If you've been playing PUBG on consoles and wondering why you're still greeted with holiday scenery when the game boots up, wonder no more. The season five content has concluded as season six arrives on Xbox One and PS4 today. Alongside the new season comes a new season pass, and update 6.1 which brings a fifth map to the game by the name of Karakin. The new map also temporarily takes the place of Vikendi, its recent, snowy predecessor while the developer says it'll be taking the map down for improvements. In the meantime, it'll still be available in Custom Match before it returns later this year.
Karakin is described as a smaller island off the coast of North Africa which is meant to combine the "tension of Miramar with the fast pace of Sanhok." The arid desert locale certainly resembles Miramar most closely of the three already existing maps but it also introduces a brand new feature to the game: Black Zones.
Black Zones are new destructible areas within PUBG that can be altered by the roundly chaos of a match. This destruction is aided further by the new sticky bombs that can level entire walls or ceilings, leaving indoor campers feeling suddenly vulnerable. You can even find hidden loot areas with a well-placed sticky bomb.
Black Zones also have their own bombing mechanic now similar to red circles. These new purple circles signify where an airstrike will land, and if you're inside a purple circle, prepare for the map to get a fiery makeover. Buildings destroyed in the Black Zone will be marked with an X on the mini-map so players know where not to seek refuge in dire moments.
After player feedback, patch 6.1 also includes loot increases on Karakin, including more frequently found scopes, healing items, and a total removal of the sawn-off shotgun on the new map only. A new vehicle which has become a streaming hit for PC players comes to the console version of PUBG too. It's called the Motor Glider and it's a flying two-seater motorbike-style vehicle that is available on the game's two largest maps, Erengel and Miramar. These always spawn without gas, so you'll need to fill it up before taking off, and you'll need to get to a speed of 65 km/h before you can safely take off too, so give yourself the proper runway.
The new Survivor Pass, "Shakedown," introduces a bevy of new missions and cosmetics to chase, and it's all themed to match the new map. Players can purchase the premium version starting today or work through the free track.
You can find the full patch notes here. The update is now available on consoles.
