Z1 Battle Royale

Season 3 and Ranked Pro Mode launched on March 6, 2019, with new scoring, seasonal and ranked playlists, rewards, and a new competitive progression layer. The same release rebranded the front end as Z1 Battle Royale and delivered a sweeping PS3-era restoration of movement, combat, vehicles, map, environment, and lighting, while the Fragment System and Missions added more match objectives.

• Arcade content: Auto Royale returned, while new weapons and several named modes broadened the rotation.
  • Sharp Shooter, Road Runners, Assault Rush, Detonation, ATV Rampage, and Outlawed launched as new Arcade modes; the ARV, LMG, and Scout Rifle also became available across all modes.
  • Hot Dog Eating Contest added a collection-focused mode and event, with the Patriotic Motorcycle Helmet, Patriotic Unicorn Mask, and Patriotic Set Crate as notable rewards.
  • Raining Racers launched with the Racer vehicle, Racer Crate, and animated Fastest Racer Helmet.
• PS3 gameplay restoration: Movement, gunplay, vehicles, and the world were substantially reworked.
  • PS3 Movement and Animations restored run speed, jump height, strafe speed, and recreated animations.
  • PS3 Vehicle Mechanics restored handling, acceleration, and braking behavior.
  • PS3 Gun Mechanics restored recoil and bullet speed for weapons including the AR-15, AK-47, and M1911.
  • PS3-era Map, Environment, and Lighting restored ground textures, flora, lighting, and the sun’s road reflections.
• Progression and competitive play: Fragment System collection, Missions System objectives, and Daily and Weekly Challenges added new reward paths. Showdown Tournament was announced but later canceled, with its replacement reward plan tied to Season 3 leaderboard results. Ranked Pro Mode launched with Season 3, then was removed on May 1; Master and Royalty ranks returned to standard Solos, and Season 6 later refreshed the leaderboards.
• Outland and Offroader: Outland was announced as in development for PC and PS4, remaining a planned map rather than a delivered release. The ARV spawn exploit was addressed by replacing ARV spawns with Offroader spawns.

H1Z1 Goes Free To Play made the game free on Windows PC on March 8, 2018, while Auto Royale launched on February 28 as a team-based vehicular battle-royale mode. Z1 Remastered (Outbreak) later delivered a remastered map with updated terrain and loot spots, alongside a new ranked progression structure and expanded Arcade rotation.

• Auto Royale: Launched as a vehicle-focused team mode with its own combat rules and pickups.
  • Auto Royale Duos added two-player teams with one driver and one passenger.
  • Guided Rocket Launcher (LG-IR) introduced steerable rocket attacks to vehicle matches.
• Z1 Remastered (Outbreak): Added the remastered Z1 map, new loot locations, and updated terrain. The Graphics Engine Update later delivered a major performance and stability upgrade.
• Free access and paid packs: H1Z1 Goes Free To Play opened the Windows PC version to everyone, while the paid Bronze, Silver, and Gold Limited Edition Battle Royale Packs launched at $19.99, $49.99, and $99.99. Existing owners received the H1Z1 Appreciation Pack.
• Season progression: Season One replaced the previous ranking approach with scoring based on kills and placement, allowed de-ranking, and awarded rewards from each player’s highest rank. Season 2 followed with another scoring and reward structure.
• Arcade modes: The rotation gained several named rulesets.
  • Scavenger Hunt focused on collecting two types of skulls for rewards.
  • Revive Fives allowed players to revive incapacitated teammates.
  • Bullseye created first-person-only matches with a restricted weapon set.
  • Boot Camp brought standard battle-royale play to the Combat Training map.
  • Hunter Hunted added a tactical arcade mode centered on player engagements.
• Combat balance: The AR-15, AK-47, M-9, Shotgun, and Magnum received damage, recoil, fire-rate, and spread adjustments, while Ping Restrictions for Ranked Matches prevented players exceeding connection thresholds from joining ranked games.