Like it or not, the idea of a PUBG Mobile Among Us mode is a no-brainer and one that’s seemingly already materialized over in China. It’s not the first time Tencent’s mobile take on the genre-defining Battle Royale game has borrowed from industry trends for a new mode, and it probably won’t be the last. If you’re still clinging onto the idea that it represents the upper echelon of realistic shooters, I don’t know what to tell you. Just let it go already. If it helps, maybe imagine this potential leak as a version of Knives Out (not the PUBG Mobile clone) where with most players cast as Daniel Craig.
Now, news of a PUBG Mobile Among Us mode is far from confirmed at this point. The idea comes from a recently published article from mobile gaming site GamingOnPhone. According to them, the Chinese variant Game for Peace has introduced the homage already. As some of what shows up in their version of Tencent’s popular battle royale eventually makes its way into our own, there’s a solid chance that if these rumors are true, we’ll be seeing the mode ourselves before long.
When it might arrive, though, is difficult to say. Game for Peace is typically an update or two ahead of PUBG Mobile. As version 1.2 just launched this week, if things stick to their usual monthly schedule, February or March is the earliest we should expect it. With Power Armor Mode not launching until Feb. 5, it isn’t clear if that’s the 1.3 launch date or a signifier that the February update won’t arrive until a little later in the month, which could have a knock-on effect for the untitled PUBG Mobile Among Us mode.
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It’s hard to imagine how a 2D top-down detective game will translate to a predominantly third-person shooter—. unless you’re in China playing Game for Peace, at which point you know exactly how it all works. PUBG Mobile’s past homages have all made sense in the game’s pre-existing engine. Whether it’s pitted us against zombies, the elements, or radioactive monsters, they’ve all leveraged the game’s dominant features of survival and gunplay. Heck, even the new Runic Power mode takes a little something from games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Paladins, which are all shooters in some regard. Among Us, though? That’s something else entirely.
Supposed screenshots featured in the GamingOnPhne piece depict both a view of the custom map and of players converging around a table to presumably vote against who they think is the imposter. The premise remains mostly the same, albeit it with signature PUBG Mobile flair: While crewmates run around completing tasks, the imposter beats their prey with our favorite pan. When assassinated crewmates are found, they’re announced with an “emergency card.” Players, the imposter included, then assemble to deduce and call out who they think committed the crime until either the imposter is found, or they manage to wipe out the group. Communication is key, with voice chat being a major part of the fun, but expect text and the chat wheel to work to some degree.
With how simple the premise of InnerSloth’s sleuthing game is in practice, having a game engine and assets ready to go makes for a relatively short development cycle. That’s a low-risk investment with potentially a lot to gain. There’s every chance it’ll be a limited-time affair that we’ll all miss when it’s gone, but until it actually materializes outside of China, there’s no concrete confirmation that we’ll even get to go hands-on.
Disclaimer: Fanbyte is owned by Tencent, which also runs Tencent Games, developer and publisher of PUBG Mobile. Tencent also subsidizes much of Fanbyte’s PUBG Mobile coverage by covering freelancer budget costs. Those covering PUBG Mobile for the site have no contact with Tencent, however, and are given complete creative control to write whatever they wish.
