An all-new PUBG extraction shooter is in the works.
Krafton and PUBG Studios have officially announced PUBG: Black Budget, an upcoming extraction shooter that spins out of the renowned battle royale game PUBG: Battlegrounds. The new game is described as a first-person perspective (FPP)-first experience, and follows a Contractor attempting to scour an abandoned research facility for top-secret technology.
PUBG: Black Budget is a brand-new extraction shooter, set in a time loop
PUBG: Battlegrounds is officially getting a spin-off. In PUBG: Black Budget, players will step into the shoes of Contractors hired to carry out a classified operation on a mysterious island. Their task is relatively simple: infiltrate an abandoned research facility and recover top-secret technology. However, the island is trapped in a time loop caused by a supernatural phenomenon called the Anomaly, complicating things a tad.
PUBG: Black Budget’s main gameplay loop is described as such, according to its new Steam page:
Extract artifacts, research your findings, and uncover the truth behind the black-budget initiative, SAPIENS. In between missions, you’ll expand your personal Base, craft new equipment, and improve your character’s skills and proficiencies. Prepare to face PvPvE threats in an environment that grows more unpredictable with every loop – and the longer you stay, the harder it is to make it out alive.
In between missions, you’ll expand your personal Base, craft new equipment, and improve your character’s skills and proficiencies. Prepare to face PvPvE threats in an environment that grows more unpredictable with every loop – and the longer you stay, the harder it is to make it out alive.
So far, so extraction shooter. The description teases gameplay elements that are typical for this genre, including threats posed by both other players and enemy NPCs, increasing difficulty over time, and crafting systems. The game is set in a 2.5x2.5km open-world island with various biomes and points of interest, including underground facilities to explore.
Each match can run for up to 30 minutes in length, and players only get to keep the items they are extracted with. They can play in three-player squads with up to 45 players per match in total, but here’s the battle royale twist: the Anomaly also shrinks the playable area over time.
Players can progress through skills, proficiencies, and upgrade systems. They can also take on missions offered by three rival factions, customise their Base, further the in-game narrative via the Research station, and customise their weapons and gear. They can also customise their own characters with additional cosmetics.
PUBG: Black Budget's closed alpha test will be held for PC (via Steam) players in North America, Europe, and Asia. If you want to join in, you can register your interest on the game's Steam page. The game has no release date yet.
