Every year brings another runaway indie success story. Last year was Stardew Valley, but this year it’s unquestionably PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The online multiplayer Battle Royale may be a mouthful to say but it has resonated with gamers. It has sold over 10 million units since it first launched via Steam Early Access in March.
That’s right, it’s still not technically released yet.
“It is amazing and gratifying to see the love and support the passionate fans have shown to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” stated Chang Han Kim, Vice President and Executive Producer for Bluehole. “Watching the thrilling moments during the PUBG Invitational with the great feedback from viewers is a realization of the continuing popularity of PUBG. Our team is working diligently to bring a solid gameplay experience for full launch on the PC and Xbox One Game Preview versions later this year.”
Recently PUBG hit a peak for concurrent users at over 970,000 during the PUBG Invitational event at Gamescom. The Invitational featured 92 players from 19 different countries. Players competed in four different game modes including solo and duo. Viewership on Twitch.tv reached over 500,000.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds drops up to 100 players onto an 8 x 8 km island where they must scavenge for supplies, weapons, and vehicles. The only goal is to be the last person standing. Circled zones force people to move into tighter areas and promote conflict. The online game has been especially popular for live streamers.
Currently PUBG is only available via Steam Early Access. It’s coming later this year to Xbox One as part of their Game Preview program. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is set to officially launch in early 2018 on Xbox One, and later this year on PC.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has been rated M for Mature for Intense Violence, Blood, and Gore.
