PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has come a long way since it helped launch the modern era of battle royale multiplayer games in late 2017. Despite being the first virally popular battle royale, PUBG quickly fell behind other titles in terms of innovation and mechanics. It has spent years iterating, balancing PUBG's unique gameplay with new content and mechanics. It now looks prepped to add another one, with a self-revive mechanic seemingly planned to be added in patch 12.2.
The leak comes from dataminer PlayerIGN, a frequent source for unannounced information regarding PUBG updates. While PlayerIGN doesn't say what their source is, they claim PUBG will be adding a new self-revive mechanic in patch 12.2. An accompanying gif on PlayerIGN's Twitter post shows the revive mechanic in action, with what appears to be a downed player using an item to shock themselves in order to get out of a downed state.
PlayerIGN doesn't provide further context for the self-revive mechanic. That means that it could be an item, or it could be some other usage of the mechanic. It's possible that players will be able to self-revive by default given enough time or that they'll be able to self-revive once per match. The nature of the self-revive mechanic will have to wait to be revealed until PUBG Corp. makes an official announcement, but it will be interesting to see if PUBG tries something new.
There is one other interesting detail that PlayerIGN shares, as if it is to be believed, this self-revive feature has been in PUBG's files since 2018. In other words, PUBG Corp. at least partially implemented the mechanic but was either unhappy with it or decided to focus on other options. It's unclear why the team is revisiting the self-revive mechanic now and what's changed since 2018.
Self-revive mechanics aren't in every battle royale, but they also aren't uncommon. Call of Duty: Warzone has self-revive kits, as well as redeployment via winning a fight in the Gulag. Apex Legends allows for self-revival if the player has found a Legendary Knockdown Shield. It's a feature that can offer additional depth to a battle royale's gameplay.
It's always possible that PlayerIGN has incorrect information. They are a reliable source, but not perfect. PUBG fans should maintain healthy expectations until PUBG Corp. makes an official announcement regarding all upcoming changes and new content coming as part of patch 12.2. With an early July release date, that news should be delivered soon.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.