PUBG’s tactical gear has been a mess since it was first introduced. I wrote the Tactical Pack would be a game-changer when it was first introduced. And it was. But the devs quickly nerfed it after realizing how strong it was. The Spotting Scope was the same way. It started off way too strong, and now it sits untouched across the map.
The latest attempt by the folks behind the popular Battle Royale is similar to a heartbeat sensor from Warzone but even stronger. It’s called the Blue Chip Detector. Here’s how the patch notes introduce the new gadget:
“No need to strain your neck muscles to look around for enemies any longer! Allow the new Blue Chip Detector to automatically scan your area for you any time.”
Damn, who thought that intro was a good idea? Hell, why worry about hacks anymore when you can add ways for us to see enemies on the map within the game?
First, let’s see how it looks in-game.
We can see two targets in the image above. And the devs were even kind enough to show us whether they are above or below us with the arrows. It’s hard not to see this as a terrible addition to PUBG. At least with Warzone, the movement speed is fast enough to negate some of the heartbeat sensor’s usefulness. Plus, there’s a direct counter via the Ghost perk. In PUBG, there’s no way to counter this. At least, so far.
Alright, but how strong is the Blue Chip Detector really? According to the patch notes, the screen updates every five seconds and shows up to 12 enemies in a 100-meter radius. There is a five-second delay for the scan to update. And like other tactical gear, it will take a primary weapon slot.
This will be ridiculously broken when pushing buildings, or looking for any ambushing enemies in the final circle. The whole idea of PUBG is the tension of not knowing exactly where other people are. Now I can sit outside any building and scan it to see if anyone is up there. Prep a few grenades on it and move on.
I can’t see a scenario where the Blue Chip Detector isn’t nerfed into oblivion. It needs to be scrapped or let jammer packs be a counter to it.
Patch 19.1, which includes the Blue Chip Detector, MP9, Folded Shield, and more, is live on test servers right now. It’ll hit live servers on PC on August 9 and consoles on August 17.