PUBG: Battlegrounds, the game that sparked the battle royale trend that has rocked the gaming industry in recent years, is turning to free to play (F2P), as are many of its direct competitors. The transition will take place on January 12th, over five years after the game first debuted as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
While casual gamers may earn chicken dinners for free, newbies will have to pay for the competitive Ranked Mode. Krafton is launching a Battlegrounds Plus upgrade as an optional extra. For a one-time fee of $13, you’ll have access to Ranked and custom modes, as well as an XP increase, in-game goodies, and other benefits. Those who have previously purchased the game will receive Battlegrounds Plus as well as other perks.
“As PUBG: Battlegrounds pioneered the battle royale genre and has grown into a globally influential game IP, this is the perfect time to transition to F2P and welcome new players to the game,” stated Krafton CEO CH Kim. “Transitioning to F2P is the next step in our journey to widen the scope of the PUBG IP through content that both new and veteran players will love.”PUBG: Battlegrounds, which Krafton claims have sold over 75 million downloads, remains extremely popular. Nearly the previous month, an average of over 146,000 players were playing the game on Steam alone at any given time. At peak periods, the amount frequently more than doubled. The conversion to free-to-play will almost certainly increase the player numbers even further.
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