PUBG’s newest map, Vikendi, is all about stealth, but it’s still a little too familiar

Each map in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has to set itself apart in one way or another. Whether it’s the open deserts of Miramar, the expansive forests of Erangel or the densely packed jungle of Sanhok, each of the game’s map offers an experience that is at least slightly different. With the game’s newest map, Vikendi, developer PUBG Corp. has taken advantage of the snowy setting to bring stealth to PUBG in a way that no other map has.As you might expect from its snow-covered terrain, Vikendi’s differences from other PUBG maps start with its look. While most maps are covered in either green or the brown of deserts and plateaus, Vikendi’s harsh white landscape does more than you might think to change the way you play. Wide open spaces are significantly more dangerous than they would be on other maps. While areas without cover on any map are dangerous, and often deadly in PUBG, Vikendi’s open fields offer a special kind of threat because characters naturally stand out so clearly against the almost pure-white landscape. That doesn’t mean the map is coverless however.In fact, Vikendi also introduces more tree cover and denser forests than any previous map. Often these trees can provide the perfect cover for skirmishes as players peek from one side or the other to take quick shots. But, these trees also accomplish another purpose: stealth. Unlike any past PUBG map, Vikendi feels tailor-made for stealthy moves and slower, more carefully considered action. Thanks to the dense tree cover, you could take shots at a player and quickly re-position before they ever notice, something that carried a much larger risk in previous maps where the trees and rocks that often acted as cover were fewer and further between.