PUBG MOBILE celebrates African culture with designer Rich Mnisi

What was the key element you wanted to add to this outfit?
I wanted to bring a touch of sophistication through the construction and materials. The focus was on layers, contrasts, and transformation, to give the garment a dynamic rather than static appearance. Elements such as transparency juxtaposed with structure, or softness contrasted with strength, played an important role in creating tension and arousing curiosity. The goal was to give the piece a sculptural, almost lifelike quality.

The central theme of the contest is “Africa and modernity.” How does this modernity manifest in African culture?
In African culture, modernity is not a break but an evolution. It is embodied in the way tradition is continually reinterpreted through contemporary tools, materials, and perspectives. It can be found in music, fashion, language, and even digital spaces, where heritage and innovation coexist. It is a fluid dialogue between the past and the future, where identity is not fixed, but constantly redefined.

What message did you want to convey through your creative work?
My work is rooted in the idea that identity is vast and multifaceted. I want to challenge single narratives and celebrate complexity, contradiction, and beauty in all its forms. There is a constant tension between strength and vulnerability, heritage and imagination, which I try to express through each piece. Ultimately, the message is about freedom: the freedom to exist, evolve, and define oneself on one’s own terms.

How do your personal history and cultural heritage reflect in the outfits you create?
They are the foundation of everything I create. I come from the Tsonga people, and my work is deeply influenced by my origins, stories, symbols, and lived experiences that shape my perspective. But it is not a direct translation, but an interpretation. I draw inspiration from these cultural references and reinvent them, allowing them to exist in new contexts and forms. This is how my work becomes both personal and universal.

Africa marks the starting point of the collaboration journey of PUBG MOBILE Ptopia Design Project with creators. As ideas born within the game translate into the language of fashion, it is not just a creative process but also a form of cultural expression in motion. What will be the next step? Which cultures will shape its next chapter? The story of PUBG MOBILE PDP is just beginning.