Since its launch in 2017, "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (also known as "PUBG") has consistently received free updates, adding tons of new content for players to enjoy. The latest update, Update 7.1, kicks off the game's seventh season. Season 7 saw the return of the Vikendi map and many improvements; here's everything you need to know about PUBG Season 7.

Season 7 of PUBG will bring Vikendi back into the spotlight, a map that was temporarily removed earlier this year. However, numerous changes by the development team have made this map much improved over the original version. The biggest of these is the addition of trains to the map, which can often be seen running along the tracks throughout the map. These trains can be boarded by players, destroying vehicles and players in their path, and may stop temporarily at stations scattered throughout the map. Creative players will no doubt find ways to use these locomotives effectively. Whether luring pursuers to smash them to pieces, using the train as a means of transportation to quickly move to a safe zone, or simply using the boxcars to hide from enemies, these trains create incredibly dynamic gameplay opportunities and set Vikendi apart from the other maps in PUBG It creates.

While the trains are the star of Vikendi's improvements, the other changes should not be underestimated. The developers reduced the amount of snow on the map to improve visibility, and many towns were moved, removed, or redesigned to provide a more balanced gameplay. Additionally, snow bikes and snowmobiles on the map have been replaced with motorcycles and bikes with sidecars. The Dino Park theme park has also received a visual makeover and is now called Dinoland. Finally, a new bolt-action sniper rifle, the Mosin Nagant, has been added to the game and is now available in Vikendi as well as Erangel. The weapon is a direct copy of the beloved Kar98k in terms of status, attachments, and ammunition used, but with a completely unique look and sound.

In addition to the fantastic changes and additions made to the Vikendi, there are also a number of new cosmetic items available as part of the PUBG Season 7 Survivor Pass, called Cold Front. For just $10, players can get countless new clothing items and emotes for their characters, as well as skins for various weapons and vehicles in the PUBG sandbox. To earn skins, players must complete special missions in which they accomplish specific tasks during a match. This allows players to gain experience and rank up the Survivor Pass. This unlocks items that the pass offers.

Most of the new unlocks are Vikendi-centric, themed around the map's cold winter weather and Dinoland theme park. Many of these items hint at stories surrounding Vikendi and its locations, which should appeal to fans of PUBG lore.

While the Vikendi-themed items in Vikendi and Survivor Pass are great, PUBG's developers have also made improvements to the game in general. At the start of Season 7, significant strides were made to reduce hitching during gameplay, and the drop meshes used for weapons and attachments in the game world were optimized to reduce system memory usage. Also removed were certain blood splatter effects that previously caused performance issues. These will be reinstated in a later update after the developer fixes the issues related to the effects.

Other changes and improvements include a cleaner, less obtrusive user interface and extensive bug fixes to make the entire PUBG gameplay experience as fluid and responsive as intended. Please see the full patch notes.

Between the amazing changes made to Vikendi and the dozens of brand new cosmetics available as part of Survivor Pass: PUBG Season 7 is PUBG at its best ever. Whether you are a repeat player of the game or a new player looking to try out the best battle royale game of all time, there has never been a better time to play PUBG than now. The game is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, so no matter which platform you play on, you can get in on the action.