PUBG is going free-to-play next year
Optional payments included
PUBG Battlegrounds is going free-to-play in January 2022. The low admission fee of zero pounds was announced at The Game Awards, which is a pretty good deal if you’re looking to participate in a battle royale that’s still very much alive and kicking. Players can also pay for Battlegrounds Plus, an account upgrade that’ll net you some extra in-game unlocks. And don't worry, if you already own the game you'll get that upgrade for free.
PUBG’s transitioning to its free-to-play model on 12th January 2022, which means it’ll cost nothing to equip a level 2 helmet and miss all your shots. That’s pretty neat, considering it costs a hefty £27 on Steam right now. And considering competitors Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Warzone don’t cost a dime, it feels like a long time coming.
Of course, PUBG will give you the option to spend a bit extra to unlock some in-game goodies. For a one-off fee of $12.99, players can upgrade their “Basic” free-to-play account to a “Battlegrounds Plus” account. Aside from bonus XP, cosmetics, and coins, it’ll also give you access to ranked mode, the career tab, and custom matches. Not an awful deal.
And if you already own PUBG, you’ll receive the PUBG “Special Commemorative Pack” which includes an automatic account upgrade to Battlegrounds Plus, a new skin set, and other cosmetic doodads.
PUBG going free-to-play isn’t all that surprising, given the strength of its competition. I doubt I’ll go back, honestly. That’s mainly because the pacing is a bit slow for me, with all the inventory management the cause of many a headache. I’m more interested in if its new F2P status will bring in plenty more players.