PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has a number of defining characteristics that help it stand apart from its chief competition, Fortnite. One feature in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds that's not present in Fortnite is the Red Zone, a randomly selected area of the map that is bombarded with explosives for a short period of time. However, it's possible that the Red Zone could be removed from PUBG in a future update.
This is according to Brendan Greene himself in a recent interview with Eurogamer. Greene acknowledged that there is already a vocal group of PUBG fans who want the Red Zone removed, believing that it serves no purpose. Green said that if there is an "outpouring of hate" towards the Red Zone, that the team may consider removing it.
However, Greene argued against the notion that the Red Zone serves no purpose in the game. According to Greene, the Red Zone not only adds tension to firefights and "looks really cool," but it also offers audio cover, meaning players can take shots at enemies without giving away their locations. In this way, the Red Zone can be used strategically.
Greene also criticized people who complain about the Red Zone because it kills them. "And really, you shouldn't be dying to the Red Zone," he said. "If you're dying to the Red Zone then, I'm sorry, but you're not a very good player." Greene then pointed out that the Red Zone only takes up a small portion of the map whenever it's active, and that players can find sufficient cover inside of houses.
Even though Greene seems adamant about keeping the Red Zone in PUBG, he himself pointed out that if the community rallies against it enough, that the team may discuss removing it. This wouldn't be the first time that PUBG removed a recognizable feature, and in fact, the game previously axed the popular starting area in order to address performance issues.
For now, it looks like the Red Zone is here to stay. Even so, it's clear that the PUBG team is willing to remove it if necessary. If fans continue to complain about it and respond positively enough to the limited-time events that disable the Red Zone, perhaps Greene can be convinced to remove it from the game entirely.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is available now on Android, iOS, PC, and through early access on Xbox One.
Source: Eurogamer