Press release

​​​​​​​DESTON ARRIVES AS SUMMER’S HOTTEST DESTINATION WITH PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS UPDATE 18.2

​​​​​​​The new 8x8 map arrives in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on July 13 for PC and July 21 for consoles

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. - July 6, 2022 - When KRAFTON, Inc.’s PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Update 18.2 goes live on July 13 for PC and July 21 for consoles, players will finally be able to drop into Deston, the ninth map for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. Along with Deston, players can find a multitude of new features dropping with Update 18.2, including Ascenders, Emergency Parachutes, Fuel Pumps, Airboats and more.

Below is a detailed breakdown of Deston and all the new features on the horizon with Update 18.2. For more information, please view the full patch notes HERE. Survivors who want to preview the new content can do so today on the PC Test Server.

 

New Map: Deston

The wait and teasing for PUBG: BATTLEGROUND’s newest 8x8 map is finally over as the near-future and ravaged world of Deston arrives for players to explore. Deston presents players the opportunity to engage in and traverse diverse biomes: a flooded downtown embracing one of the tallest skyscrapers ever seen in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, a murky swamp, clear coasts, beautiful mountains, and unexplored islands. Deston will be available as a featured map and will be playable in Solo, Duos and Squad TPP and FPP modes. 

 
  • New Vehicle: Airboat - Traveling by water and land? The new Airboat vehicle can solve players’ amphibian needs without having to switch between vehicles. The Airboat is extremely fast on water, travels on land at a maximum 76 km/h, can carry up to five players and is only available to use in Deston.

 
  • Point of Interests - A new map calls for new point of interests (POI) for players to explore! Deston introduces several POIs, including:  

    • Ripton - A partially submerged city that players will have to wade through shallow water to cross through and can utilize tall skyscrapers to travel seamlessly from air to ground 

    • Swamp - A shallow watered area to engage with opposing players in.

    • Concert - An outdoor concert festival grounds where you're free to strut some dance moves before heading out to fight for that Chicken Dinner, plus several more POIs for players to experience for themselves.
       

  • New Weapon: O12 - Deston also introduces a new weapon for players to exclusively use in Deston. The O12 is a 12 gauge slug shotgun with superior accuracy and range compared to any other shotgun to make it more efficient in mid-to-short range encounters.

 

Deston Utility Items

In order to diversify gameplay, Deston introduces new exclusive utility items, including the Ascender for increased vertical movement, the Parachute as a default item all players spawn with, and Cell Towers that allow for the combined use of Ascenders and Parachutes to travel large distances in Deston quickly. These items will trigger special in-game interactions and should provide players new core game flow without disrupting player immersion. Every map utility item will be placed in players’ inventories upon entering Deston and may be used as many times as players wish. The items will not affect inventory weight and occupy their own inventory slots.

 

New Features

  • Fuel Pump Stations - Deston will introduce working Fuel Pump Stations for players to fill up vehicles as they’re traveling around Deston. However, be warned that these Fuel Pumps can create a devastating explosion if they are shot at. 
     

  • Security Keys and Doors - The security team of Deston seemed to leave in quite a haste and left Security Keys around the map for players to find. If found, these Security Keys have the ability to unlock Security Doors for the opportunity to grab high-tier loot. The Security Keys will stack in the inventory and will be consumed after using them on Security Doors.

 

For the latest information on PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, please visit https://na.battlegrounds.pubg.com/ or follow us on social media (Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / TikTok). 

About KRAFTON, Inc.


KRAFTON, Inc. is a collective of independent game development studios brought together to create innovative and engaging entertainment experiences for gamers across the world. The company consists of PUBG Studios, Bluehole Studio, Striking Distance Studios, RisingWings, Dreamotion,  Unknown Worlds and 5minlab, each with its own unique expertise.


KRAFTON is responsible for premier entertainment properties including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, NEW STATE MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, TERA, and ELYON. As a technology-driven company that boasts world-class capabilities, KRAFTON seeks to expand its areas of business beyond games to multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information about KRAFTON, please visit www.krafton.com.