Pixel Sundays: PUBG – From king of Battle Royale to global shooting game brand – Goclecd.fr

Today we return to 2017, the year PUBG: Battlegrounds redefined multiplayer gaming. Without PUBG, titles like Fortnite might never have seen the light of day, because PUBG made Battle Royale a mass phenomenon. The game managed to reach millions of concurrent players on Steam, all with realism rather than an arcade feel.

Résumé

Today, PUBG is much more than just a PC game. It offers e-sport, a mobile version and new genre derivatives, it is no longer the small game of 2017. Although the fervor on PC has slowly faded over time, the mobile version has exploded, especially in the Asian market. Now, PUBG is coming with new projects like Black Budget, showing its strategic reorientation. Is PUBG still relevant or is it a thing of the past?

The Initial Phase – How PUBG Defined Battle Royale

PUBG Early Access began in March 2017. At the time, the game was not Free to Play, but had to be purchased once. It was not until 2022 that the move to Free to Play took place. The idea came from Brendan Greene, who in 2011 created the Battle Royale mod for Arma 2. He then had the idea of ​​making it a full-fledged game, and that was PUBG. The first map, and still the most emblematic today, is Erangel, with its military setting. At the time, 100 players were jumping out of the plane without the possibility of respawning, which generated maximum tension. In addition, the game offered realistic weapon physics and bullet drop from the start, all without a skill system or superpowers: pure realism.

As there are no special abilities, tactics, positioning and map knowledge are the deciding factors of the game. PUBG’s loot system with random spawns has become the norm of the genre and is unavoidable today. Because of the constantly shrinking zone, there is constant pressure and an obligation to move forward, which always leads to meeting new players. On January 13, 2018, all records were broken and PUBG reached the highest number of concurrent players ever on Steam, with 3.2 million players connected at the same time. At that time, the massive influx even caused server problems, a sign of its success.

The game was also massively watched on Twitch and became a streaming phenomenon. Later, other games like Fortnite, Warzone or Apex were inspired by PUBG. But the hardcore nature of the game attracted experienced players, with military realism as its unique asset. Despite bugs and technical issues, the game was extremely successful. It was less accomplished, but unique in its genre, laying the foundations for the modern Battle Royale genre.

PUBG in E-Sports – Tactics, millionaire prizes and obstacles for spectators

Soon after the huge success of PUBG, international leagues were created. The game has established prestigious championships with prizes reaching one million dollars. It was less popular in Europe, but much more in South Korea and China, where the events still took place. The 100 players in total create a chaotic dynamic. In the events, it was mainly about strategic rotations and, of course, good aim. Additionally, the movement of zones always created a random factor with great risks, but also rewards. The more the game progressed, the more the intensity increased. But for casual spectators, this e-sport league was difficult to access, because there are often long periods of downtime between clashes.

The commentators observe the games from above, which complicates the perspective. PUBG is less spectacular to look at than fast-paced arena shooters like Valorant or CS. Nevertheless, there is a stable community, even if it has never been completely mainstream. From a tactical perspective, PUBG esports is one of the most demanding, and it’s especially popular in Asia.

PUBG Mobile – The true economic giant

PUBG Mobile was released in 2018 on iOS and Android. This is a technically impressive adaptation of the game for smartphones. Many optimizations have been made to make it work on various performance levels. The number of downloads is extremely high, and it is particularly successful in India and Southeast Asia. These days, mobile is the main source of revenue for the franchise, as many gamers spend money more willingly on their smartphone than on PC. Thanks to skins and the Battle Pass on mobile and PC, billions in revenue are generated. The new Free to Play system is perfectly suited to a mobile game. Matches are significantly shorter than on PC, making it the perfect game for on the go.

Additionally, PUBG Mobile offers exclusive content, collaborations, and events that are not available on PC. E-sport also exists for PUBG Mobile with huge prizes. Here again, the vast majority of spectators come from the Asian region. Therefore, the mobile market is economically stronger than the PC version. Although the game is much more geared towards casual players, there is still a competitive dimension. Without mobile, PUBG would be much smaller today, and this lays the groundwork for future PUBG projects.

Black Budget – PUBG meets extraction shooter

One such project is PUBG Black Budget, a mining shooter currently in development. The game is comparable to Escape from Tarkov, where you permanently lose your loot if you die on a mission. The game offers more survival elements and an economic system to motivate players in the long run. Black Budget features a darker atmosphere, with fewer mass fights and more targeted skirmishes. Tension mounts with increasing risk and realistic damage. Here, progression is more important than individual rounds, reflecting the trend of hardcore shooters that have gained popularity since Tarkov.

Alongside Battle Royale, PUBG wants to establish itself in another market to target a different audience. But with Arc Raiders and Tarkov, the competition is fierce in this area, and PUBG will have to prove itself. They follow the trend, which carries high risk. The PUBG brand wants to secure its future and carry out a strategic reorientation. So far, no release date has been announced for Black Budget.

Blindspot and the PUBG Universe – The brand is growing

Besides Black Budget, a PUBG studio is working on the spin-off tactical shooter Blindspot. It is a tactical shooter which, unlike competitors like CS or Valorant, is played from a top-down view. The game has a squad-focused approach with completely new gameplay within the same intellectual property, which serves as an advertisement and pillar. PUBG wants to continue to expand and forge a long-term vision with more lore and universe building. The brand is moving further and further away from Battle Royale to target the general public. PUBG serves more as an overall brand than just a game, refusing to take isolated risks while diversifying its offerings. They are trying to reach new audiences without neglecting their old games.

PUBG 2026 – From hype to strategic maturity

Since 2022, PUBG is a Free to Play title, allowing everyone to try it. The player base is certainly smaller, but still stable, with over 2 million unique players per day. Regular updates bring new free content, maps and skins. Added to this are balancing adjustments. The game faces strong competition from Warzone, Apex and Fortnite, but they have remained strong and have not collapsed after over 8 years. However, the trend is moving away from classic Battle Royale games. But PUBG is following suit and developing games in trending genres. PUBG is no longer a precursor, but they want to stay relevant.

Even after more than 8 years, the game has a strong and active community. With PUBG Mobile, the franchise has built a solid financial foundation. E-sport events are stable, although not dominant, and new projects are emerging to bet on the future. PUBG must and wants to reinvent itself, building on the enthusiasm around the brand. Today, they are perhaps less viral, but more strategic and future-oriented. PUBG is not dying, it is transforming and depends on Black Budget and other titles for its future.

Conclusion – From Battle Royale Pioneer to Versatile Shooter Brand

PUBG not only popularized the Battle Royale genre, it propelled it into the mainstream for the first time. In 2017, it was the game that brought together millions of simultaneous players on Steam and which, with its uncompromising realism, clearly opposed arcade shooters. Even if the great fervor on PC has faded, the influence on titles like Fortnite, Warzone or Apex remains undeniable.

Today, PUBG no longer represents just a map with 100 players, but an entire universe. With PUBG Mobile as an economic base, solid e-sport structures in Asia and new projects like Black Budget or Blindspot, the franchise is pursuing a clear strategic reorientation. PUBG is no longer a trendsetter, but neither is it a mere footnote in video game history. On the contrary, the brand is in the midst of a transformation: going from a simple fashion phenomenon to a shooting game franchise with multiple long-term pillars.

The question is therefore no longer whether PUBG is relevant, but in what form. The years to come will tell us if this new direction pays off. One thing is certain, however: PUBG has marked the history of video games and has no intention of disappearing any time soon.

MORE RELEVANT ARTICLES