Plunkbat 1.0 test servers are live again for two days

If you missed the last brief test of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds 1.0, which is focused on vaulting and ballistic changes, don’t throw away your parachute just yet. PUBG Corp has fired up the test servers again this week, with plans to do the same next week. This week’s test will run until 8PM CEST on the 24th. Time to start jumping over some fences.

Along with the vaulting and ballistics changes -- which Alice detailed last week -- you’ll also be able to take two new weapons for a spin. The DP-28 will spawn in the world, so expect to find it when burgling houses. It had a 47-round magazine for 7.62mm ammo, and it can be modded with sights and a 4x scope. PUBG Corp warns that it has a low firing rate, though its long firing range and high damage make up for it. It’s joined by the AUG A3 bull-pup assault rifle. It’s got a 30-round magazine for 5.56mm ammo and a high rate of fire. It’s only available in care packages.

Some changes to other mechanics have been squeezed into the update test, as well. You can parachute to new areas, for instance. Previously inaccessible areas, like the outskirts of the island, can now be dropped onto, so you’ll be able to jump out of the plane a lot earlier. Of course, I’ll still probably try to land in Lipovka, just like I do every time.

With the ballistics update, locational damage is being overhauled too, and now you can figure out how effective your weapon will be by taking a quick look at this convenient chart. If you want to get 100 percent or more hit damage, you’ll want to aim for the head and chest, obviously, but a gut shot works too, while certain classes of weapon are even more effective. A headshot with a sniper rifle, for instance, does 250 percent damage, or 75 percent below the waist. Melee attacks, on the other hand, are 100 percent less effective at head damage, but they do more damage below the waist than attacks using other weapon classes.

Normally, the only thing I care about is making sure I have bullets for my gun, but it’s nice to have a clear picture of what these weapons are actually capable of. You can find more detail about all the game's weapons in our PUBG weapon guide.

Once the test servers close their doors on the 24th, you’ll only need to wait a week for them to open up again. PUBG Corp haven’t settled on a specific day or time, however. If you’re stuck at work and can’t dive into the test servers now, you can at least take a gander at the full patch notes here.