To celebrate the 9th anniversary of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, KRAFTON has unveiled its roadmap for 2026, aiming to enhance the gaming experience and strengthen its live service. The battle royale has surpassed 1.3 million simultaneous users in March 2026, marking a new milestone in its popularity.
The first focus of this roadmap is on the evolution and innovation of gameplay. Starting next month, destructible terrains will be integrated into Erangel, giving players the ability to create cover in open areas. Miramar will feature secret rooms, while the Rondo map will see optimizations to facilitate looting and planning movements. The development teams will also introduce interactive smoke, influenced by wind and explosions, as well as supplies through Blue Chip towers and equipment system enhancements to diversify strategic decisions during gameplay.
Regarding gameplay evolution and combat, a meta rotation system will be deployed: dominant weapon classes will alternate each season to maintain combat freshness. Major updates will occur every four months, accompanied by bi-monthly balancing patches. New weapons and accessories will be introduced, while some less used elements may be removed to maintain overall balance. The Class system will introduce a revamped ranking points system to better reflect performance, and seasonal structures, rewards, as well as the Contender system will be enriched. esports-focused Event Passes and game modes will complement these additions.
Simultaneously, KRAFTON plans to expand the live service with various content. In April, the cooperative roguelite looter-shooter Xeno Point will be launched, combining progression and tactical gameplay. A collaboration with Starbreeze studio will result in a cooperative heist mode under the PAYDAY banner, focusing on discretion and team coordination. User-generated content will undergo a major expansion: creation tools will be optimized, a dedicated hub will facilitate discovery of creations, and development performances will be enhanced to support a wider variety of community modes.
Finally, KRAFTON will continue its investments in infrastructure and service stability. Server capacity expansion will focus on consoles, while anti-cheat systems will integrate more precise detection techniques and a reinforced review process to limit abusive sanctions. Combating DMA cheating will remain a priority, supported by ongoing research and development efforts.
