We talk PUBG: Blindspot with its production director, Seungmyeong Yang

Recently released in early access, the new PUBG-licensed title, “Blindspot,” offers a different experience compared to its predecessor. A top-down shooter focused on teamwork, featuring a search and destroy gameplay instead of the traditional battle royale. After some hands-on experience, we spoke with SeungMyeong Yang, the game’s production director, to discuss this reorientation, inspirations, and the economic model.

SeungMyeong Yang: PUBG: Blindspot isn’t an evolution or transformation of PUBG but rather a new spin-off attempt within the franchise. While we developed the game with great respect for PUBG, our approach wasn’t about directly building off PUBG.

Similar to PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, we aimed to realistically recreate tactics used on actual battlefields in a video game. The project started with the question: how can these realistic tactics be implemented from a top-down perspective? Instead of considering Blindspot as a “new PUBG,” we hope it expands the range of game types within the PUBG universe.

It’s undeniable that R6 Siege was an inspiration, particularly in character design, resembling productions like VALORANT. What were the sources of inspiration for the creative team, and how did you arrive at this combination of tactical shooter with heroes?

The top-down perspective intuitively helps players understand the terrain structure and gameplay elements layout, promoting strategic thinking suitable for strategy-focused genres like RTS or AOS. This led us to emphasize the strategic aspects of military tactics through the top-down view.

As we refined the necessary structure to highlight our action-oriented vision, the game’s rules and overall format slightly evolved towards Rainbow Six Siege, from which we drew lessons, especially regarding common design challenges.

Artistically, our priority was to enhance gameplay readability and help players quickly grasp the game at a glance. We aimed for distinct silhouettes and vibrant color identities to make each character easily identifiable from the top-down view. The current character designs reflect this intention.

Given that the game is free-to-play in Early Access, unlocking everything is simply achieved through playing. What will the future hold? Will agents remain purchasable only with in-game currency? How will you manage the balance between paying and free players to avoid frustration in the F2P model?

We are currently exploring various out-of-game economic systems to adequately reward long-term engagement. The current implementation is minimal, and we believe establishing a rewards system and acceptable monetization model should involve close communication with the community. No final details have been decided at this stage.

Is a console release planned? If so, are cross-play and shared progression being considered?

Currently, our focus is on developing the PC version. We consider controller support but prioritize enhancing the core gameplay experience. There are no concrete plans for a console release at this time.

Is official support for portable devices like the ROG Ally or the Steam Deck planned?

Players can access the game on platforms like SteamOS through NVIDIA GeForce NOW. We expect it to function effectively on portable devices running Windows. However, full controller support is not yet implemented, so players will need to use a keyboard and mouse to play.

Has a roadmap been established and shared regarding upcoming additions? Can players expect new characters and maps?

We plan to introduce new content through monthly updates during the first half of the year. While a detailed roadmap hasn’t been made public, we are preparing to release three additional characters and a new map in the first half of the year. The competitive mode was updated on February 12 and is currently available.

In our preview, the offering presented by PUBG: Blindspot impressed us with a comprehensive formula and advanced team-play to secure victory, reminiscent of our early experiences with titles like R6 Siege. Blindspot offers a solid and varied cast. Reminder: PUBG: Blindspot is available on Steam in early access since February 5, free of charge.