Starting Today, PUBG Crates Will No Longer Be Locked

Published: November 20, 2019 3:00 PM /

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PUBG crates locked

Starting today, PUBG Crates will no longer be locked. The "key and crate" model that was popularized in many Asian MMOs and, more notably in the west, in games like Team Fortress 2 is going the way of the dodo for good.

A dev letter on the official PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS website states that there are some big changes for PUBG Crates. These kick-off today with the VENETIAN CRATE, a new crate that can be directly purchased with BP and won't require a key to be unlocked. What's more, all future crates will no longer require a key!

Why the change? It's perhaps best explained by this excerpt from the dev letter:

Through player feedback, we’ve found that more often players do not get enjoyment out of opening crates as they currently exist. We looked at the following information:

The value of marketable loot box in PUBG is solely determined by the users and getting items through the marketplace or selling them back is also part of the PUBG experience. However, the value of the locked crates are very low among other PUBG items. This means that paid crates are not an appealing reward to players, making the experience of acquiring a locked crate less enjoyable.

Patches have been carried out to continuously lower the probability of obtaining locked crates when purchasing a random one and items with special features have been added to locked crates to give them additional value for those who wish to purchase them, but we’ve learned that this issue cannot be completely resolved in this manner. Because of this, we’ve decided to discontinue the release of new locked crates and phase out the distribution of existing locked crates as well.

We have been thinking about this carefully and we want to ensure that we steer clear of revenue models that fail to satisfy fans, especially if they include a low success rate. We will continue to tweak our business model where possible to offer more compelling value for the money you choose to spend with us.

PUBG Crates people

What happens to existing PUBG Crates?

What about those crates that you might already have? If you're hoping that the lock on those will magically go away, you're out of luck.

Take a look at the schedule for upcoming content:

  • 11/20
    • A new crate, the VENETIAN CRATE, will be released and will be directly purchasable with BP. It and all future crates will be unlocked.
  • 11/27
    • The direct sale of VENETIAN CRATE will be discontinued, making it only available through random purchase.
    • The probability of obtaining locked crates through random purchase will be notably decreased.
  • 12/18
    • Locked crates will no longer drop from random crate purchases. They can still be purchased via the marketplace.
    • Keys may still be purchased, but only if you have a locked crate in your inventory.

As time goes on and the supply is exhausted, there will be practically no more locked crates in existence within the PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS economy. You can read the full dev letter for all the fine details. For now, save up that BP to get the brand-new VENETIAN CRATE that's launching today — no key required.

What do you think of PUBG Crates removing the requirement for a key to unlock them? Do you think this will have a significant effect on the game? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

More Info About This Game
Learn more about PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Developer
PUBG Corp
Publisher
Bluehole
Platforms
Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4
Release Date
December 21, 2017 (Calendar)
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