Leaked PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds mode combines FPS, auto-battler elements

By Aaron Mamiit Published April 25, 2023

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which is widely credited for starting the popularity of battle royale games, is allegedly working on adding elements from another trending genre.

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PUBG leaker PlayerIGN leaked a new mode for the battle royale game named Vostok, which apparently combines the first-person shooter genre with auto-battler mechanics.

In auto-battler games, also known as auto-chess, players engage in 1-on-1 matches against opponents by positioning units on a grid-like battlefield. Players do not control the units themselves, but can purchase more units and/or upgrades in between rounds from the rewards they obtain along the way.

In Vostok, players will go up against opponents in 1-on-1 matches, with each player starting with three lives and losing one after each loss, according to PlayerIGN. The rounds will continue, switching up the opponents each time, until there is only one player left.

In between the rounds, players will be able to improve their loadouts with the money that they receive after each match, similar to the upgrades being purchased in auto-battler games.

There is no confirmation on when Vostok will roll out to PUBG, but according to PlayerIGN, the mode should arrive soon.

The battle royale craze

As PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds continues to expand, its mobile version, PUBG Mobile, is also trying to keep up with competitors with a recently released update that cracks down on cheaters.

While PUBG remains one of the most popular battle royale games, there are now many other alternatives in the genre, including Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Fall Guys. Epic Games, however, is currently in a dispute with Apple and Google over Fortnite on mobile devices.

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