Garena Free Fire will soon drop its highly anticipated OB43 update, bringing some of the biggest changes the battle royale game has seen. As revealed by advanced server gameplay, veteran players and newcomers alike will be surprised by what awaits. Let’s dive into the major changes coming to the battle royale game before the Free Fire OB43 update deploys.
Free Fire OB43 Update
- Nextterra 2.0 Changes
- Plane Lobby will now preview the Next Map
- Return of the World Chat
- Drop Armed with an UMP
- Danger Zone Blasts and Sounds are re-added
- Permanent access granted to Weapon Bunkers
- Sonia and Orion nerfed Heavily
- Introducing the brand new character, Ryden
- Arrival of the new Sniper Rifle, VSK94
- Increased Seating Capacity for Starter Vehicle
- Other Miscellaneous Updates
Nextterra 2.0 Changes
The Zip Line location on Nest has been completely overhauled, transforming it from a wide open and risky area to one with much more cover and buildings for strategy. Configurations like this should help improve the Nextterra map, which tends to be overwhelmingly large and sparse on battle opportunities. The rebuilt Zip Line serves as a promising improvement.
Plane Lobby will now preview the Next Map
When starting a classic Battle Royale match, the plane lobby loading screen will now showcase which exact map is next instead of a generic “No Signal” placeholder. Visually confirming Bermuda, Kalahari, or Nest ahead of time allows players to plan drop strategies rather than guessing.
Return of the World Chat
In a blast from the past, Free Fire’s world chat feature has made its return after being removed a few years ago. Now players can once again freely message any other player through text chat in matches. For longtime fans, this brings back nostalgia and reinstates world chat as a way to make new friends and connections through Garena’s servers.
Drop Armed with an UMP
A new gameplay modification will have characters automatically wielding a UMP submachine gun the moment they land on the plane. No longer will you start with bare fists and have to scavenge for the first available weapon. The change minimizes initial drops ending in immediate deaths. However, it may reduce the thrill of early game scavenging.
Danger Zone Blasts and Sounds are re-added
In another nostalgia grab, Garena has added back the red zone danger zone mortar explosions and sounds on the map. Their sudden bombing runs prompt that same old rush of adrenaline. And the ambient noise transports veterans right back to earlier eras of Free Fire’s gameplay. Expect to relive some intense firefights from the past!
Permanent access granted to Weapon Bunkers
Previously, special keys or airdrop missions were required to unlock weapon bunkers scattered across maps. But after OB43, all these major loot locations can be accessed outright without any prerequisites. Their doors remain permanently open for anyone to enter. On the flip side, this also means the high-tier weapons and gear found inside may be claimed quicker by early drops.
Sonia and Orion nerfed Heavily
Two of the most popular and powerful Free Fire characters have taken major hits to their efficacy. Sonia’s HP restoration ability now only lasts 2 seconds instead of 3, and she knocks herself down even if scoring kills in that small window. Orion maintains the same beast form transformation, but his movement speed drops by a huge 20% making him easy prey. Others such as Thiva, K, Chrono, Homer, Santino, and Ignis have undergone extensive balancing changes. K and Chrono have received buffs to make their abilities stronger.
Introducing the brand new character, Ryden
Ryden is a new tech-based character arriving in Free Fire who has a unique robotic spider companion. This character brings an unconventional blend of trap-setting and aggressive abilities to the battlefield. Ryden’s signature ability is called Poison Trap.
Ryden’s robotic spider not only ensnares targets but also weakens and damages them with venom and timed explosions. This provides an element of trap-based tactics combined with damaging finishers.CopyRetry
Arrival of the new Sniper Rifle, VSK94
A new formidable sniper rifle known as the VSK94 is also slated to arrive with the OB43 patch. Reports indicate that the VSK94 can rival and potentially out-damage the fearsome Kar98k and M24 sniper rifles. This could provide more loadout options for those who prefer the sniping playstyle. The VSK94 may land shots with greater efficiency or have other attributes that make it stand apart from existing top-tier sniper options.
Increased Seating Capacity for Starter Vehicle
Finally, the standard starter vehicle that players have access to from the beginning of matches will be undergoing a size upgrade. Originally, this rudimentary vehicle could only accommodate two people in a single front-seat row.
But after the update, capacity will double to allow an additional two players to sit in the new back row. So now four players can fit into the starter vehicle simultaneously instead of just two. This should facilitate more versatility and collaborative transportation early on before teams have the resources to purchase bigger rides.
Other Miscellaneous Updates
A myriad of additional changes like interface upgrades, seasonal events, cosmetic bundles, and balancing tweaks accompany the staple patches. But the features outlined above represent the most substantial and potentially meta-altering updates landing through the Free Fire OB43 update.
Final Thoughts
As always with major patches, only time and hands-on gameplay will determine if these ambitious changes hit the mark or miss. Regardless, Garena continues innovating to keep Free Fire dynamic and unpredictable for its legions of devoted mobile followers. We’ll have to play the waiting game for now until OB43 fully deploys.
For more Mobile Gaming news and updates, join our WhatsApp group, Telegram Group, or Discord server. Also, follow us on Google News, Instagram, and Twitter for quick updates.
