PUBG developer Krafton has decided to expand the game beyond its battle royale format into a gaming platform. The project, announced at the company’s financial meeting this week, is currently being called “PUBG 2.0.” In this new framework, players won’t just fight for survival; they’ll be able to create their own game modes and participate in various experiences curated by Krafton.
PUBG 2 Coming Soon
PUBG, one of the most notable examples of its genre during its launch, broke concurrent player records on Steam. However, over time, it has fallen behind competitors like Fortnite and Roblox. While it currently reaches 400,000-500,000 concurrent players daily, the difference becomes stark when compared to Fortnite’s daily player count of around 1.5 million.
One of the main reasons for this difference is that Fortnite and similar games have evolved beyond offering just one game genre into platforms where users can access diverse experiences. In Fortnite’s example: A wide variety of content, such as car racing, LEGO collaborations, custom maps created by players, and music-themed festival modes, are offered under one roof. The PUBG 2.0 project embraces this approach.
According to information shared by Krafton, the new version of PUBG will include modes developed and integrated into the game, and players will be able to create their own content. However, the completion date for the platform’s transition is not yet clear.
This decision by PUBG stands out as a critical step in maintaining its competitive edge. Fortnite’s audience, even focusing on the battle royale mode, surpasses PUBG’s total player count.
In contrast, Krafton’s new move in this area will require significant effort to compete with industry veterans like Epic Games. Epic has been promoting user-generated content for Fortnite for years and is making significant investments in this area. It appears that a similar sustainability and support mechanism is needed for the PUBG 2.0 project.
PUBG’s transformation from a single-mode platform to a flexible, multi-mode platform has officially begun. How this evolution will impact the PUBG universe and player behavior remains to be seen.
