PUBG is about to release in full on Xbox One, as update 1.0 prepares to go live.
But before the release of PUBG 1.0, developer Bluehole is taking the game offline for a marathon maintenance period.
Battlegrounds is going offline for 16 hours on Xbox One, starting at 9am BST. The servers will come back online at 1am UK time on September 4.
The news was confirmed by PUBG developer Bluehole on Twitter: “Xbox Players: Live servers will enter a 16-hour maintenance in order to prepare for the 1.0 launch. The PTS will be available to play on during the maintenance period.
“After maintenance is over, 1.0 content will be available on live servers.”
As the tweet points out, the only way for Xbox One players to get their PUBG fix is by downloading and logging into the public test servers.
Bluehole explains more about the PTS in a recent blog post: “The PTS is a separate PUBG server that’s free to download for anyone who already owns a copy of PUBG.
“To take part in the test, all you have to do is own a copy of PUBG for Xbox One and search for ‘PUBG Test Server’ on the Microsoft Store.
“PTS will be available to all players, available maps (Miramar, Erangel) will be the same as live servers.
“Please be aware that some game modes will be restricted and only the NA server will be available to play on due to lower player numbers compared to live servers, which can lead to extended matchmaking times.”
PUBG update 1.0 will make a number of balance changes and bug fixes to the battle royale game.
But perhaps most exciting of all is the launch of the Sanhok map and introduction of achievements.
“Inspired by the islands across Southeast Asia, Sanhok is a 4×4 compact battleground,” Bluehole explains.
“Along with the new map, we will introduce all-new weapons and vehicles for our players to enjoy.”
Update 1.0 also coincides with the release of War Mode, which will be available on select weekends.
War Mode is described as a deathmatch-style experience with respawns and a limited play area.
“Teams get points for knockdowns, kills, and for reviving teammates, and the team that reaches the points goal, or has the highest points when the match timer ends, wins the battle.”
Less exciting is the introduction of a new in-game currency for purchasing cosmetic items.