Krafton and PUBG Corporation officially reveal PUBG: Black Budget-the franchise’s first and direct foray into the much-anticipated new extraction shooter genre, contesting beyond the whole battle royale framework under which the brand itself was built. This new title announces a significant deviation from the game design focus, mostly towards a first-person perspective for playing tension and survival. It is the second major project from the studio in 2025 and reiterates the publisher’s recommitment to making the PUBG intellectual property an all-encompassing entertainment universe.
Black Budget explores a strange, ever-looping island of 2.5 square kilometers. Players get to discover this ever-shrinking zone in play, thanks to the constant threat of a supernatural creature called “Anomaly” that alters its characteristics and contracts the playable area during every match. Sessions will be pretty brief, within a half-hour maximum, and contain PvPvE clashes with up to 45 players-a structure hell-bent on tallying up to situations where the survival and extraction goals loomed larger than everything else, putting it right alongside titles like Escape from Tarkov as well as the recent hit Arc Raiders.
Depth is achieved by long pathways of progress along narrative lines. The very existence of three experience-giving rival factions leads players to build up loyalty towards those factions and unlock special missions and other rewards. Apart from that, there will also be a permanent meta-progression system, including skill trees and permanent upgrades, coupled with a customizable home base of operations. Researchers also have a dedicated research station to give propulsion to the overarching narrative, underground suggesting experiences rich in lore beyond the immediate gameplay loop. The announcement becomes just months after PUBG: Blindspot was revealed-a tactical shooter in a top-down perspective that supports a 5v5 competition-reaching out to diverse genres.
While an actual release date has yet to be announced, enthusiastic gamers can register for a Closed Alpha Test expected to run over two weekends in December 2025. Launching from December 12-14 and December 19-21, the tests will focus essentially on fine-tuning the core mechanics, including combat pacing, extraction balance, and the beginning phase of player progression. The weight of a brand as known as PUBG: Black Budget will, however, depend on whether it can achieve a niche in today’s highly competitive, well-populated shooter landscape.
