A few weeks ago, PUBG Corp. unveiled a new studio - led by ex-Sledgehammer boss Glen Schofield, no less - which is working on an "original narrative experience" set in the PUBG universe. I didn't know PUBG even had a universe, so I was skeptical of the idea of wringing a compelling narrative out of it. That skepticism has officially been carpet bombed, because the new PUBG Season 4 cinematic trailer is so ridiculous, so brazen in its retconning, that I want nothing more than to see what the hell PUBG Corp. comes up with going forward.
To most people, PUBG is as much a hangout as it is a game. It's a place to goof around, preferably with friends. It's not the kind of game you play to get immersed in a world or story. Battle royales are all about gameplay, and consequently their stories are more about wacky fun than internal consistency. Why are 100 people killing each other on a mysteriously gun-filled island? Because it is a video game.
PUBG is a game you play to shoot dudes, hoard backpacks, and inevitably die in a very stupid way. But this trailer? This is some capital-L lore, right here. Dropships, presumably filled with 100 players apiece, blacken the sky. God rays illuminate a sad watertower in a decimated, monochromatic field. A scared boy laments the state of the ruined world. A gazillionaire watches in abject apathy as common people struggle to survive - actually, that last one is pretty believable.
The point is, PUBG Corp. is trying to seriously answer the incredibly stupid question of what could cause a battle royale island scenario. I'm here for it, and I've got questions. Is this the untold origin story of Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene? Is this the first chicken dinner? How will PUBG answer Fortnite's robot monster smackdown or the Apex Legends dragons? I genuinely want to know, and I hope that upcoming narrative-whatever tells us.
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