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| (Image Source: GameSpot/KRAFTON Inc.) |
KRAFTON, Inc. revealed that PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS was the top-ranked game on Steam during its transition to free to play (F2P) on January 12, 2022. The milestone was reached with more than 690,000 total active players dropping into the Battlegrounds. The recent free to play transition has not only made the globally popular battle royale title more accessible than ever, but it has pushed similar growth rates to when the game was first released in 2017.
In the week following the F2P transition, the game saw a 486% increase in new players, outpacing its 2017 player growth rate. Furthermore, new user growth increased at a higher rate percentage (537%) in specific territories, such as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Southeast Asia and South America. Additionally, the game has seen significant increases in average playtime when compared to the week prior to F2P, with average playtime on PC and consoles increased by 100% week-over-week while PlayStation players recorded a 400% increase in playtime. Players have gravitated towards the new tutorials, which include the Basic Training Mode, AI Training Matches and Lobby Tutorials, making it the most-played content during this transition based on internal data. These tutorials are designed to effectively onboard new players and welcome back legacy players who have been away for a while. Additionally, the recently released Taego battleground and the fan-favourite Erangel battleground have been the most played maps since January 12th.
In celebration of the recent milestones and the recent F2P transition, KRAFTON is hosting a “Check-In Dinner Event” to reward its most active players. Any player who has played the game for at least an hour between 4:00 pm PST (Pacific Standard Time) on January 27 and 3:59 pm PST on January 30 received special rewards for each day they “check in.” On top of that, players who check into the game at least three times now through 3:59 pm PST on February 17 can earn exclusive Orbital Vanguard skins. Each week will offer a unique colour variation fans can earn (Cadet Green, Cadet Pink, Cadet Yellow and Cadet Blue) of the Orbital Vanguard skin. Those who collect all variations will receive a bonus fifth colour variation - Cadet Red.
When PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS launched into Steam Early Access in 2017, it popularized the battle royale game genre. To date, the game has sold more than 75 million copies across PC and consoles, making it one of the best-selling games of all time. In the nearly five years since its release, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has continued to expand from its early success and evolve with consistent in-game updates, including new maps, game modes and gameplay features. The PUBG brand has also grown into a multimedia franchise, pushing into other ventures such as PUBG eSports, its expansion of lore with PUBG Universe and additional games such as the recently released mobile title, NEW STATE MOBILE. Additional details about PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS transition to F2P and the recently released Update 15.2 can be found at www.pubg.com or on social media (YouTube/Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/Twitch/TikTok).
