All About Interwebz: PUBG Mobile Season 18 release date, Royale Pass, 1.3.0 update and what we know

PUBG Mobile Season 18 has landed as of March 17. This time, players will experience the Hundred Rhythms theme which comes with a fresh injection of cosmetics along with the new Royale Pass.

PUBG Mobile is the official spin-off to the survival game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and in many ways, the mobile version of PUBG has eclipsed its bigger brother, particularly in terms of revenue.

It was the highest grossing mobile game in May 2020, making a whopping $226 million for PUBG’s parent company, Tencent. That may change in the near future, though, as the game was recently banned in India.

PUBG Mobile is incredibly popular, then, and by delivering a regular wave of updates, new seasonal content and gameplay modes for its dedicated player base, the game will continue to draw people in. Here's what you need to know about PUBG Mobile Season 18.

When does PUBG Mobile Season 18 start?

PUBG Mobile Season 18 starts on March 17, with Season 17 having ended on March 15.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can download PUBG Mobile from both the App Store and Google Play, but the game is currently unavailable in India after a countrywide ban.

Android users can also take advantage of PUBG Mobile's new Royale Pass Prime subscription service, and enjoy benefits and rewards exclusive to Prime players. Subscribers can get 300 or 900 Royale Pass vouchers each month, as well as access to Prime-exclusive Airplane Ranking display perks.

The Prime subscription is only available on Android devices for now, but iOS users can apparently look forward to an upcoming collaboration with Apple in the future.

What does PUBG Mobile Season 18 include?

PUBG Mobile Season 18 is a part of Patch 1.3, which was added to the game on March 9. The new patch sees the introduction of new maps, weapons, gameplay mechanics and more.

PUBG Mobile Season 17 brought with it the unique theme of Runic Power, where players could find mysterious, otherworldly objects to grant them and their weapons various abilities.

PUBG Mobile Season 18 introduces the Hundred Rhythms theme, which along with dozens of new cosmetics adds a mode of the same name to the fan-favorite Erangel map. The mode is available to play as of March 9, in line with the update to Patch 1.3.

What does the PUBG Mobile Version 1.3.0 update include?

PUBG Update 1.3.0 — (Image credit: PUBG Corp)

In addition to the new modes and cosmetic rewards available in PUBG Mobile Season 18, Patch 1.3.0 has many more extras up its sleeve. First are the two new maps which are Karakin, a smaller scale 64-player Battle Royale map that encourages quick, aggressive play, and Code-C, a new Arena map perfect for close to mid-range shootouts.

Similar to the PC and console versions of PUBG, Karakin brings with it the Panzerfaust weapon and the deadly Demolition Zone, both able to bring visible and explosion destruction that lends an element of dynamism to the map.

The Motor Glider has also been made available on PUBG Mobile Season 18 through Patch 1.3.0. This flying machine has room for two and allows quicker traversal across the map you're playing on. The Motor Glider will only spawn on the Erangel and Miramar Battle Royale maps.

How much is the PUBG Mobile Season 18 Royale Pass?

The PUBG Mobile Royale Pass offers a base version for free, but its rewards are limited and usually not all that impressive. If you’re looking to deck your character out in something a bit more stylish, then you'll need to pay to unlock the pass's premium rewards.

Season 17's free pass couldn't progress any higher than rank 60. This is also the case with PUBG Mobile Season 18, so keep that in mind if the rewards beyond rank 60 are to your liking.

PUBG Mobile’s Season 18's full Royale Pass will cost 600 Unknown Cash ($9.99 / £9.99), allowing players to gain all rewards and speed up progression via Elite Missions. If your free time is limited, the Elite Pass Plus costs 1800 UC ($29.99 / £29.99) which will instantly bump your rank up to 25, and you may be able to grab some unique rewards as part of the purchase, too.