5 ways PUBG can stay relevant in 2026

PUBG Battlegrounds is likely one of the most profitable battle-royale video games in historical past, however gamers can’t assist however really feel that developer Krafton/PUBG Studios is lacking the boat in conserving the battle-royale sport related.

Launched in 2017 as an early entry PC sport for Home windows, PUBG Battlegrounds shortly turned a smash hit, letting gamers fly right down to an island to compete towards 99 others to take the crown. The sport quickly reached a peak of three,236,027 gamers in January 2018, earlier than Epic Video games’ Fortnite overtook PUBG, because of its collabs, storyline, and transition right into a platform for creators and others.

Now that 2026 is right here, Krafton/PUBG Studios must hone in on what units PUBG other than different battle-royale video games, to be able to keep related for this 12 months and past. With this in thoughts, we’re itemizing 5 methods the group can try this.

In nations like Korea and the UK, PUBG nonetheless has an enormous participant base, particularly on cellular units. Gamers benefit from the realism that the sport provides, in addition to its esports scene that also attracts in large viewerships, such because the PUBG World Championship event.

However there’s nonetheless heaps to be finished to maintain PUBG related in 2026. Gamers nonetheless justifiably complain about the identical points, like dishonest. Bots nonetheless flood matches with nearly 100% accuracy in eliminating actual gamers, in addition to an over-reliance on pop music-themed occasions to fulfill a particular market, however alienating others. Affirmation that it makes use of AI for some in-game content material hasn’t helped its status both.

This lack of focus has led to PUBG shortly shedding its participant base, in addition to its respect within the battle royale style and esports scene. It’s extra essential than ever that Krafton/PUBG Studios pause and give attention to bettering a number of features of the sport.

Granted, maps in PUBG might be enjoyable and diversified, however they don’t attain the improvements that Epic Video games has with Fortnite. For instance, in 2025, gamers noticed the entire map be remodeled into Springfield from The Simpsons for one month. Not solely did it attract viewers, but it surely pressured current gamers to rethink their methods on this new surroundings.

Not solely ought to there be limited-time occasions that remodel the map, however let’s see harmful environments like bridges collapsing, or large climate modifications that affect the map. These options would add to PUBG’s sensible, grownup strategy, as a substitute of collaborating with pop stars and others who don’t add a lot to the sport.

With Epic Video games firmly putting Fortnite as a platform, PUBG has been gradual to the altering tides of what gamers need from battle-royale video games. It might be nice to have the power to set customized guidelines for non-ranked matches that additionally don’t rely in the direction of the principle sport. Even customized event modes and methods of monetising may very well be enticing methods to lure current creators to PUBG to see how they’ll put their very own spin on the sport, and will deliver some much-needed relevance to the title.

Sadly, respect and relevance for PUBG and Krafton/PUBG Studios declined in 2025 as a result of it made hardly any headway in addressing the dishonest points. Granted, it claims that a lot has been finished, but it surely nonetheless seems like there haven’t been any modifications. There’s an excellent likelihood you can log in to a match proper now and be greeted with overpowered gamers and weapons that throw balancing out of the proverbial window.

If there’s one factor Krafton/PUBG Studios must take motion on, it’s this. Dishonest in a battle-royale sport not solely sucks the enjoyable out for brand spanking new and current gamers, but it surely additionally gives the look that the group doesn’t care about PUBG. At this level, it’s a necessary job that must be solved, now.

Though there’s some physics in PUBG, similar to in weapons like Grenades and automobiles, gamers’ characters are nonetheless stiff, wanting the identical as everybody else after they die in a match. When Chapter 7, Season 1, debuted in Fortnite on December 1, physics got here to each avatar in Fortnite, leading to some humorous moments that went viral on social media.

In PUBG, incorporating physics nearly all over the place would make the sport recent and probably viral amongst its youthful gamers on TikTok and Instagram. Seeing partitions crumble, gamers fall with their arms flapping about, and rather more, may assist differentiate PUBG from Fortnite by reinforcing the realism it provides.

We’re now on the one-year level of the Nintendo Swap 2 being confirmed, in addition to approaching seven months since its launch, and PUBG isn’t on the console. This seems like an enormous swing and a miss from Krafton/PUBG Studios. Fortnite was out there on launch day as a Swap 2 title, full with enhancements that took benefit of the {hardware}.

This can be a sure-fire solution to be way more related in 2026. The Swap 2 is already a monster success, promoting 10 million by the tip of 2025. Increasing PUBG to Nintendo’s latest platform could be an effective way to draw new gamers. Maybe add in some unique cosmetics for Swap 2 gamers, and PUBG may discover some relevance.

This 12 months seems like crunch time for PUBG. With Krafton/PUBG Studios seemingly specializing in the unsuitable issues, like Korean-based pop occasions and never doing sufficient to remove the cheaters, extra gamers are flocking to Fortnite and different battle-royale video games to scratch the itch that PUBG is now failing to do.

From higher anti-cheat strategies to bringing the sport to Swap 2, there are some straightforward performs that the group can do to assist PUBG carve its personal area of interest within the style once more. If it listens to its gamers and focuses on enhancements that matter, the sport may lastly preserve and construct upon its relevance in 2026, rewarding current gamers with its endurance and loyalty to PUBG.