It’s already been a staggering three years since PUBG Corp. introduced the world to the at-the-time pioneering 100-player free-for-all concept. Today’s landscape is vastly different from 2017, not least because of the glut of competitors that have emerged in PUBG‘s wake with an eye on a slice of that battle royale pie.
From Fortnite to Apex Legends by of Warzone and newcomer Hyper Scape, PUBG certainly isn’t the chippy newcomer taking the world by storm it once was. Yet, despite falling out of favor among the broader gaming community, a strong contingent of players remain steadfastly committed to the game, half a million strong if there’s any substance to Steam stats.
According to newly-published figures from PUBG Corp, the game has sold over 70 million units to date. It may not dominate headlines or Twitch streams, but PUBG certainly hasn’t gone anywhere.
To mark the occasion and inaugurate the start of PUBG Season 8, PUBG Corp is remastering the armpit-moistening jungles of the Sanhok map. It’s the latest map to benefit from a facelift after Erangel and Vikendi.
As a press release explains, we’re not talking a mere cursory retouching, but a genuine remaster that will transform Sanhok into a ‘leaner, meaner, and more deadly’ overgrown abandoned paradise. Better graphical fidelity, sharper gameplay balance, and improved performance are on the menu.
Every structure, tree, rock, and material has been reworked from the ground-up based on data pooled from player feedback. Extensive design and art upgrades extend to familiar locations such as Boot Camp, Ruins, Pai Nan, Khao, and Quarry and introduce several new areas, including the former ‘Getaway’ tourist trap and the Airfield.
The remastered Sanhok hits PUBG on July 22nd as part of Update 8.1, which will trigger Season 8. PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia players have to wait a little longer to jump in on July 30th.
Update 8.1 also features:
- ‘The Loot Truck: Driving the roads of Sanhok are autonomous cargo transports that offer players a brand-new way to gear up. As these trucks take damage, they will drop some loot and continue on their way. Players persistent enough to destroy the truck will be rewarded with an even bigger cache of weapons and gear for their squad.
- Confiscated Weapons: Players who take down the Loot Truck will be rewarded with fully customized weapons. For the first time ever in PUBG, players can pick-up weapons that come with pre-installed attachments and unique skins.
- Improved Jerry Cans: These explosive bundles of joy are making their revised debut. Pour gas on the ground to set a fiery trap or toss the whole thing at an enemy and light it up.
- New Ranked Season: A new Ranked season begins with Update 8.1. The season brings a much-requested change to scoring, with Ranked Point acquisition now taking team placement into account. Additionally, Vikendi has been added to the Ranked map pool.
- Survivor Pass: Payback: Accompanying the latest season is the newest Survivor Pass, which gives players a large number of new skins to earn as they explore the forgotten paradise of Sanhok.’
There’s also a raft of smaller changes, notably bug fixes, UI and sound improvements, and new cosmetics. You can check out a full list of the additions and changes here.
PC players can sample the changes from July 15th via the PC test server, while console and Stadia players can try it out on the console test server from July 22nd.