PUBG: Battlegrounds is now free-to-play

After announcing the switch to free-to-play during last year’s The Game Awards, the time is upon us where PUBG: Battlegrounds has been made free, ish. 

Similarly to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s transition to free-to-play a few years ago, free players in PUBG: Battlegrounds aren’t given access to everything, as they’re being excluded from ranked matchmaking, as well as custom matches, in order to prevent an unstoppable tide of cheaters infecting the game and people having too much fun. 

New free-to-players in PUBG: Battlegrounds will also only earn half as much XP, so you’ll have to grind twice for the gubbins in the Survivor Pass unless you want to fork over the $13 to upgrade to a Battlegrounds Plus account. 

Thankfully existing PUBG: Battlegrounds players, who are already well versed in the art of preparing chicken dinners, are being given Battlegrounds Plus account status, as well as the mall goth inspired ‘Battle-hardened Legacy’ outfit, for absolutely nothing, as after all, they did already pay for the game before its transition to free-to-play. 

Alongside the move to free-to-play, developer Krafton also released the latest 15.2 update for PUBG: Battlegrounds which introduces drones, EMT gear, and tutorials to coach the new free-to-play rabble on how to play.