PUBG will take a nostalgia-soaked trip back to its first map in May

PUBG: Battlegrounds somehow it’s old enough to evoke nostalgia. The pioneering battle royale game that entered Steam Early Access in 2017 will take a page from Fortniteand honor his first card. Erangel Classic will recreate the old battlefield from the very beginning of the game for a limited two-week release in May and June.

Developer and publisher Krafton says the Erangel Classic map will replicate the concepts, graphics, atmosphere and user interface of the original. However, it will combine these with “advanced settings” to deliver the “enjoyable gameplay experiences players are used to”. In other words, like remasters of other classic games, the goal is to feel as close to the original as possible without throwing away all of its subtle quality-of-life improvements from the game’s evolution.

If the redesigned map idea sounds familiar, Fortnite brought back its original island map from 2018 late last year, breaking its player count records. (It peaked at 44.7 million players, marking its biggest day ever.) It’s easy to see why Krafton would want a piece of that action.

Specific nods to the original map include foggy and rainy weather to add an air of unpredictability. In addition, you’ll find tabletop weapons on the starting island (get ready to fight for your favorites) and all weapons will have reduced recoil to match the original. It will also have a Tommy Gun in the care package, a retro map UI, and “adorably tacky font and graphics.”

The gradual rollout will arrive on PC and consoles at different times, extending playtime for those who own the game on multiple platforms (perhaps helping Krafton sell a few extra in-game items). Erangel Classic will be available in PUBG: Battlegrounds on PC from May 14th to May 28th and on consoles from May 23rd to June 6th, replacing the modern map Erangel during these periods. Krafton says the May 14th patch notes will have more details on all the map changes, so stay tuned.