PUBG for PC is getting a ranking system
Level with me.
Hot on the heels of PC update 21, PUBG Corp is rolling out another patch. This time, the company is adding the long-requested ranking system, simplified inventory UI, a skin trade-up system, and the ability to select specific maps. It's the update of dreams.
PUBG mobile already has a ranking system, and it looks like the PC version will be similar. According to the patch notes, there will be eight ranks in total, ranging from bronze to grandmaster. You can level up based on rank points earned - although we don't yet know exactly how these are calculated. You should at least be able to earn some for trying (or if you're me, dying), as the first rank can be earned by playing 10 provisional matches.
Many PUBG players will also be relieved to hear individual map selection is returning. Gone are the days of choosing playlists and inevitably ending up on Miramar. That place really is going to be deserted now.
Another significant in-game change is the addition of a quick-select inventory menu. Similar to the emote system, PUBG Corp is introducing a "wheel" that allows players to choose items "without opening the inventory or pressing individual hotkeys". In theory this should provide an alternative way for players to quickly change weapons. Although, if I'm panicking, it will probably end up a little more like Wheel of Fortune.
If you have a bunch of duplicate items in your inventory, PUBG Corp also has you covered here, as the update is implementing a new "skin trade up system". This allows players to "trade in items for those of a higher tier". There are some limits to this, however: you'll need 10 same-tier items and some BP to trade up a skin, and you can currently only level up to the rare (blue) tier. It sounds like PUBG Corp may raise the maximum level in future, but for now, those legendary and epic items will remain out of reach in the skin trade up system.
Finally, as with other recent patches, update 22 will tackle some more of those pesky bugs. It's a continuation of the FIX PUBG campaign, which seeks to smooth over many of the bugs which have plagued the game since launch.
Personally, I'm intrigued to see whether the new ranking system can revitalise interest in PUBG. Players had been requesting a progression system for some time, and this feature should at least help retain player interest.
Update 22 is currently on test servers, and if all goes to plan, it's due to hit the main game in early October. Here's to hoping it will be more of a treat than a trick.