PUBG: Battlegrounds developer Krafton announced last week that it will make the game free-to-play. The battle royale game will switch to a free-to-play model in January 2022. The announcement was made during The Game Awards 2021 event. Many existing PUBG: Battlegrounds players who purchased the game on various platforms were concerned how their purchase would be compensated. Krafton announced a new Battlegrounds Plus “upgrade” that gets extra benefits and existing players of PUBG: Battlegrounds will get this upgrade free of cost.
As a compensation to players who purchased PUBG: Battlegrounds, developer Krafton will give Battlegrounds Plus upgrade free of cost, instead of paying $12.99 (roughly Rs. 990). The Battlegrounds Plus will get Captain’ Camo Hat, Captain’s Camo Mask, Captain’s Camo Gloves, and additional 1,300 G-Coins (in-game currency). The upgrade also unlocks access to Survival Mastery XP with 100 percent boost, Medal tab in Career, Ranked mode, and the ability to create and play a Custom Match. For regular players, Battlegrounds Plus is a one-time purchase.
Over and above the aforementioned benefits, existing players will also be receiving Battle-hardened Legacy Corset, Battle-hardened Legacy Jacket, Battle-hardened Legacy Gloves, Battle-hardened Legacy Pants, and Battle-hardened Legacy Boots. Additionally, PUBG: Battlegrounds will also award its existing players with the Shackle and Shanks Legacy Pan and the Battle-hardened Legacy Nameplate.
All of these benefits will be rewarded to players after their first login once PUBG: Battlegrounds transitions into its free-to-play model. The benefits can also be found under the Customise — Utility tab.
Krafton announced earlier this month that PUBG: Battlegrounds will transition to a free-to-play model on January 12, 2022. The game will become free to download and play but free players will be restricted to some items and game modes. These restricted features will be unlocked once players purchase the aforementioned Battlegrounds Plus upgrade. Additionally, Krafton has announced three promotional events as the free-to-play transition date approaches.