PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is an online multiplayer battle royale game developed and published by PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole. The game is based on previous mods that were created by Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene for other games, inspired by the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale, and expanded into a standalone game under Greene's creative direction. In the game, up to one hundred players parachute onto an island and scavenge for weapons and equipment to kill others while avoiding getting killed themselves. The available safe area of the game's map decreases in size over time, directing surviving players into tighter areas to force encounters. The last player or team standing wins the round.

PlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsDeveloper(s)PUBG Corporation[a]Publisher(s)PUBG Corporation

• PUBG Corporation (PC, PS4)

• Microsoft Studios (Xbox One)

• Tencent Games (mobile)

Director(s)

• Brendan Greene

• Jang Tae-seok

Producer(s)Kim Chang-hanDesigner(s)Brendan GreeneArtist(s)Jang Tae-seokComposer(s)Tom SaltaEngineUnreal Engine 4Platform(s)

• Microsoft Windows

• Android

• iOS

• Xbox One

• PlayStation 4

• Stadia

ReleaseDecember 20, 2017

• Microsoft Windows

• December 20, 2017

• Android, iOS

• March 19, 2018

• Xbox One

• September 4, 2018

• PlayStation 4

• December 7, 2018

• Stadia

• April 28, 2020

Genre(s)Battle royaleMode(s)Multiplayer

Battlegrounds was first released for Microsoft Windows via Steam's early access beta program in March 2017, with a full release in December 2017. The game was also released by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox One via its Xbox Game Preview program that same month, and officially released in September 2018. A free-to-play mobile version for Android and iOS was released in 2018, in addition to a port for the PlayStation 4. A version for the Stadia streaming platform was released in April 2020. Battlegrounds is one of the best-selling and most-played video games of all time. By 2019, the PC and console versions of the game have sold over 60 million copies, in addition to PUBG Mobile having crossed 600 million downloads.

Battlegrounds received positive reviews from critics, who found that while the game had some technical flaws, it presented new types of gameplay that could be easily approached by players of any skill level and was highly replayable. The game was attributed to popularizing the battle royale genre, with a number of unofficial Chinese clones also being produced following its success. The game also received several Game of the Year nominations, among other accolades. PUBG Corporation has run several small tournaments and introduced in-game tools to help with broadcasting the game to spectators, as they wish for it to become a popular esport. The game has also been banned in some countries for allegedly being harmful and addictive to younger players