PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' launch in 2017 transformed the industry. But it's been PUBG that's spent the past years making major changes, rebranding as PUBG: Battlegrounds and reinventing its monetization. Now the PUBG franchise is taking the next step in its transformation with the launch of PUBG: New State on iOS and Android devices. The new battle royale game release from PUBG Studios isn't reinventing the wheel, but Krafton sees a lot of value in replacing PUBG: Battlegrounds with PUBG: New State, at least on mobile devices.
To clarify, PUBG: New State is a completely new game. It isn't a mobile port, nor is it a relaunch or rebranding of PUBG: Battlegrounds' mobile app. PUBG: New State is its own thing, but it's also strikingly similar to what's come before. It's a 100-player battle royale featuring all of the gameplay PUBG players are already familiar with, from looting to shooting. PUBG players will be able to transition smoothly to the new game with ease.
That doesn't mean PUBG: New State isn't new in some exciting ways, however. For one, PUBG: New State is entirely free-to-play and will be launching internationally in 17 languages, delivering a major push to get this next-generation mobile PUBG in the hands of millions. Further, it's added certain new features to make it stand out. There's now weapon customization, drones, other new in-game items, and a unique player recruitment system that lets players resurrect their enemies.
What stands out the most, however, is that PUBG: New State is set in the year 2051. The battle royale has futuristic environments, giving it an attractive sheen compared to the rusting Soviet-era aesthetic of prior PUBG games. Expect a deluge of appealing cosmetics with creative designs that PUBG: Battlegrounds was limited in delivering, too.
A new game allows PUBG Studios to do some experimental things, too, however. PUBG: New State isn't just a battle royale game, for example. It also features a 4v4 Deathmatch game mode, allowing players to compete against each other in a more up-front way. Depending on its success, perhaps PUBG Studios will experiment with other game modes for PUBG: New State.
Being a live service game, PUBG: New State already has a battle pass waiting for players to purchase and jump into. PUBG Studios also plans on having ranked seasons of competitive play, with each running approximately two months before the next starts. PUBG Studios clearly has big plans for PUBG: New State. It'll be exciting to see whether it can match the successes of the original PUBG going forward.
PUBG: New State is available now on iOS and Android devices.