| PUBG: Battlegrounds | |
|---|---|
 Game cover (2021 edition) | |
| Developer(s) | PUBG Studios[c] |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Director(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Kim Chang-han |
| Designer(s) | Brendan Greene |
| Artist(s) | Jang Tae-seok |
| Composer(s) | Tom Salta |
| Series | PUBG Universe |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Battle royale |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
PUBG: Battlegrounds (previously known as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds) is a 2017 battle royale video game published by Krafton, and developed by Krafton's PUBG Studios. The game, which was inspired by the Japanese film Battle Royale (2000), is based on previous mods created by Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene for other games, and expanded into a standalone game under Greene's creative direction. Played from either a third-person or first-person perspective, up to one hundred players parachute onto an island where they are tasked to scavenge for weapons and equipment to kill other players while avoiding getting killed themselves. The available safe area of the game's map decreases in size over time, directing surviving players into an ever-tightening space to force encounters.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was first released for Windows via Steam's early access beta program in March 2017, with a full release in December 2017; the same month, Microsoft Studios studios released it for the Xbox One via the Xbox Game Preview program, with a full release coming in September 2018. Afterwards the game was ported to the PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles, and the Stadia streaming platform, and has also spawned a mobile version, PUBG Mobile, for Android and iOS. The game is continuously developed under the games as a service model and has been free-to-play for all platforms since January 2022.
The game received positive reviews from critics, who found that while the game had some technical flaws, it presented new types of gameplay that could be easily approached by players of any skill level and was highly replayable. The game was credited with popularizing the battle royale genre, with a number of unofficial Chinese clones also being produced following its success. The game received several Game of the Year nominations and set seven Guinness World Records, among many other accolades. PUBG Corporation has run several small tournaments and introduced in-game tools to help with broadcasting the game to spectators, as they wish for it to become a popular esport. It has sold over 75 million copies on personal computers and game consoles, is the best-selling game on PC and on Xbox One, and is the fifth best-selling video game of all time. Until Q3 2022, the game has accumulated $13 billion in worldwide revenue, including from the more successful mobile version of the game, and it is considered to be one of the highest-grossing video games of all time.
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