Krafton announced that their published title New State would be receiving its November update yesterday. The announcement comes with new mechanics for revival and an additional ‘shooting gallery’ mode for players to engage in quick bouts of action. It also includes a new weapon, the SL8 DMR, and a new unlockable character, Carrie Mcgrath, to further round out the existing content in-game.

The addition of more single-player content is likely an attempt to capitalise on player’s downtime, when they may not have internet access or not want to devote themselves to a full, half-hour or more battle royale session. The tagline for the mode on key-art is even “Three 1-minute rounds of exhilarating action”. Making it easier to respawn also suggests they're hoping to keep players committed, and that multiple game sessions in a role are not as important as ensuring they commit to a single longer match.

Not quite PUBG

Of particular note as to why this is significant is the context around it. Earlier this year BGMI (BattleGrounds Mobile India), the bespoke version of PUBG Mobile created for the Indian market, was blocked in the country. This came after PUBG Mobile itself had been banned, and was widely viewed to be part of economic and political friction between India and China, with publisher Krafton having significant investment from Tencent.

With New State, Krafton has a virtually identical form of gameplay to PUBG, but with a new coat of paint and a name to differentiate it from the banned game. It should come as no surprise then that Indian outlets are covering these November updates and suggesting it as an alternative to the now-removed game.

With Krafton’s recent financials having painted a grim picture for PUBG mobile, and their insistence they’re still committed to the Indian market it’s entirely possible we may see them focus their efforts further on Future State. Dropping the battle to keep BGMI reinstated, which has been ongoing for months now, may be the next call Krafton makes in favour of concentrating on a new, fresh and succesful title in Future State.