during team play”. PUBG: battlefields developer PUBG Studios says.

PUBG Studios is also bringing official clan support to it PUBG: battlefields with patch 23.2.

PUBG: battlefieldsThe new Recall system is mostly simple and carries the necessary risk and rarity that justifies such an impactful change. Here’s how it works: Players must acquire an item called the Blue Chip dropped by a player’s deathbox to revive them. They then have to take that chip to a Blue Chip Tower location, or use a rare item called a transmitter to summon their dead teammate back to the battlefield. Players can collect enemies’ Blue Chips from a deathbox to prevent them from respawning.

Recall is initially limited to PUBG: battlefieldslarger maps: Erangel, Miramar and Deston. You can read the complete overview of rules regarding Recall, Blue Chip Towers and Transmitters Krafton’s Official Patch Notes. The feature will go fully live on PC on May 17 and on consoles on May 25.

The other major feature in patch 23.2 is Clans, which offers PUBG: battlefields players a new level progression system. Up to 100 players can join a clan, which offers XP and Battle Points (BP) bonuses when playing with clan mates. Starting a clan requires Plus status and costs 15,000 BP, but joining is essentially free.

In an email interview with PUBG Studios production directors Taehyun Kim and Sangkyun Kim, the developers explained more about the impact of Recall and Clans on PUBG: battlefields. That interview follows.

Polygon: what led to the decision to implement Recall? Was this a technical challenge for the team?

Taehyun Kim: We have chosen to introduce the new Recall system, similar to Comeback BR, to give those who are knocked out early in a match a second chance and to reduce the frustration often associated with death during team play. We hope that Recall will promote more dynamic, strategic gameplay with more variables and provide a wider range of gameplay experiences.

Unlike Comeback BR, where you have to secure your own second chance, the chance to rejoin the game in Recall is entirely dependent on your remaining teammates. Their role is crucial in this system, which we believe will make gameplay more accessible, especially for less experienced players.

Did you see Recall change the flow or outcome of matches during testing?

Taehyun Kim: In our internal testing, we regularly observed scenarios where a nearly defeated team managed to get all of their teammates back into the game and then put in strong performances.

We also saw more dynamic and strategic gameplay scenarios near Blue Chip Towers. For example, a team trying to recall a teammate would sometimes be completely knocked out after a fierce fight at the tower. Alternatively, enemies would specifically target a player who had just been recalled.

Photo: Krafton

Approximately how many Blue Chip Towers spawn per stage or match?

Taehyun Kim: Blue Chip Towers spawn randomly across the map, with approximately 22 towers appearing regardless of stage or match.

However, your ability to use these towers depends on the plane’s path and the location of the circle.

What are the rules for spawning Blue Chip transmitters? How common are they?

Taehyun Kim: The Blue Chip Transmitter is a valuable item, so it will be extremely rare to appear on the map. If luck is not in the players favor, no one may be able to use it for an entire match. Its rarity is similar to that of the Flare Gun.

The Clan system feels like a huge boost to players earning XP/BP – why such a big boost?

Sankyun Kim: Clan benefits are provided when you play as a team with your clan members. By playing together you will receive a double XP bonus, which increases your clan level faster, and a 30% BP boost.

PUBG: battlefields is more fun when played collectively. That’s why we decided to develop the Clan system, making it easier for players to find teammates.

To facilitate this, we offer various incentives to encourage players to play with their clan members. Playing together earns you Clan XP as a clan member and a BP boost as an individual player. This arrangement is designed to benefit both the clan and individual players.

To clarify: Clan XP is only used to raise the clan level, not to become Survival Mastery. Survival Mastery level is a measure of an individual player’s reputation and honor, so we decided not to include it in the clan benefits.

Photo: Krafton

Do you have a roadmap for future Clan development?

Sankyun Kim: While we haven’t made any specific decisions yet, there are a few ideas we’d like to explore.

The current Clan system was built with as few specs as possible because we had to introduce it quickly. That’s why we plan to implement features in the future that we initially had to exclude, such as an advanced Clan Search feature.

We also believe that the sustainability of a clan depends on whether its members can cultivate a sense of belonging. With this in mind, we’re considering several fun elements that could potentially enhance this sense of community among clan members.