Bluehole are testing a new version of PUBG that works on a free to play model.
Aptly named ‘PUBG Lite’, the new, downgraded version of battle royale shooter PLAYER UNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is being released to the public in Thailand. Announced in an English-written post yesterday, the PUBG Lite Team are testing the game in Thailand to “determine if this is a viable product for other regions”. The game is also set to run on lower end computers, which is perfect for internet cafes and those with poor hardware. The team said:
“Deliver the PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS experience to players in areas where the core game’s required specifications are more difficult to achieve due to the hardware available. To this end, the PUBG LITE team has focused on balancing lower hardware requirements, without compromising on our quality standards. The end result is a build that is playable even on computers and laptops utilizing integrated graphics.”
Meanwhile, PUBG continues to a somewhat sturdy playerbase into the new year with PUBG Mobile landing a crossover gamemode which features players fighting against zombies, in collaboration with the soon to be released Resident Evil 2. Despite this, the game has seen a rocky year, failing to keep its once 3 million strong playerbase as 2018 progressed. PUBG has also seen increasing threat from competitor Fortnite, which is significantly more popular, drawing in 200 million players last year.
People have begun speculating whether PUBG Lite is bluehole’s attempt at taking on Fortnite with a free to play model, begging the question whether there will be microtransactions implemented as the game rolls out globally.
PUBG is out now on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Mobile.