PUBG: Battlegrounds Switches to Free-to-Play Model, Adds Tactical Gear, Action Queue With 15.2 Update

Krafton will also offer an optional one-time Battleground Plus account upgrade.

By David Delima | Updated: 12 January 2022 13:22 IST

PUBG: Battlegrounds Switches to Free-to-Play Model, Adds Tactical Gear, Action Queue With 15.2 Update

Photo Credit: Krafton

Krafton has added Tactical Gear, Action Queue and other features with the 15.2 Update

Highlights

PUBG: Battlegrounds has sold 75 million copies since its 2017 launch
PUBG: Battlegrounds is now available for free on PC and consoles
Krafton also announced the latest PUBG: Battlegrounds 15.2 update

PUBG: Battlegrounds has switched to a free-to-play model and is available to all gamers for free on PC and consoles, publisher Krafton announced on Wednesday. Krafton, also the publisher of the popular mobile battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India, has introduced a one-time, non-recurring Battlegrounds Plus premium account upgrade alongside. The premium upgrade comes with benefits like additional G-Coin, a 100 percent boost for Survival Mastery XP, special in-game items, and custom match functionality with access to the Ranked game mode.

Krafton had first announced the decision to move PUBG: Battlegrounds to a free-to-play model on December 9 at The Game Awards 2021, planned for January 12. The game has sold over 75 million copies since it was launched in 2017 — it was previously priced at Rs. 999 in India and is now available to download for free on Steam. The game is also available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One. However, gamers who want to access additional in-game rewards, along with Ranked and custom match modes will have to pay for a $12.99 (roughly Rs. 960) premium account upgrade.

Gamers who purchase the Battlegrounds Plus premium account upgrade will gain access to an additional 1,300 G-Coin, along with a 100 percent boost in Survival XP. Gamers who upgrade their accounts will also be able to access the Medal tab in career mode, and will have access to Ranked mode and Custom match functionality. The Battlegrounds Plus upgrade also grants access to in-game items like the Captain's Camo set.

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

Gamers who have purchased PUBG: Battlegrounds will receive a PUBG - Special Commemorative pack that automatically upgrades them to Battlegrounds Plus, while also granting them a Battle-Hardened costume skin set, the Shackle and Shanks Legacy Pan and the Battle-Hardened Legacy nameplate, according to Krafton.

Halo Infinite Getting Hotfix for Big Team Battle Mode's Matchmaking Issue

Krafton also revealed that it has rolled out PUBG: Battlegrounds Update 15.2, which brings new Tactical Gear to scout remote locations with drones and EMT Gear. The update also improves communication with Screen Ping Markers, as well as in-game fluidity with a new Action Queue feature that allows gamers to queue up actions like reloading after firing a weapon. The update to version 15.2 also brings revamped tutorials with a basic training mode, AI training match and Lobby Tutorial Missions, according to Krafton.

Can PUBG: New State rival BGMI and PUBG Mobile in the battle royale space? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

PUBG: Battlegrounds

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Fantastic concept
Satisfying gunplay

Bad
Not enough modes
Poor frame rate
Technical issues

Read detailed Krafton PUBG: Battlegrounds review

Genre Shooter

Platform Android, PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5), Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, iOS, PC: Windows

Modes Multiplayer

Series PUBG

PEGI Rating 16+

More Krafton Games

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: PUBG Battlegrounds, PUBG, Krafton, PUBG Battlegrounds Free To Play, PUBG PC Free To Play, PUBG Battlegrounds Price, PUBG Battlegrounds Steam, PUBG Battlegrounds Update, PUBG Battlegrounds 15 2 Update

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More