As of January 12, 2022, PUBG: Battlegrounds will be free-to-play, but existing players (those who bought the game) will be given in-game rewards as compensation. Originally known as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, one of the most important battle royale indie games, is a foundational member of the now immensely popular genre, and the F2P transition will surely attract some new players. The F2P timing is unfortunate for anyone who just recently bought the game, but hopefully some free cosmetics and extra functionality going forward will ease the sting of bad luck and make the money feel less wasted.
PUBG originally began as a mod for DayZ, which itself was a mod for ARMA 2, but has since grown into a massive, standalone title under the direction of its creator, Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene. The recent name change to PUBG: Battlegrounds may be partially a result of PlayerUnknown leaving PUBG to make his own studio, but is also a major marketing move by the development and publishing companies to expand the PUBG brand to more games and media. The transition to F2P is a major new chapter for PUBG, and will likely see the game transition entirely to a live service monetization model just like its direct competitors.
It has taken a surprisingly long time for PUBG to go F2P, considering all of its major competitors have gone that route from the start. Fortnite offered a considerably more lighthearted experience in comparison to PUBG before Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone battle royales rounded out the big four. Despite the entry fee PUBG has had until now, the game has remained popular, and will likely see an influx of fresh players. Dedicated PUBG players have likely already gotten their money's worth, but will receive an added thank-you in the form of in-game content starting January 10 for PC and Xbox players, and January 12 for those on PlayStation.
Existing Players Get PUBG's Special Commemorative Pack
According to the PUBG: Battlegrounds website, anyone who previously purchased the game will receive the PUBG - Special Commemorative Pack during the F2P transition. This will include the following items:
- BATTLEGROUNDS Plus
- Battle-hardened Legacy skin set with Corset, Jacket, Gloves, Pants, and Boots
- Shackle and Shanks Legacy Pan
- Battle-hardened Legacy Nameplate
BATTLEGROUNDS Plus is a DLC (normally priced at $13) upgrade that includes:
- Survival Master XP +100% boost
- Career - Medal tab
- Access to Ranked Mode
- Ability to create custom matches
- Captain's Camo Hat, Mask, and Gloves
- 1,300 G-COINs
These rewards should appear automatically for those who own PUBG on PC or Xbox, but PlayStation players seemingly have to take an extra step in finding the PUBG - SPECIAL FREE TO PLAY TRANSITION PACK free of charge on the in-game store. It has seemingly been a long time coming, but PUBG has finally gone free to play, and will likely benefit from the influx of new players eager to learn the ropes.
Source: PUBG: Battlegrounds