The PUBG Mobile 3.3 update arrived in July 2024 and introduced several new features and modes, led by the underwater Ocean Odyssey theme, to the delight of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds enthusiasts.
PUBG Mobile is the mobile version of PUBG: Battlegrounds, the battle royale game that first came out on PC in 2017. The mobile game was released for Android and iOS on 19 March 2018. It is developed by Tencent’s LightSpeed Studios together with PUBG Corporation, and published by Tencent Games worldwide, by Krafton in Korea and Japan, by HotCool Game in Taiwan and by VNG Games in Vietnam. That is why the update reaches different regional versions at different times.
It is one of the most popular eSports games in the world: by March 2021 it had passed a billion downloads outside China alone.
A note for players in India: PUBG Mobile itself is not available in India. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology blocked it on 2 September 2020, along with PUBG Mobile Lite and 116 other apps, under section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Indian players play Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the separate Indian version announced by PUBG Studios in May 2021, which gets its own versions of these updates.
One of the most eagerly awaited aspects of the game is when its developers introduce new updates, which make it even more interesting to play and offer gamers new challenges to look forward to. These updates are rolled out every few months and introduce new themes and game modes for players to compete in.
Here, we have a look at the PUBG Mobile 3.3 update release date, the regional timings and the features it brought.
PUBG Mobile 3.3 update release date
The PUBG Mobile 3.3 update was released globally on Thursday, July 11, 2024, with the Vietnam version starting a day earlier. The Ocean Odyssey theme mode ran until September 9, 2024.
What the PUBG Mobile 3.3 update added
Ocean Odyssey mode: the headline of the update was a new underwater theme mode, in which players explore the submerged remains of the Ocean Palace, an ancient ocean kingdom, in search of lost treasure. In the Forsaken Ruins, players also come across Ocean Temples, with their entrances hidden behind cascading water.
The Trident: sealed inside the Ocean Palace, the Trident gives players special swimming techniques and a boost in underwater speed, and it can summon a water tornado to control enemies. Taking the Trident awakens the Kraken, which destroys the Ocean Palace with a surge of seawater and forces the player back to the surface.
Water Orb items: the Water Orb Grenade creates large water orbs that capture nearby enemies and force them to swim, and the Water Orb Blaster fires orbs that players can move through with the Hydro Pull ability.
Gleaming Stingray: players can ride the Gleaming Stingray, a two-seater mount that can travel underwater and fly through the air.
DSR sniper rifle: a new, highly accurate bolt-action sniper rifle with dual magazines.
Erangel changes: a dome-shaped observatory now towers over Stalber, the Ruins and Mylta received improved layouts, and new Intel Rooms with hidden supplies are scattered across the map.
The update also brought new vehicles for Payload Mode (the Fighter Jet and the four-seater Armamech), a Zombie Uprising mode in Metro Royale, tower-defence gameplay and new map templates in World of Wonder, and new legendary items in Cycle 7 Season 19.
When to download PUBG Mobile 3.3 update
The update was rolled out in stages on Google Play. These were the rollout times for each regional version, in Indian Standard Time. Where two times are given, the first is when the rollout started and the second is when it reached all players:
- Vietnam version – 10th July (12:30 PM to 4:30 PM IST)
- Korea-Japan version – 11th July (7:30 AM IST)
- Taiwan version – 11th July (8:30 AM IST)
- Global version – 11th July (7:00 AM to 3:30 PM IST)
Players were also advised to download updates only from official sources such as Google Play and the App Store, rather than from unknown websites. Unofficial downloads can put your account and device at risk.
Photo credit: Imago