PUBG: Battlegrounds Introduces Recall System in Patch 23.2, Notes and more

In an exciting update for battle royale enthusiasts, PUBG Studios has announced the introduction of the Recall system in their popular game, PUBG: Battlegrounds. This new mechanic will allow players to bring their fallen comrades back into the game, adding a new level of tactical gameplay and camaraderie in team play. The update will go live on PC on May 17 and consoles on May 25.

The Recall system revolves around a new item called the Blue Chip. Upon a player’s demise, their deathbox will drop a Blue Chip containing their biometric signature. Players can collect this Blue Chip and bring it to one of the Blue Chip Towers scattered across the map, or use a special item known as a Blue Chip Transmitter to recall their defeated teammate. The Recalled player will re-enter the battlegrounds by parachuting from a Recall plane that flies at the start of each phase.

Notably, the Recall system is not without its risks and challenges. Activating a Blue Chip Tower or Transmitter takes about 10 seconds and produces a loud noise, which can alert nearby enemies. Moreover, a successfully registered Blue Chip Tower becomes unusable for a specific duration, and Blue Chips belonging to enemies cannot be registered.

The Recall system will be initially available on the larger maps: Erangel, Miramar, and Deston. For more detailed rules related to the Recall system, Blue Chip Towers, and Transmitters, you can find in the patch notes below.

PUBG 23.2 Patch Notes

Live Maintenance Schedule

※ The times shown below are subject to change.

• PC
  • PDT: May 16, 5:00 PM – May 17, 1:30 AM
  • CEST: May 17, 2:00 AM – 10:30 AM
  • KST: May 17, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Console
  • PDT: May 24, 6 PM – May 25, 2 AM
  • CEST: May 25, 3 AM – 11 AM
  • KST: May 25, 10 AM – 6 PM

Live Server Fixes

• (PC) Fixed an issue where players, who had disconnected and subsequently died due to the Blue Zone but reconnects to spectate until the end of the match, were erroneously receiving first place rewards.
• (Console) Fixed an issue where the focus sound effects were not being played on the detailed information screen of Contraband Crates.

Map Service

※ Please note that PC players can anticipate map changes every Wednesday at 2 AM UTC, while Console players can expect the same every Thursday at 7 AM UTC.

※ In Random Map regions, each map will have an equal probability of being selected, with a probability of 20%.

• (PC) Test Server
  • Normal Match: Erangel
    • AS region: Squad – TPP
    • NA region: Squad – FPP
• Live Server – Normal Match
  • Week 1: Erangel / Miramar / Vikendi / Sanhok / Karakin
    • PC: May 17 ~ May 24
    • Console: May 25 ~ June 1
  • Week 2: Erangel / Taego / Deston / Sanhok / Paramo
    • PC: May 24 ~ May 31
    • Console: June 1 ~ June 8
  • Week 3: Erangel / Miramar / Vikendi / Sanhok / Karakin
    • PC: May 31 ~ June 7
    • Console: June 8 ~ June 15
  • Week 4: Erangel / Taego / Deston / Sanhok / Paramo
    • PC: June 7 ~ June 14
    • Console: June 15 ~ June 22
• Live Server – Ranked
  • Ranked: Erangel (30%) / Miramar (30%) / Taego (30%) / Deston (10%)

※ Please note that the features and updates described below are subject to change or removal due to issues such as bugs, in-game problems, and community feedback. The images used are intended as visual references only; the actual game may look different as the builds are continually developed and refined before release.

New System: Recall

“Blue Chip registered successfully. Boarding the plane in a few seconds.”

Introducing the new recall system, designed to alleviate the sense of frustration felt upon death during team play. Acquire the Blue Chip from the deathbox of a defeated ally and help your teammate rejoin the match!

Blue Chip

• A Blue Chip is a special chip containing a player’s biometric signature.
• You can obtain a Blue Chip from any player’s deathbox.
• Collected Blue Chips can be found in your inventory.
  • Each Blue Chip has a weight of 5.
• (PC)A dedicated inventory slot for your character’s Blue Chip has been added below the Helmet slot.
  • (Console) Your character’s Blue Chip inventory slot has been added below the Shoes slot.
  • It is not possible to unequip your own Blue Chip.

Blue Chip Tower

• Register Blue Chips at Blue Chip Towers scattered throughout the map to Recall your teammates.
• These towers randomly spawn every match, with their locations marked on the map.
• An Interact button appears when approaching a Blue Chip Tower when you are holding at least one Blue Chip in your inventory.
  • Multiple teammates’ Blue Chips can be registered concurrently.
  • Enemy Blue Chips can not be registered.
  • If the player you are trying to recall leaves the match, a corresponding text will be displayed.
  • You are unable to activate the Blue Chip Tower while holding a Drone Tablet.
• Activating a Blue Chip Tower takes about 10 seconds.
  • A loud noise is produced during the activation process.
  • Activation is canceled if you move, get knocked out or eliminated, or press the Cancel key.
• After successful registration, the same Blue Chip Tower becomes unusuable for a specific duration.
• Successfully registered Blue Chips will recall the appropriate teammates in the next phase.
• Blue Chip Towers display 4 light states:
  • Red: In use.
  • Yellow: Temporarily unavailable.
  • Blue: Ready for use.
  • Gray: Unusable (during phases when the Recall system is deactivated).

Blue Chip Transmitter

• Recall teammates anytime, anywhere using the world-spawn item, Blue Chip Transmitter.
• Weight: 20
• Once you have acquired the Blue Chip Transmitter, locate it in your inventory and click on it to activate.
• WhenBlue Chips are in your possession, a confirmation list appears.
  • Multiple teammates’ Blue Chips can be registered concurrently.
  • Enemy Blue Chips can not be registered.
  • If the player you are trying to recall leaves the match, an icon and corresponding text will be displayed.
• A 10-second activation period is required to register the Blue Chip(s).
  • A noise is produced during the activation process.
  • Activation is canceled if you move, get knocked out or eliminated, or press the Cancel key.
• Successfully registered Blue Chips will recall the appropriate teammates in the next phase.
• The Blue Chip Transmitter is a consumable item and is removed from the inventory after use.
• The Blue Chip Transmitter can not be used while DBNO, in a vehicle, or swimming.
  • Using the Blue Chip Transmitter while prone or crouching will automatically cause you to stand up.

Recall Process

• Players will be recalled to the match after their Blue Chips are successfully registered via Blue Chip Towers or Blue Chip Transmitters.
• Once Recalled, players can re-enter the battlegrounds by parachuting from a Recall plane, which flies once at the start of each phase.
• Recalled players will not possess any weapons or equipment.
  • Health, boosts, DBNO stack, and items will be reset.
  • A new Blue Chip is equipped.
• If the last remaining teammate is eliminated before the player set to rejoin the match boards the plane, the Recall will be canceled, resulting in a match defeat.

More Info

• Recall is impossible if the entire team is eliminated.
• The Blue Chip Tower and Transmitter can be utilized an unlimited number of times.
  • However, due to the restriction of boarding the Recall plane only once from Phases 2-7, each player can be Recalled up to a maximum of six times.
• The Recall system will be disabled from Phase 7 onwards.
  • The Recall plane will not fly.
  • Only players with Blue Chips successfully registered up to Phase 6 will rejoin the match at the beginning of Phase 7.
• The Recall system applies to Normal Matches, Custom Matches, and Casual Mode.
  • It is not available in Custom Match – Esports Mode.
• This feature is available on Erangel, Miramar, and Deston.
• On Deston, the Blue Chip Detector can now detect not only players but also Blue Chips.
  • The Detector identifies Blue Chips in deathboxes, lying on the ground, or stored in vehicle trunks.
  • Detected Blue Chips will be displayed with icons identical to those used for detected players.

< Dev’s Comment >

With our latest update, we’re introducing a unique feature that not only adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the standard battle royale mode, but also encourages a variety of strategic plays for an enriched experience on the battlegrounds.

The new Recall system presents several key differences from the existing Comeback BR mechanic: it demands cooperation and effort from surviving team members rather than just the fallen player, is available until the mid-late game phases, and enables plays that contest enemy players attempting to use the Recall system.

While the system offers numerous advantages, it also comes with several challenges: Recovering Blue Chips from fallen teammates, finding designated Blue Chip Towers scattered across the map, using Blue Chip Transmitters without being detected by nearby foes, and being more exposed to enemy attention during your descent from the Recall airplane. We believe the benefits of Recall are significant in a battle royale setting, so we’ve designed the system to reward players who can overcome these challenges. Our intention is to allow even less experienced players to occasionally utilize this system, depending on their luck. The new Recall system is particularly helpful for novices who may struggle with combat in Comeback BR, as it emphasizes the importance of surviving team members’ roles in facilitating successful recalls.

But why limit it to Erangel, Miramar, and Deston? Smaller maps have shorter play times, making it faster to start a new game upon death. And we’ve decided to add the Recall system exclusively to maps without the existing Comeback BR.

There is no cap to the number of Recalls; as long as you can retrieve Blue Chips and successfully register them, your teammates can be recalled to the match multiple times. However, given various factors such as the quantity and location of Blue Chip Towers and Transmitters and their specific usage conditions, we anticipate that players will not be able to excessively recall their allies with ease.

By the way, it’s good to know that the owner’s username is always displayed alongside the Blue Chip. I still hold onto a screenshot of the Blue Chip I acquired from my boss.

Gameplay

Vehicle

“Hey where’d my car go?”

Remembering the location of your vehicle after exiting it may bring quite the advantage, but it’s also quite common for players to become disoriented and unable to locate their vehicles, causing significant stress.

To address this, we’re introducing a feature that automatically generates a vehicle icon, visible only to you, at the location where you exit your vehicle.

• The vehicle icon is marked on the World Map.
  • The icon is not visible to other team members.
  • It will not show up as a screen ping marker.
  • This does not affect the existing marker features.
• This feature applies to every seat in the vehicle.
• The icon will be removed once you board another vehicle.
• The icon can be removed with the existing marker deletion key/button.
  • However, this action will also delete any existing markers you’ve created.
• This feature applies to every vehicle but the Mountain Bike.
• This feature is available in every mode.

Additionally, to enhance safety measures and prevent tragic accidents caused by players inadvertently disembarking from a moving vehicle, we have introduced a timed exit feature. This feature is activated when someone attempts to exit a moving vehicle at a specific speed.

• When the vehicle’s moving speed exceeds 60 km/h, a 3-second countdown timer will be initiated upon attempting to leave the vehicle.
  • For speeds at or below 60 km/h, players can leave the vehicle immediately.
• If the Leave Vehicle key/button is pressed again within the 3-second window, the leaving process can be canceled.
• This feature can be toggled on or off through settings.
• To avoid repeated cancellation of leaving a vehicle, any Leave Vehicle presses within 1 second of the initial input will be disregarded, with only the first input executed.

We’re also adjusting fixed vehicle spawns in Taego to enhance utility for players:

• The Pony Coupe is now available as a fixed spawn vehicle.
• The Porter will now spawn randomly, instead of appearing in fixed locations.
• At garage locations, the Pony Coupe will no longer spawn, and instead, the UAZ and Dacia will appear in fixed locations.
• Although the fixed spawns result in minor adjustments to spawn rates for specific random-spawn vehicles, the overall vehicle spawn rate remains unchanged.
• These modifications apply to all Taego game modes – Normal Match, Ranked, and Custom Match.

DBNO

We are implementing adjustments to the balance of automatic HP loss during the Down But Not Out (DBNO) state to provide players with additional strategic choices.

By decreasing the rate of automatic HP loss while remaining stationary, players can make more informed decisions on whether to stay put or reposition based on their circumstances. We believe this not only promotes a more realistic experience but also strengthens the game’s narrative structure.

• While remaining stationary during DBNO, the identical HP reduce rate will apply regardless of how many times you are knocked out.
  • A unique animation will play when the automatic HP reduce rate is applied.
• When you are not moving, your character is considered to be still, remaining stationary.
  • Adjusting the camera’s position without moving your character is also deemed as standing still.
• You are in motion when your character is actively moving, in water, rotating, or boarding a vehicle.

Additionally, in the current gaming landscape, when a squad member gets knocked out, it takes quite some time to recall them, leaving the squad vulnerable to the enemy’s approach.

Thus, we aim to introduce a new strategy: adding a feature where players can carry their knocked out teammates and load them into a vehicle for a quick getaway. We hope this will encourage more diverse scenarios as you may use vehicles to swiftly ‘evade’ rather than being forced to engage in combat or abandoning teammates.

Or better yet… why not knock out an enemy and load them onto your vehicle to taunt the opposing team?

• Carry your knocked out teammate and use the Limited Interact key to load them onto a vehicle.
• Knocked out players can be placed in any seat of a vehicle, including the driver’s seat.
• Once onboard, the knocked out teammate is limited to the following actions:
  • Leave the vehicle using the leave vehicle key.
  • Drop items from inventory.
    • This includes moving them to the vehicle’s trunk.
• BRDM
  • If unoccupied,
    • You can load any knocked out player on it.
  • If occupied by a teammate,
    • You can only load your knocked out teammate.
  • If occupied by an enemy player,
    • Only the knocked out enemy’s teammates can load their teammates on it.

Weapon Balance

Following the weapon balance adjustments in Update 22.2, the ACE32 has exhibited an overall decent performance, but its win rate during combat has been marginally lower than expected. As a result, we have incorporated the following enhancements:

• The intensity of the screen shake experienced while firing the ACE32 has been reduced.
  • This leads to an improvement in the weapon’s stability.
  • There have been no changes made to the recoil itself.

Item

The particle count of smoke grenades has been optimized to enhance rendering performance. While the visual representation of the smoke might seem slightly different from its previous state, we have ensured that gameplay remains unaffected.

New System: Clan

Experience the exciting integration of Clans in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS! With Clans, feel a fresh and engaging layer to the gameplay experience with a new progression system: Clan levels. Collaborating with your Clan members offers a range of benefits and rewards, and furthermore, you’ll have the ability to access your own or other players’ Clan Tags, and more!

• The Lobby now features a Clan button for creating or joining a Clan.
• Creating a Clan
  • Cost: 15,000 BP
  • Capacity: 100 members
  • The Create Clan feature is only available to players with the Plus Status.
• Clan Roles
  • Clan Master
    • The player who initially creates the Clan or is appointed as the Master becomes the Clan Master.
      • Upon appointing a new Clan Master, the former Master is demoted to a General Member.
    • Each Clan can have one Clan Master.
    • Permissions: Changing Clan name and Tag, creating and editing notices, setting and changing the primary language, inviting Clan members, accepting or declining membership requests, modifying Clan’s application method, kicking out Clan members, disbanding the Clan, appointing a new Master, appointing Managers, dismissing Managers.
  • Manager
    • There is no limit to the number of Managers.
    • Permissions: Creating and editing notices, setting and changing the primary language, inviting Clan members, accepting or declining membership requests, modifying Clan’s application method, kicking out Clan members, leaving Clan.
  • General Member
    • Permissions: Leaving Clan.
• Joining a Clan
  • Players who have completed the Tutorials are eligible to join a Clan.
  • Players can either request to join a Clan or be invited by a current Clan member.
• Clan Levels
  • Clans can level up to level 20.
  • Clan XP is earnable through gameplay.
    • Players can earn Clan XP by playing solo or with their Clan members.
    • Players receive a double XP bonus when playing with their Clan members!
      • Clan members must complete a match under normal circumstances, including spectating other Clan members after their own death.
    • Eligible modes: Normal Match, Ranked, Casual Match
• Clan Name
  • Each Clan can be named with their own unique name, and can not be used by multiple Clans.
    • PC: A Clan name can be used only once within all PC platforms (Steam, KAKAO, Epic Games Store).
    • Console: A Clan name can be used only once within all Console platforms (Xbox, PlayStation®).
    • Requirement: 2-15 characters, uppercase and lowercase letters of the English alphabet, numbers, hyphen (-), underscore (_)
      • First character must be an English alphabet letter or number.
      • Spaces cannot be used.
      • You must have a minimum of 2 combined alphabets and numbers, excluding hyphens and underscores.
      • The combined total of all digits (0-9) should not exceed 6 characters.
  • If you want to change your Clan’s name or Tag:
    • Purchase a Clan Name Change or Clan Tag Change at Store – Utility for 990 G-COIN each.
    • Clan Name Change/Clan Tag Change can be used on the Clan – Manage page.
    • Clan Name Change/Clan Tag Changes can only be used by the Clan Master.
      • Managers and General Members cannot use these items.
    • Upon changing your Clan name, a 7-day grace period is granted for the previous name.
      • During this grace period, the name is unavailable for use by other Clans.
• Clan Tags and Tag Plates
  • A Clan Tag can consist of up to 4 characters and can be used by multiple Clans.
    • Requirement: 2-4 characters, uppercase and lowercase letters of the English alphabet, numbers, hyphen (-), underscore (_)
      • First character must be an English alphabet letter or number.
      • Spaces cannot be used.
      • You must have a minimum of 2 combined alphabets and numbers, excluding hyphens and underscores.
  • Once a Clan reaches Level 2, its Clan Tag will appear on players’ nicknames/PUBG IDs both in-game and out-game, along with a corresponding Tag Plate.
    • If the on-screen display is visually congested, the Clan Tag may appear in [brackets] instead of a Tag Plate.
  • The Tag Plate can be upgraded as your Clan levels up.
• Benefits
  • Players earn a 30% BP boost for playing with their Clan members.
    • Eligible modes: Normal Match, Ranked, Casual Match
• Chat
  • A new Clan channel will be added to the chat feature, allowing Clan members to communicate with each other.
  • Clan messages can be viewed even during matches, but responses cannot be sent.
  • A “Hide Clan Messages During Matches” option has been added under System Menu → Settings → Gameplay → Interface → UI.
• Clan Search
  • Clans with precise matches to their name or Clan Tag initials can be searched.
  • The Clan Search page allows you to look for Clans to join and Clans to promote and recruit members through an external community site.
• And more
  • A Clan tab has been added to the Social page.
  • Actions available with friends are now available with Clan members.
    • Join Team, Whispers, login notifications
  • If the Clan Master doesn’t log in for more than 42 days, a Manager will be automatically appointed as the new Master.
    • A warning message will be displayed after 28 days of inactivity.
    • The Master will be delegated to a Manager with the earliest join date who has logged in within the past 28 days.
      • In the absence of a Manager who fulfills the specified criteria above, a General Member who has logged in within the last 28 days with the earliest join date will be appointed as the Master.
      • If no General Members have logged in within the last 28 days, the first Clan member to log in will assume the Master role.
  • Report
    • “Inappropriate Clan Name or Tag” has been added to the existing Report Player feature.
    • You can report a Clan through the Clan search page.
    • There are two items for reporting one’s own Clan:
      • Inappropriate Clan Name or Tag
      • Inappropriate Clan Content
  • Note: Some screens may not display the Clan Tag in front of certain nicknames.

< Dev’s Comment >

Prior to this update, active players in external Clans had no particular means of displaying their achievements within the game. To address this, the newly implemented Clan system aims to offer a common objective for Clan members to work towards upgrading their Clans. We hope the new Clan feature fosters a sense of belonging, ultimately heightening player satisfaction and instilling pride in their in-game progress.

At launch, the Clan system is designed with the essential specifications in mind. However, we are committed to continually refining and expanding its features based on your valuable feedback.

UX/UI

The UX/UI for general item-related interactions has been enhanced.

• You can now preview items within a redesigned layout at the Store, Survivor Pass, Workshop, etc.
• During a full item preview, relevant information is displayed, allowing for quick identification of the item type.
• Vehicle skin previews now include the ground, although X-axis rotation and zoom in/out functions are unavailable.
• Within item sets previews,
  • You can now easily preview elements such as Sprays and Nameplates without the need to navigate to a separate screen.
  • Hovering or focusing on an item reveals an icon that signifies the expected action upon clicking.
  • You can now expand the text to view lengthy descriptions.
  • If only one item is equipped, it cannot be unequipped.
• Upon entering any preview where you can turn on/off equipped skins, the equipped skin ON/OFF feature will be set to ON by default.

Workshop

Chest

• New item sets have been added to the Hunter’s Chest and Archivist’s Chest.
  • Cat Burglar
  • Victory Dance 102

Performance

• Reduced hitches and memory usage after in-game death, during both revival from Comeback BR and spectating.
• Decreased memory usage when transitioning to the Death Cam.
• Enhanced performance by optimizing the use of Thermal 4x Scopes.

Bug Fixes

Gameplay

• General in-game bugs have been fixed.
• Fixed an issue causing the player character to exit on the passenger side instead of the driver’s side when the Pony Coupe collides with an object and veers towards the driver’s seat.
• Fixed an issue that displays the animation for running from another player’s perspective when attempting to run into a wall.
• Fixed an issue causing your perspective angle to adjust to the previously spectated player when switching to FPP after spectating an ally driving on an incline.
• Fixed an issue that made the character automatically move locations when transitioning to Drone view during a jump towards a Drone positioned beneath the character.
• Fixed an issue that stopped the firing sound of the Mk47 Mutant in burst mode.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where the volume reducer setting after you are removed from Training Mode due to inactivity would also affect your settings for Normal Matches.
• (PC) Fixed an issue causing nearly every player to fall off near the start of the airplane ride.

World

• Fixed collision, texture, performance, and some other general map issues.

UX/UI

• Fixed an issue causing an incorrect system message to appear when sending a friend request to a blocked friend.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the item type from being displayed in the outfit and armor tooltip.
• Fixed an issue where accepting a Custom Match invitation during item preview on the Store page does not transition to the waiting room nor close the Store page.
• Fixed the incorrect Mastery tier of bots displayed in Match Report.
• Fixed an issue with the malfunctioning outfit previews on the Throwback Crate preview screen.
• Fixed an issue where the attachment replacement interaction UI displays the icon of an unequipped weapon slot, instead of the attachment on the currently equipped weapon.
• Fixed the inaccurate attachment descriptions for the Tactical Stock and Half Grip.
• (PC) Fixed an issue causing the menu list to shake unstably when navigating up and down with the scrollbar pressed when creating a Custom Match.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where the password for private Custom Matches is not encrypted with asterisks and is displayed as entered.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where the /hidewhisper and /showwhisper commands are not functional in Lobby chat.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where you are unable to close the in-game Match Log screen using the ESC button.

Items & Skins

• Fixed an issue where wearing a Sleeveless Biker Jacket would obstruct the view in ADS.
• Fixed an issue where the armpit area would stretch when a male character equips the Phoenix Jacket.
• Fixed an issue causing the wrist to appear transparent when the Tormented Knight Gloves and Heartwarming Sweater are equipped simultaneously.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where the name is displayed incorrectly when equipping or unequipping the Tortoise Emerald Weapon Charm.