It's been seven years since PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS burst onto the scene at the start of 2017, and developer PUBG STUDIOS is looking back at the games' legacy and forward to its future.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS officially released into Steam Early Access on March 23, 2017. Over the months that followed, it became one of the biggest breakout hits of the decade, winning just one of its seven Guinness World Records for becoming the fastest Early Access Game on Steam to reach $100 Million in Sales. At a peak concurrent player count of 3.25 million, it's still the record-holder for Steam's highest-played game, and has been one of the top-selling and most-played games on the platform for the past seven years running. Overall, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has accrued more than $3 billion in lifetime revenue.
But while PUBG STUDIOS is seriously proud of everything the game has achieved since 2017, it's not resting on its laurels. Production director Taehyun Kim says that "PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has been constantly striving to satisfy its diverse player base," and that while devs expect there'll be "new challenges" on the horizon, "we will continue to prioritize our fans and work hard to meet the needs of our players." A recent update added weekly missions to the game's Clan system, and added new attachment updates, but its recent Update 31.2 recently introduced even more changes.
The main focus of the update are the Taego world updates, focusing on "rebalancing and enhancing existing areas to enrich the overall gameplay experience." Several areas have been revamped - most notably, Studio is now Hospital, complete with a whole new layout, new cover, structures, and looting spots, and a change to the surrounding landscape to support a wider variety of different strategies. Elsewhere, Shipyard now has a bridge to help you cross the water, though you'll want to be careful of the opportunities offered by the new landscape adjustments.
Further afield, you'll find terrain changes across a number of smaller areas, as the devs "continue to refine map balance and enhance each map's unique appeal by introducing changes that challenge conventional playstyles."
Elsewhere, there are improvements to Training Mode, which now offers infinite ammo and saveable gear sets, as well as updates to Custom Match features across both Normal and Esports Mode. All of this contributes to Kim's philosophy around how live-service games can achieve longevity: "it's crucial to listen to as many players as possible, make it clear that we're creating the game together with them, and drive the game's development through communication.
As PUBG STUDIOS looks to constantly improve its game, it's also looking to bring the game to new players. After massive success in Asia and North America, the game recently made an appearance at Gamescom 2024, where Kim said the team hoped "to create a space to connect with PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS fans in the West," and "strength our connection with players across various regions." PUBG STUDIOS knows that consistency is key to that connection, but "special service" events like the recent arrival of the Erangel Classic map are important too, because they offer the team "a chance to rethink what content our players truly desire." That's all part of making sure the game remains healthy for a long time, and Kim says that "even seven years from now, we hope that PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS continues to be a game built together with the players," and that "the number of players enjoying the game with me will have grown even larger."
