PUBG is expanding into a Netflix live-action drama with Donald Glover attached to direct, write, executive produce and star, announced October 30. In games, KRAFTON cancelled PUBG: Black Budget on October 1 and is developing PUBG: DED.NET, announced at gamescom 2026.
KRAFTON's PUBG franchise now runs on two tracks: the live battle royale and a widening set of side projects. The live game keeps adding crossovers and modes. Update 43.1 on September 10 added an unarmed kick, water combat, and Jujutsu Kaisen content in Erangel. Update 43.2 on October 14 for PC added Bentley vehicle skins and the four-player co-op PvE mode "SLB: Dawnbreakers of Rondo," developed with People Can Fly. An IVE collaboration themed on "LOVE DIVE" arrives on PC November 4 and console November 12. PUBG MOBILE runs its own collaborations, including Naruto Shippuden in Version 4.5, Ferrari, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Nijisanji VTubers.
The side projects have not all survived. PUBG STUDIOS ended development of PUBG: Black Budget on October 1, 2026, after two closed alpha tests, concluding it could not deliver an experience players would enjoy over the long term. The extraction shooter had put up to 45 players into three-person squads on a 2.5km by 2.5km island. The cancellation follows PUBG: BLINDSPOT, which left early access and shut down on March 30. In their place, KRAFTON announced PUBG: DED.NET at gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, a multiplayer FPS with roguelite elements set in 1990s Cascadia, developed by PUBG Madison for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The franchise is also moving beyond games. KRAFTON announced on October 30 that a live-action drama series based on PUBG is in planning and production at Netflix, with Donald Glover directing, writing, executive producing and starring, and Stephen Glover as writer and executive producer. No key visuals, story details or footage have been released, and the streaming date is undecided. On the esports side, DOPENESS won the PUBG MOBILE JAPAN LEAGUE SEASON 6 Phase 1 on June 5, earning a spot in the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 in Paris this August.
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Oct 30
KRAFTON announced on October 30 that a live-action drama series based on the battle royale game PUBG is in planning and production at Netflix. Donald Glover will direct, write, executive produce and star in the series. His brother Stephen Glover joins as writer and executive producer. Michael Schaefer of NEON TV and Fam Udeorji of Gilga are also executive producers. On the KRAFTON side, the entertainment division LV3H handles planning, development and production, with Chang Taeseok and Lee Sujin serving as executive producers. Donald Glover won two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards and worked on Atlanta and Community. No key visuals, story details or footage have been released, and the streaming date is undecided. Further details will be announced later.
Oct 3
KRAFTON's PUBG STUDIOS ended development of PUBG: Black Budget on October 1, 2026. The PvPvE extraction shooter had run two closed alpha tests, one in December after a November announcement, and a second this June, without reaching release. The studio reviewed the project's development status and future direction and concluded that under the current direction it could not deliver an experience players would enjoy over the long term. The game put up to 45 players into three-person squads on a 2.5km by 2.5km island, with matches capped at 30 minutes and three factions handing out contracts. KRAFTON thanked the players who joined the tests and sent feedback. PUBG STUDIOS said it will carry what it learned from development and testing into its next project and keep exploring new gameplay experiences. In the same franchise, KRAFTON announced PUBG: DED.NET at gamescom Opening Night Live 2026.
Aug 28
KRAFTON showcased five upcoming titles at gamescom 2026, which began August 26 in Cologne, Germany. At the Opening Night Live event, the company unveiled PUBG: DED.NET and TARAE: The Unbound for the first time, and presented new trailers for NO LAW, Age Twisters, and Project ZETA. The lineup spans shooters, RPGs, cooperative adventures, and competitive multiplayer.
Aug 5
KRAFTON announced on August 5, 2026 that it will exhibit five titles at gamescom 2026, including an unannounced new project from PUBG STUDIOS based on the PUBG IP. The new title is an action FPS set in the deep forests and small towns of the American Pacific Northwest, against what the company calls an important era in American cultural history. KRAFTON positions the game as inheriting the DNA of the PUBG series and aims to provide a game experience where new stories are born each time the player plays. The company's special page for gamescom 2026 states that a world premiere will take place at the event. The other four titles in the lineup are NO LAW, an immersive open-world FPS RPG set in the cyber-noir port city Port Desire; Project ZETA, a multi-team tactical arena where three-person teams of four compete; Age Twisters, a two-player cooperative narrative adventure about a grandfather and granddaughter in near-future Barcelona; and TARAE: The Unbound, an original Eastern dark fantasy action RPG inspired by the worldview of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. gamescom 2026 will be held in Cologne, Germany, from August 26 to August 30 local time.