Desert-themed map for ‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ finally gets a name

By Gabe Gurwin December 6, 2017

playerunknowns battlegrounds second map named pubgdesert1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Thus far, the worldwide multiplayer phenomenon PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has only featured one massive map set in Eastern Europe. It has made for some amazing moments, but its rugged forest and dilapidated buildings might have become stale for some players. Luckily, the game’s second map will be hitting PUBG prior to the game’s full release later this month.

We already knew that Battlegrounds‘ second map would take place in the desert, but we now have a name for it: “Miramar.” The desert doesn’t offer the same foliage as the original “Erangel” map, which should provide more opportunities for long-range sniper shots and for players to scout the terrain more clearly.

“When we decided to create a new map, we focused on creating an environment that is very different from Erangel,” the development team said in an announcement. “We wanted to go the opposite direction of having lush fields and forests, and arrived at the harsh and unforgiving desert of what we can now reveal is Miramar. The unique terrain and dense urban areas of Miramar will create a new Battle Royale experience where the old strategies may no longer work and new tactics are required.”

Miramar is hot and unforgiving, but that doesn’t mean it’s a homogeneous map. Several cities and towns are scattered across it that offer diversity suited for a variety of playing styles. “Valle del Mar,” for instance, borders the ocean, and a controllable bridge is the only thing connecting it to the rest of the map. “Monte Nuevo,” meanwhile, is a compound resembling a prison, and its high walls should give snipers plenty of opportunities to kill targets from afar. The enormous city “Los Leones” should offer the best opportunities for stealth players. It’s the largest city on the map and is filled with buildings that lend themselves well to ambush opportunities — or hiding if you prefer to be a coward.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will officially release in its “1.0” state later this month. The game will come to Xbox One on December 12, and it’s currently available in Early Access on Steam. A mobile version is also in the works for the Chinese market.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

Despite lawsuit, there’s no PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds vs. Fortnite rift

pubg corp epic games partners season 4

There is apparently no battle -- royale or otherwise -- between PUBG Corp., the developer of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, despite the former filing a lawsuit against the latter.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds brought battle royale to the mainstream, but it was Fortnite that elevated the genre to greater heights. Last year, PUBG Corp. sued Epic Games for alleged copyright infringement, due to the similarities between the two games.

Gaming

Is Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox?

A soldier in silhouette in Helldivers 2.

Helldivers 2 was a massive hit right out of the gate for developer Arrowhead Game Studios, and the game's popularity has only grown since its release in February of this year. Shedding the top-down perspective of the first Helldivers, this cooperative third-person shooter took the world by surprise by being equally hilarious, fun, and challenging. It demands everyone work together to overcome massive hordes of bugs while also dealing with the fact that one player's slipup could derail the whole mission in the most humorous fashion. It's a total riot, and it's not hard to see why.

However, players on Xbox haven't had an opportunity to join in on the fun, as the game is only available on PlayStation 5 and PC. Since so many modern games have timed exclusivity, you may be wondering if that's the case for Helldivers 2, and we've got the answer for you below.
Will Helldivers 2 ever come to Xbox?
It's very unlikely that Helldivers 2 will ever come to Xbox consoles. The primary reason for this is that Helldivers 2 is published by Sony Computer Entertainment, which is a direct competitor to Microsoft. Sony is known for being very protective of IPs and brands, meaning the company tends to keep its published games off of competing consoles.

Gaming

Marvel’s Midnight Suns dev confirms romance options were never in the game

Magik after opening a portal for the first time in Marvel's Midnight Suns.

When Marvel's Midnight Suns was released in 2022, some were disappointed that players were unable to romance any of the superhero characters in the game. While players have wondered whether or not that was Marvel or Firaxis' decision, Midnight Suns' Creative Director Jake Solomon has now affirmed to Digital Trends in an interview that he truly never considered romance for the game.

"I’ve seen people say romance was a part of this, but it never was. I never even brought it up to Marvel because I couldn’t find a way," Solomon told Digital Trends as part of a wider discussion about his work on XCOM and Marvel's Midnight Suns, as well as the formation of Midsummer Studios. "I think the best way for romance to work is for the characters to respond to what the main character wants, right? I think it has to be like that, so it’s hard to mess with these really defined characters. They have these defined sexualities, and it would be hard to fulfill fantasies for all players in terms of what it is they want to do."