Back in 2017, when the game "PUBG" (hereinafter referred to as "PUBG") emerged in the Chinese market and became the first choice for many Internet cafe players.In the game, classic elements such as "98K" and "8x mirror" are highly sought after, and players' enthusiasm is in full swing.The popularity of this game not only triggered a "chicken eating fever" in the Chinese market, but also set off a craze around the world.The hot word "Good luck, eat chicken tonight" has also become a frequent visitor in people's mouth.Since its launch in 2017, PUBG has been firmly in the sales champion of Steam platform for 17 consecutive weeks. At its peak, the number of online users was as high as nearly 3.26 million, which shows how popular it is.
With the popularity of "PUBG" games, its e-sports events have gradually become mainstream, with celebrity players such as Wei Shen and Pig emerging, which are deeply loved by players.At the same time, the rise of "PUBG" and its league PCL has spawned the development of many industrial companies, covering multiple fields such as live broadcasts, accompanying games, and peripheral products of games and clubs, and practitioners have received generous returns as a result.
However, the competitive landscape in the e-sports field has changed in the past six years.Although the chicken-eating boom led by "PUBG" has spawned a large number of PC and mobile games, the fierce competition among similar games has also led to user diversion.Recently, "PUBG" officially transformed from a buyout system to a free game on January 12, 2022, which marks it to a new stage of development.According to the 2022 financial report of its parent company Krafton, a total of 45 million new players have joined PUBG after the transformation.
In the glorious journey of "PUBG", the Chinese market has always played an important role.Whether it is the enthusiastic support of gamers, the popularity of e-sports events, or the shining appearance of e-sports stars, the Chinese market has injected a steady stream of momentum into the development of "PUBG".Krafton is grateful for this and decided to give back to the deep love of Chinese players by creating a brand new map.
Following the glory of the past, "PUBG" has once again ushered in major news.On November 15, the game officially announced that the highly anticipated tenth map, Rondo, will debut on December 6.This new map not only has a unique style, but also integrates the essence of oriental aesthetics, but also incorporates rich Chinese elements, allowing players to enjoy the rich Chinese style while enjoying the fun of the game.
Before Rongdu Map's first global debut, Krafton held an early trial event in Shanghai, inviting Chinese media and players to take the lead in experience.Although PUBG production director Kim Taehyun failed to visit the scene for some reason, he extended his greetings to everyone through a carefully crafted short video.In the short film, Kim Taehyun affectionately stated that this map was carefully crafted specifically to give back to Chinese players' deep love for "PUBG".
After introducing the detailed information of Rongdu map, the official also thoughtfully arranged the media experience session.In order to allow us to explore this new world more freely, the staff specially enabled "Superman Mode" in the game, allowing us to appreciate every corner of Rongdu in a flying posture.During the personal experience, my first impression of Rongdu is his unique beauty.In the world of tactical competitive games, talking about "beauty" may seem unique, but the art design of the map really affects the players' overall gaming experience.
The beauty of Rongdu is first shown in its architectural design that contains the charm of oriental art.Chinese-style gardens, ancient buildings, quiet lakes, spectacular waterfalls and green bamboo forests together outline a picture of nature and ancient architecture that coexist harmoniously.In addition, as the vastest map in "PUBG", Rongdu combines a variety of different styles, such as high-rise urban areas, tram factories with driving tests, and spacious gymnasiums.These areas seem to have their own characteristics, but in the grand background of Rongdu, they are harmonious and unconventional.
Rongdu’s art design gives it external beauty, while its internal beauty lies in its profound competitive nature.When you first explore, you can clearly sense which areas will attract the attention of many players and become a fierce battlefield.The house design, bunker layout and material allocation in these areas all reveal a premonition that "there will be a lot of people after it is launched."In the subsequent trial activities, "PUBG" officially organized team competitions and individual competitions, and some areas of the Rongdu map indeed became the most intense places, which fully proved the rationality of the Rongdu map design.
With an in-depth understanding of Rongdu Map, the production team's efforts and gameplay innovations gradually emerged.The newly added transportation tools in the city cleverly shorten the player's movement time and distance; while the driving test track in the NEOX car factory brings players a brand new gaming experience, and an exciting racing battle is inevitable.The first introduction of destructible bamboo forest not only provides players with the game pleasure that destroys the environment, but also adds many unpredictable factors to the game.In addition, the carefully arranged fireworks everywhere allow players to take a break and enjoy a moment of tranquility and joy in addition to the intense competition.
The addition of the fireworks mini-game is undoubtedly one of my favorite changes.At first I didn't care much when I heard the staff's introduction, but once I experienced it myself, I was deeply trapped in it and couldn't extricate myself.My goal is no longer just to get a high place, but to set off more fireworks in one game as much as possible.If you think about it carefully, the fireworks mini-game contains endless second-creation potential. After Rongdu Map is officially launched, it will inevitably set off a firework-related creation boom on the video platform.These seemingly inconspicuous small functions, such as escalators, car testing tracks, and fireworks, have made significant improvements in the overall gaming experience, which is one of the reasons why Rongdu Map left a deep impression on me.
Against the backdrop of the booming e-sports industry today, when discussing the competitive game "PUBG", the e-sports ecosystem is undoubtedly an indispensable topic.Since its launch in 2017 and its huge success, Krafton has made esports a key area of its investment.The establishment of regional professional leagues, global finals and other events has made "PUBG" occupy an important position in the global e-sports landscape.
At present, PUBG has nine regional leagues, covering many competition areas such as China (PCL), North America (PAS), EMEA (PEC), South Korea (PWS), Oceania (PCR), Japan (PJC), Taiwan (PML), Thailand (PTS) and Vietnam (PVS).In the Chinese competition area, 24 clubs compete for beauty, including Tianlu, 4AM, Tianba and other well-known teams.
Recently, the 2023 "PUBG" Global Finals (PGC) kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand on November 18, with 32 top teams gathered to compete for the highest honor of "PUBG".It is worth mentioning that the Chinese team New Happy won the PGC in 2021, leaving a strong mark for the e-sports industry.
Although Rongdu Map has not been included in the competition map pool in this PGC, its future potential cannot be ignored.Rongdu not only attracts players' attention with its unique oriental aesthetics and strong competitive regional design, but also enhances the strategic nature of the game due to its rich game mechanisms, such as car factories, destructible bamboo forests, etc.Therefore, Rong is expected to become one of the highly anticipated maps in future PUBG e-sports events.
For Chinese players, the rise of Rongdu Map in e-sports events has deeper significance.This map containing Chinese style elements will provide Chinese players with an opportunity to win the championship at their doorstep and is expected to create more exciting and touching competitive stories.It is the production team of "PUBG" that strives for excellence in details that creates a unique map like Rongdu, and its unique storyline will further promote the development of e-sports events.On this level, Rongdu’s future story is undoubtedly worth looking forward to.
