The original PUBG will be free-to-play beginning next month. Announced at The Game Awards 2021 by developer Krafton, newcomers can play PUBG: Battlegrounds for free starting on January 12.
The news arrives nearly five years after PUBG launched in March 2017 in beta on Xbox and PC, followed by a rollout on PlayStation and mobile devices the year after.
Since then, players have clocked in 14 billion hours of play across the game’s eight maps — the largest amount available in the battle royale genre — Krafton reported.
Once PUBG becomes free-to-play, it will offer a new premium account option called Battlegrounds Plus for a one-time purchase of $12.99 USD. The supplement will unlock a ranked mode, additional XP, in-game gear and more.
Players who owned PUBG prior to the free-to-play launch will receive a Special Commemorative Pack, which includes a free Battleground Plus upgrade and other rewards. The Pack will only be redeemable at the PlayStation Store from December 12 at 11 pm PT until January 10 at 11 am PT.
PUBG: Battlegrounds free-to-play is live on January 12.
In other gaming news, Among Us is being adapted for Virtual Reality.
