Free Fire Update: Purgatory and Fire Pass

The May 2018 update of Free Fire released Purgatory, Fire Pass, Maxim, M500, and new features for guilds.

By Ronny Rolim
May 24, 2018, at 1:00am — Updated 8 years ago

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The May 2018 update of Free Fire marked the full release of the Purgatory map and the arrival of the Fire Pass, a system that allowed players to complete missions to unlock rewards.

According to an official statement from Garena published on May 24, 2018, players needed to update the app via the App Store or Google Play to access the new content.

May 2018 Update Arrived at Free Fire

The information was announced by Garena on the international Free Fire website in an official publication titled New Update: New Map & Fire Pass.

The May 2018 update established Purgatory as a new map and opened the Fire Pass to all players.

Purgatory Released as a New Map

The main highlight of the update was the full release of the Purgatory map. This novelty expanded the match options and provided players with a new environment to explore, drop in, collect gear, and survive.

The map also received ziplines, a feature available only in Purgatory at that time. They allowed players to cross areas of the map more quickly and change the pace of rotation during matches.

Fire Pass Opened Missions and Rewards

Another important novelty was the Fire Pass. According to Garena, the system was open to everyone and allowed players to collect emblems by completing missions.

With these emblems, players could unlock rewards valued by Garena at up to 10,000 diamonds.

• System: Fire Pass;
• Access: open to all;
• Progression: collect emblems;
• How to advance: complete missions;
• Mentioned rewards: up to 10,000 diamonds in value.

Maxim and M500 Arrived in the Game

The update also added Maxim, referred to by Garena as Maxim the Glutton. The character became part of the initial cast of Free Fire and is remembered as one of the classic figures from the game's early phase.

In addition, Garena launched the M500 pistol, described in the announcement as a new revolver. The weapon expanded the secondary combat options available to players.

Scanner, Guilds, and Customizable Boards

The list of new features also included match resources, social systems, and customization.

• New loadout Scanner;
• Death spectator and report for squad matches;
• Guild Glory system, with progress when playing with guild members;
• Expansion of guilds, allowing group size increase;
• Guild ranking;
• Customizable boards;
• More ramps scattered across the map for jumps.

Improvements and Balancing

Garena also brought adjustments to the interface, sound, animations, and weapons. The update introduced a new look for the lobby and store, designed to better accommodate the new systems and items.

• New lobby and new store interface;
• New sound effects and animations for item usage;
• Slight strengthening of the M14 and Kar98k;
• Desert Eagle temporarily removed from the game.

Why Was This Update Important?

The May 2018 update was important because it expanded Free Fire on multiple fronts simultaneously: map, progression, character, weapon, guilds, and customization.

This record also helps to organize the history of Free Fire versions, especially because the early updates were published by Garena as general notes, without the current standard of major OB notes.