PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a game that revived the dying battle royale genre back in 2017 when it launched. We have seen the game skyrocket in popularity for a while, but in recent years the game has died out. From millions of concurrent players, the game has gone down to a few thousand these days. The reasons that contributed to PUBG’s death include the fact it was a paid battle royale game. PUBG has gone free to imitate other popular free-to-play battle royale games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Another reason that contributed to its demise is the lack of new content. Yes, the game has had a few new maps, but we haven’t seen as much content as in its mobile counterpart. Krafton recently announced that PUBG will be made free-to-play starting January 12, 2022. They made this announcement during The 2021 Game Awards, which took place on 11th December. However, there is a catch.
The New Tiers Introduced in PUBG
PUBG is moving from its simple buy-and-play model next year. They will introduce a tier-styled account status. Players who download the game for free will automatically be a part of the Basic plan. However, players who are willing to spend some money on the game will get access to the Battleground Plus tier for a one-time $12.99 fee. Those who already own the game or purchase the game for real money before it goes free next month will automatically become part of the Battlegrounds Plus tier.
The Basic tier hasn’t been clearly described yet. Krafton said it “offers access to most game features.” We don’t know what that is supposed to mean. All known perks included with the Battleground Tier are listed below:
- Ranked ModeBonus 1,300 G-COIN
- Custom Match functionality
- Survival Masters XP + 100 percent boost
- In-Game items, including the Captain’s Camo set, which includes hat, camo mask and camo gloves
- Career – Medal tab
Players who get upgraded to Battleground Plus on the virtue of purchasing the game before it goes free will also receive a Special Commemorative Pack. This pack includes the Battle-Hardened costume skin set, the Battle-Hardened Legacy nameplate, and the Shackle and Shanks Legacy – Pan.
Krafton also has opened a pre-registration website for players to try the game out. Until the upcoming free-to-play switch, current players will get access to in-game events. These events are giving free in-game items away.