Marek Krasowski, Gunplay Programmer for PUBG talks all things WEAPONS. What’s his favourite, what weapons does he recommend and what’s in the pipeline for PUBG. It’s all to come!

Q. How do you decide which new weapons to add to the game?

A: At first we (me and Pawel) take a look at our existing arsenal to decide which weapon group (class, like Pistol, SMG, DMR etc.) should be extended from gameplay perspective. After deciding on the weapon class, we do our own research and prepare a list of weapons which fit the requirements – focusing on things like caliber, diversity, popularity etc. Then we discuss each option, trying to find one that fits best.

Q. As the game leans heavily on luck-of-the-draw when it comes to which weapons you find, how much does weapon balance factor into design?

A: Balance is very important in the design of weapon characteristics, because we cannot have a situation where player “A” always wins against player “B”, just because “A” has a higher tier weapon of the same class. We try to keep characteristics as close as possible while still giving each weapon a distinct feel and specific strengths. For example – M16 has high muzzle velocity (easier to lead targets) and low kick, HK416 lower muzzle velocity but it has full-auto mode, high ROF and more attachment slots. M16 should be preferred on long range engagements over HK416 despite being lower-tier. I think it should be player preference and situational preference (effective range) over a simple stat check.

If a weapon is too powerful, we balance it by adjusting drop-rate or making it for a care package only.

Q. Do you have any plans to add Binoculars to the game or even a range finder?

A: We had plans to include binoculars and a range finder even during alpha. But other features got higher priority and binoculars got buried in our huge backlog :) We will see!

Q. Have you had any radical weapon ideas that were decided to be a step too far?

A: Yes, many times. But we always think about balance first. If we want our game to be competitive and fun, we cannot introduce overpowered weapons.

Q. How accurate are the markings on the various scopes for measuring distance and calculating bullet drop accurately?

A: The markings on optical range finders (Crossbow, VSS PSO1-1 and PM2 15X) are accurate. Actually, not many people know that they can use 15X scope to find a distance to target (200m to 500m markings). In the future we are planning to work on improving all scopes during ballistics overhaul, with new features like: variable zoom levels, per-scope zeroing (instead of per-weapon), per-caliber accurate textures (4X), range calculation by mil-dots etc.

Q. What's your favourite gun in the game?

A: My favorite gun is M24.

Q. How do you like your Chicken Dinner?

A: Salty ;)