PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), this year's biggest success in PC gaming, is set to receive its "1.0 update" on December 20. Following eight months of record-breaking growth via Steam's Early Access program, the game is seeing an official shift to a full retail title, packing both new content and improved gameplay mechanics.
With the departure from Early Access only just around the corner, the game's developer has taken to Twitter, to outline worldwide release times for the update. It has now been confirmed that 1.0 update will be available on December 20, at 11 p.m. PT (2 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. GMT / 8 a.m. CET). Upon launch, a significant update will be pushed out to players, via Steam. While this means the patch is technically releasing on December 21 for many, those on the U.S. west coast will get hands-on for the evening of December 20.
Leading up to the launch, PUBG's PC servers will also be taken offline, to deploy the update to game servers. From 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. GMT / 3 a.m. CET) PUBG will be unplayable on PC until the patch has been released. During this period, the game's test servers will also be taken down, making way for the official update.
PUBG's 1.0 update brings some welcome changes to gameplay, alongside new content for players to explore. Arguably the biggest addition is the game's second map, "Miramar," taking place in a Mexican desert. The new vaulting mechanic also changes map flow, while post-match killcams provide a closer insight into combat.
PUBG may have its issues leading up to launch, but the game has secured a dedicated following over only a short period. The game closely resembles a full title in its 1.0 state, however, updates and new content are expected going forward. What do you think of today's release? Make sure to drop into the comments section with your thoughts.
Matt Brown is a senior editor at Future for Windows Central. Following six years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Xbox and Windows PCs. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.
