Garena Free Fire's OB52 update launches globally on January 14, 2026, following a roughly 2-hour maintenance window, delivering the Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration, stealth character Morse, Bermuda remasters with High School vibes, 100-player BR lobbies, and extensive QoL tweaks rigorously tested on Advance Server from December 25, 2025, to January 9, 2026.
Free Fire OB52 Update Release Date
Free Fire OB52 patch rolls out worldwide on January 14, 2026, with pre-downloads starting January 13 evening in most regions.
- Servers offline for ~2 hours. NA/EU first, and then Asia follows.
- Advance Server testers earned 1000+ diamonds for bug reports, confirming low-end device optimizations and no major crashes.
- Mandatory age verification activates with parental spending limits to meet global regulations; skip risks account flags.
Free Fire x Jujutsu Kaisen Collab: Jujutsu Awakening
Jujutsu Kaisen surges into Free Fire via "Jujutsu Awakening," spawning Cursed Energy piles across all maps for passive collection, unlocking anime techniques, play Clash Squad and Battle Royale mode for 7-10 days. Free rewards feature Gojo Satoru and Itadori Yuji operator bundles from daily logins/missions, cursed parachutes, Domain Expansion emotes, and pistol/AR camos; premium Luck Royale spins drop Megumi Fushiguro/Nobara Kugisaki mythics, Monster Truck vehicle, and Gloo Walls.
Image Credit: Garena Free Fire
- "Jujutsu Awakening" mode infuses Free Fire with cursed energy mechanics, running 7-10 days across BR, Clash Squad, and LTMs on remastered maps.
- Cursed Energy piles spawn dynamically for auto-pickup, fueling a UI tab of anime techniques; stackable for combos.
- Free rewards: Gojo Satoru/Itadori Yuji operator bundles (missions/logins), cursed parachutes, Domain Expansion emotes, pistol/AR camos (pistols glow purple, ARs add rift effects).
- Premium: Megumi Fushiguro/Nobara Kugisaki mythics, Monster Truck vehicle (warp trails), Gloo Walls via Luck Royale. Target 2000-3000 diamonds; daily free spins teased.
- Themed Clash Squad economy scales buys per round; BR missions reward energy for mythics without paywalling basics.
New Map: Bermuda High School
Bermuda's Peak sector transforms into Jujutsu High School with supernatural aesthetics - cursed barriers, Tokyo skyline views, and ritual zones - plus practical adds like a "salon" POI (mirrors linking Bimasakti/Peak for rotations), Level 5 armor chargers (shoot walls to accelerate squad vest/helm recharges), and tinted Arsenal windows hiding loot until interaction. The Neon City introduces combat-free rifts for instant teleports, easing third-parties in 100-player lobbies; Peak vending machine removal forces riskier loot hunts.
- New "salon" POI: Mirrors teleport between Bimasakti/Peak, enabling instant flanks or escapes.
- Level 5 armor chargers: Shoot walls to boost squad vest/helm recharge speed by 50%; central in High School quad.
- Opaque Arsenal windows (blue/green tint): Hides loot until opened, forcing peeks; infinite Groza/AWM ammo inside destructibles.
- Neon City rifts: Combat-free teleports for rotations, dodging third-parties; Peak vending gone for riskier hunts.
Iconic Techniques
Cursed Energy unlocks Jujutsu arsenal, blending seamlessly into gunplay with cooldowns, vision cues, and economy ties. Harvest Cursed Energy to deploy Jujutsu moves, reshaping fights:
- Divergent Fist: Melee burst dash + damage amp (Hayato synergy).
- Unlimited Void: Stun zone (6m radius, 3s blind/disable).
- Hollow Purple: AoE nuke (15m obliteration, high energy cost).
- Ember Insects: Foe tracking (reveals squads through walls/smoke, 20s).
- Domain Expansion: Ultimate lockdown (20m vision denial + chip damage, squad-wide ult).
Clash Squad purchases scale per round, BR missions reward stacks, adding mindgames like baiting domains or fist-rushing campers, with UI overlays signaling active effects.
New Character: Morse
Morse debuts as an invisibility flanker, free via collab missions, perfect for Operations/Bermuda post-nerf campers. His active ability triggers partial invisibility , recharging via kills/assists. He excels in Operations narrow halls or Bermuda ambushes paired with MP40/UMP suppressors.
Active skill: Partial cloak (5-7s, evades long-range spot/fire; no guns, but knives/throwables live).
Recharge: Kills/assists (10s base); pairs with MP40 suppressor, UMP hipfire for post-cloak shreds.
Advance feedback: Counters turtles, boosts Duos stealth; no OP chains with movement nerfs.
Image Credit: Garena Free Fire
Other Character Adjustments
The mid-season balance update reduces the rate at which characters or units regenerate health or resources, and also places limits on the strength of buffs. These changes are designed to ensure that peak moments in gameplay, such as team fights or power spikes, are more fair and competitive, while also preventing gradual increases in overall power level that can lead to power creep over the course of the season.
- HP post-knock: Max regen 33s (from 14s) for deliberate revives.
- Movement buffs: 4% cap (was 7%) across kits like Tatsuya/Niran.
- Kit tweaks: Groza hammer-ins refined; overall favors sprays over turtling in 100-player lobbies.
Weapon Updates & Balances
Loot wars intensify as the competition for valuable items becomes fiercer, driven by clearer visuals that make it easier to spot and identify rewards on the battlefield.
- Arsenals: Infinite Groza/AWM in breakables; tier colors pop (gold/mythic glow).
- Winchester: +Range for 100m picks.
- MP40/UMP: 0.2s faster reload, tighter hipfire (Morse enablers).
- Ultra Airdrop: 400s timer, jumbo jet loot spike.
- AR tweaks: AK recoil smoothed for holds.
Image Credit: Garena Free Fire
*For detailed information on Battle Royale, system, and Craftland updates, please refer to the Garena Free Fire's official website > OB52 Patch Notes.