PUBG: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Is Going ‘Free To Play’ On PC

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is finally going free-to-play on PC. The announcement was made through a new trailer during The Game Awards 2021.

Since its release in 2017, PUBG has only been a paid game on Steam. The battle royale game gained so much popularity that Epic Games adapted it to its tower defense game known as Fortnite.

PUBG will become available for free from January 12st, 2022. The battle royale genre has seen explosive popularity in recent years, with many new games being released for this genre.

Part of the genre’s success was also because many battle royale games went free to play to appease players. This includes Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, and many more.

PUBG free-to-play details

Although PUBG is finally going free-to-play, some of its features will be behind a paywall. Krafton, the studio behind the game, is planning a one-time $12.99 “account upgrade” called Battlegrounds Plus. This will give you access to rankings, custom match modes, special in-game items, and more. 

Those who have already bought PUBG will get the Special Commemorative Pack. This will include the aforementioned Battlegrounds Plus and additional in-game items.

The studio seems to have learned from other battle royale games. Developers will likely rely on in-game monetization to support PUBG going free. This will bring many new players to the game and even get it back to its former glory.