Although “Battlegrounds” is part of PUBG`s very name, Krafton envisions a much broader future for its popular battle royale title. The company aims to transform PUBG into a comprehensive “gameplay platform,” akin to successes like Fortnite and Roblox, which would encompass diverse game modes and player-generated content.
During a recent earnings call, Krafton`s chief financial officer, Dongkeun Bae, elaborated on this ambitious plan, as reported by GameFile. Bae stated that “in the era of PUBG 2.0, it will evolve beyond just a battle royale game.” He emphasized the goal of creating a platform, confirming that Krafton is “developing a wide array of modes” to achieve this vision.
A crucial step in this transformation involves migrating PUBG to Unreal Engine 5. Krafton has been transparent about this move since March 2024, highlighting how Epic`s powerful engine will facilitate the integration of user-generated content into the game experience. This marks a significant turn, given that PUBG Corp. previously initiated and then dropped a lawsuit against Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite.
Furthermore, Krafton is developing spin-off titles within the PUBG universe. One such project is PUBG: Blindspot, formerly Project Arc, described by Krafton as “a 5v5 team-based top-down tactical shooter.” Reports also suggest another spin-off, an extraction shooter known as PUBG: Black Budget.
Concurrently, Krafton is involved in legal disputes. The company is facing a lawsuit from Unknown Worlds co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, who reportedly exited the developer under duress recently. Amidst these legal challenges, Krafton also validated the authenticity of an internal document leak concerning Subnautica 2, which revealed several missed development targets.