Ambitious 'PUBG 2.0' plan includes user-generated content, multiple games

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.

Krafton, the South Korean company behind megaton success PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), has announced an ambitious plan to make IP the center of a connected gaming ecosystem.

4

Krafton has plans to make a veritable PUBG network of products, content, and services. This plan, dubbed PUBG 2.0, incorporates key elements of conceptual models like Franchise-as-a-service (FaaS) and Games-as-a-Platform (GaaP), both of which will run alongside and within one another.

The group has three new PUBG-related products in development including an extraction shooter, a new console-oriented battle royale game, and a isometric tactical project.

In a Q&A call with analysts, TS Jang, head of the PUBG franchise, said that players have "very high retention" within the game.

"Regarding the challenges that we are embarking on, rather than simply depending on the core services from the trans-franchise perspective, we are making pre-emptive investments and very actively exploring new opportunities so as to drive the growth of the entire franchise."

"When we had that perspective, we felt that there was no reason to limit PUBG within that area, hence that's when we started to think about expanding the franchise to other genres and other platforms. That is the basic thinking behind our approach, and diversifying into multiple platforms, engines, and generations."

Krafton explains its plans in a press release:

The all-time high first quarter success can be attributed to the expansion of the PUBG IP franchise, as well as KRAFTON's ongoing strategy of securing a "Big Franchise IP."

Since its transition to a Free-to-Play (F2P) model, PUBG has demonstrated its sustainability by surpassing 1.4 million concurrent users in March. Moving forward, KRAFTON will continue to enhance the player experience through collaborations with renowned artists and brands, new maps, and different game modes.

The company also plans to broaden its player base and global presence by releasing new PUBG-based titles, including the extraction shooter Project Black Budget, the console-focused battle royale Project Valor, and the top-down tactical shooter PUBG: BLINDSPOT.

By adopting photorealistic graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5 and introducing user-generated content (UGC), KRAFTON aims to evolve PUBG into a comprehensive "PUBG 2.0" gaming platform.