PUBG: Battlegrounds Patch 24.1 Highlights: Tactical Gear, Repair Kits, and Map Changes

PUBG: Battlegrounds Patch 24.1 is here and with it you'll find plenty of changes. Tactical Gear is now an essential item when you drop into the map and changes to Repair Kits make fixing damaged gear a breeze. Plus, on top of all of that, the map Vikendi will look a bit different the next time you hit the ground running. So, here are all the most important updates featured in Patch 24.1 for PUBG.

How Does Tactical Gear Work in PUBG?

Tactical gear got an overhaul and works rather differently when you start a match. You'll find six Tactical Gear options when you begin a game, ensuring you have the necessary weapons and gear to defend yourself. As soon as you land in a map, you'll now have access Tactical Gear crates. These crates allow you the option to pick and choose your exact gear before you even need to search the map.

Once you choose an option, the gear will automatically be added to your inventory slot. The good news is, it doesn't weigh anything so you're free to pickup more items without worrying about carry capacity. However, you can only choose one option per match and the gear stays with you throughout the entire time, unless you die. If you respawn, you'll drop in again without the gear you had, so you'll have to find it as you go.

What Are the Tactical Gear Options in PUBG?

There are six available options for you to choose from.

EMT Gear

The EMT Gear is for the healer of the party. You'll only be able to heal your teammates with a Med Kit. However, the time it takes to heal has been increased to seven seconds. The First Aid Kit has also been increased to a total of five seconds.

In addition, the time it takes to revive teammates has been changed from three to eight seconds. Using Energy Drinks or Painkillers provides a 50% additional effect but only be for you as it does not work on teammates.

Tactical Pack

The Tactical Pack decreases your attachment slots from four to two. This makes it more aligned with the Level 4 Backpack.

Spotter Scope

The Spotter Scope has been improved to be easier to use and therefore less time-consuming. You'll be able to zoom in from 4x to 8x, allowing you to see further and more clearly. Plus, the white passive marker is no longer in the game and the red active marker is automatically created and will remain for seven seconds after scanning. You'll also be able to place the standard Screen Pings while using the Spotter Scope.

Drone

The Drone's maximum range is now 200m. Decreasing it from its previous 300m.

Blue Chip Detector

The Blue Chip Detector is prooving to be quite overpowered and received adjustments to make it more aligned with other Tactical Gear. You'll find the screen will now update every eight seconds and the enemy scan radius has been reduced to 50m. Players who are equipped with a Jammer Pack are also undetectable with the Blue Chip Detector.

Repair Kit

Repairs Kits got a big overhaul as well. You'll find they can only be used up to 10 times during a match. Plus, they are no longer a consumable, and instead, are now a part of Tactical Gear that can be equipped to your Tactical Gear slot.

You'll even be able to remove and install tires with the Repair Kit. By using the Limited Interact Key, you'll remove tires from any vehicle and be able to replace them with another fresher tire if you have one available. Though, keep in mind that tired with zero durability cannot be removed.

Removing a tire will cost you a lot of time leaving you open to enemy gunfire. Once you remove a tire, it will be added to your inventory's fourth melee weapon slot. Though if the slot is occupied, the tire will be transferred to your inventory. This will increase your carrying capacity by 20 as they are quite hefty. If you switch to the tire, you'll carry it around like a standard weapon.

However, you are unable to remove or install tires to the BRDM, Boat, Aquarail, Mountain Bike, Motor Glider, Airboat, or Snowmobile.

The Repair Kit will only be available in Normal Matches, Intense Battle Royale mode, and Custom Matches.

What Are the Updates to the PUBG Map Vikendi?

You'll notice quite a few updates when you drop into Vikendi. The map was overhauled and now includes updates to the cable car, extra cover, the blizzard zone, crowbar interactions, and comeback BR features.

Terrain

You'll notice tactical upgrades to certain locations around the map. These do not include major cities but do involve surrounding areas you can find while exploring Vikendi. New objects and ridgelines have been added to certain areas that offer more opportunities for strategic cover.

Phase

The initiative Blue Zone ruleset similar as Ranked's for Normal Matches introduced back in Update #23.1 has been applied to Vikendi, effectively reducing the overall playtime.

Item spawn

You'll notice items will now have new spawn locations and you may not find them in their previous ones. This was done to prevent disproportionate looting of said items and to fix balance issues. Spawn rates of high-value weapons and items have been reduced to lower the unfairness in the play experience with Ranked matches.

Lab Camp

The chance you'll find lucky Supply Drops (holding Care Package weapons) have been increased.

Though, you'll now find the quality of these items have been downgraded. Plus, a significant reduction has been made in the appearance rate of Care Package weapons and Level 3 equipment. And Critical Response Kits now appear exclusively in Lab Camps, at an increased rate.

Caves

You'll find fewer discoverable items in caves' Supply Drops as both their quantity and quality have been reduced. That and reductions have been made in the appearance rate of Care Package weapons and Level 3 equipment. Plus, 8x Scopes, Critical Response Kits, and C4 can no longer be found in caves' Supply Drops.

Secret Room

You can only find the Self-AED in Secret Rooms, however, there is a rare chance you can find them as a world spawn item. Plus, the Thermal 4x Scope is only available as a world spawn item and can be found in Care Packages and caves' Supply Drops. It has no longer found in Lab Camp and Secret Rooms.

Other changes include ARs, SMGs, Handguns, Crossbows, Grenades, Smoke Grenades, Stun Grenades, and First Aid Kits now spawn slightly more. While SRs, LMGs, Backpack (Level 1), Molotovs, BZ Grenades, C4, Emergency Pickups, Bandages, Med Kits, and Adrenaline Syringes spawn slightly less.

Vehicle spawn

Vehicles aren't being used as much on Vikendi when compared to other maps. So, there spawn locations have been amplified and adjusted as needed.

Blizzard Zone

The Blizzard Zone is no 70% larger and snowstorms appearing inside it have increased. While the distance between snowstorms is decreased. Plus, phases when Blizzard Zones appear during a match, have been adjusted.

Cable Car

The Cable Car was quite slow as reported by players, so they now move at an increased speed of 80%.

Comeback BR

• Player's vulnerability has been improved by relocating existing objects to the back.
• Item spawn spots are now found near player spawn locations for an optimized start.
• Made containers more accessible by repositioning some containers and adding wooden pallets.
• Combat time
• Reduced combat time from 160 seconds to 100 seconds.
• The Play Area restriction time has been adjusted to accommodate the reduced combat time.
• The multidrops will descend earlier.
• To prevent the decreasing survival rate as the number of participants increases during the later phases of Comeback BR, each size of the final Play Area for each phase has been adjusted.
• The UI notifications for Comeback BR have improved.

Crowbar Interaction

You'll find the spawn rate for crowbars found in cabinets has been increased.

• A storage unit specifically designed for Crowbars has been added to garages that are accessible with a Crowbar. This storage unit has a high probability of containing a Crowbar.
• Simultaneously, we've slightly diminished the appearance rate for Secret Room Security Keys.
• However, we've increased the spawn rates for items such as healing items and throwables.

Sound

The volume of wind turbines has been lowered by 40%, along with the audible range.

What Are the Changes to Ranked Season 24 in PUBG?

Vikendi will join the ranked mode in Season 24.

• The Jammer Pack, Mortar, Panzerfaust, BZ Grenade, and Emergency Pickup have been added to every map.
• Vikendi has been added to the map pool with a 10% matchmaking probability.
• Number of players: 64
• Weather: Sunny
• The Blizzard Zone, Lab Camp, Crowbar interaction feature and cabinets, Cable Cars, bears, and Supply Drops are available.
• Weapons only available in Care Packages have been removed from Lab Camp and Supply Drops.
• Comeback BR, Security Keys, Thermal 4x Scope are not available.
• High-tier items have generally decreased.
• BRDM vehicles can not be called with a Flare Gun from outside the circle.
• The leaderboard will reset after the Live Server maintenance.
• Check out your final Tier from the previous season through your Career page.

Those are all of the major updates in Patch 24.1 for PUBG: Battlegrounds. The patch will begin rolling out on June 13 for PC and June 21 on consoles. You can read the full patch notes on the official PUBG website.

If you want to keep track of player leaderboards and stats for PUBG: Battlegrounds or want to see where you stand in the ranks, check out our official PUBG stat tracker.