The new battle royale map Paramo, which has been teased for several days, has been officially unveiled by PUBG Corp. Both Paramo and Season 9 are now available on PC test servers, so you can join now.

At 3x3km, Paramo is PUBG's smallest map and will likely be a high-paced bloodbath for 64 players. However, there are more quirks in that small package than you may be used to. Landmarks change from match to match, and the building or complex you've just shot through may be gone and appearing elsewhere the next time you dive in. Lava is pouring out of the volcano, which naturally makes it difficult to get around on foot or by car.

Even if you don't get hit by lava or other players, the areas outside the blue zone work hard to rectify this and take more damage than other maps in PUBG. Also, staying too long outside the play zone can result in instant death, so players are now encouraged to leave the area at their own peril. With a companion, a critical response kit can be used to rescue a downed player in an instant.

The trailer released earlier in the week showed a helicopter carrying a large cargo box being shot down, but this was not just a cinematic effect. The support helicopter drops players into the Paramo and flies around the map with cargo throughout the match. Shooting down the support helicopters would allow them to get their cargo before they could escape the play area. This is similar to a supply drop or loot train, but the player has more control over where the loot appears. Helicopters and their cargo are expected to be heavily contested.

There is also a mystery at the heart of Paramo, and it has to do with the Fountain of Life. Yes, the lore of PUBG has become strange. Supposedly the first step is to get the key to the secret room, but PUBG Corp doesn't tell us anything about it, except that it can be found during looting.

Paramo Matches are separate from the regular matchmaking pool, so you can jump right in. It is a "season match" and has specific rules, such as no bots allowed and not counting toward career status. It will remain a seasonal match only during Season 9, after which it will probably be incorporated into the regular rotation.

While Paramo is the centerpiece, Season 9 will also feature a new ranked match solo queue, a new ranked match season, weapon balance updates for the Beryl M762 and SLR, and a new currency, the G-coin. the G-coin is coming because when you want to get something, instead of buying cash individually, It means that you will have to purchase this new currency in bulk. There is also a new pass to unlock Paramo-themed items. This is a shorter season than usual and will only run for two months, so you will need to reach level 50 to receive all the rewards.

If you want to wait until the glitches are ironed out, Season 9 will be on the live servers on October 21. We'll read the patch notes before then.