New State Mobile — previously known as PUBG New State — is set to undergo maintenance in preparation for the upcoming March update. The popular battle royale game for Android and iOS smartphones will be down for maintenance on March 17. The next update to New State Mobile will bring new content including weapons, and improvements to the game, along with changes to the Erangel map. The March update will also add a new McLaren hypercar to the game, as part of a collaboration with the company. The game will also build on adjustments related to vehicles in the game, that were first introduced with the February update for New State Mobile.
Publisher Krafton announced on the New State Mobile website on Tuesday that the popular game would be closed for maintenance in March 17, while the March update, also known as the v0.9.26 update, is installed. During this time, the game will be inaccessible to players. The downtime is scheduled for 1am to 6am UTC (or 6:30am to 11:30am IST), according to Krafton. However, the downtime could be extended in case of any issues while the update is installed.
According to a video shared by Krafton, the upcoming March update will resolve frame optimisation issues for both iOS and Android devices. The Erangel map is also getting an update, with a new area called Avanpost, which is being added to the map. Ferry Pier is getting a new loot area and a large factory will be added to quarry, according to Krafton. Item and vehicle spawn rates are set to change, and the Electron will be available in Erangel.
Last month, Krafton introduced several improvements to vehicles in the game, which the developers referred to as “Vehicle Meta”. The March update will add even more improvements, while changing how firing from a moving vehicle works. Vehicles like the Volta will see acceleration and cornering adjustments, while making it noisier so opponents can hear it approaching. Similarly, Mesta and Nova have been adjusted to make them easier to drive.
The March update for New State Mobile, will also add a new weapon, the MG3, which is an auto firing machine gun with 75 bullet capacity along with 7.63mm ammunition with 660 and 990 RPM modes. It supports a scope and a bipod to reduce recoil while prone shooting, according to Krafton. The upcoming update will also add new customisation for weapons including C2 for the Vector with a drum magazine, bringing the capacity to 45 bullets at the cost of slower reloading. Meanwhile, the Mini-14 also has a C2, which means gamers can add an attachment for a tactical stock, bringing increased stability at the cost of slower ADS.
Weapon balance adjustments have been added to the March update, and the L85A3 now has higher damage and effective range, while SKS’s bullet range has been increased. The bold action speed for KAR98K (C1) has been increased, while horizontal recoil control for MP5K (C1) has been reduced. Mini-14’s C1 has been revamped to increase damage but at the cost of higher vertical and horizontal recoil. Meanwhile, S686’s C1 now allows users to shoot a single fire shot instead of the 2-shot burst. Krafton has also improved deviation control for Choke, according to the developer.
Gamers on iOS will benefit from additional frame optimisation, while iPad mini 6 owners will be able to access the game in full screen aspect ratio, according to the publisher. Other optimisations include co-op reviving making it faster than earlier. Touch stabilisation has also been added to the settings. Gamers will finally be able to enable or disable aim assist — the toggle does not work in the current version of the game, according to Krafton.
The publisher has also changed the method of calculating rewards for the upcoming Season 2, and a new reward scheme will feature a parachute skin as one of the rewards. Players who maintain the Conqueror tier will be rewarded with a gun upgrade token, according to Krafton. The game will also add Spring themed content to the game. Gamers will also be able to specify their region to match with players closer to them and can “like” other gamers after playing matches, which will show up in a new counter on a player’s profile. The March update will also add a tutorial mode for gamers who have just joined New State Mobile, according to Krafton.