PUBG Saw Player Base Increase by 486% After Switching to Free to Play

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After going free-to-play earlier this month, KRAFTON has revealed that the player base of the popular battle royale shooter PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has increased by 486%. Five years after its release, developer and publisher KFATON revealed that PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS would be going free-to-play during The Game Awards 2021. Despite having free-to-play counterparts on mobile, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is known as the only popular battle royale title that kept a price label to its name and although continuing to dominate the gaming market, it is believed that its developers opened it up to a free-to-play model to skyrocket its player base and extend its longevity.

As reported by GameSpot, KRAFTON has revealed that PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS' player growth increased by 486% following a week after its official switch to being a free-to-play title on all platforms, as well as a 537% growth in new players in several regions. The company also revealed that playtime jumped on all platforms including PC in which Steam says almost 700,000 active players compared to the week before the transition. In celebration of the growth, players who jump into the groundbreaking battle royale and play for at least an hour between January 27 and January 30 will be able to unlock free special in-game rewards, along with Orbital Vanguard skins for those who log in from now until February 17.

Related: PUBG Free-To-Play: Every Reward For Existing Players

While the title has seen tremendous growth, shortly after going free-to-play players showed their discontent by review bombing and demanding refunds for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. Being the one that ignited the battle royale genre, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS was the only game in its genre to be sold, and for $29.99 while numerous