New PUBG Spinoff Takes Battle Royale Back to the '90s
Krafton is taking the PUBG franchise somewhere unexpected: a grunge-era, 1990s-set battle royale spinoff. Here's what we know about the new game.
PUBG Is Going Back in Time
The PUBG franchise built its name on tense, grounded battle royale combat in present-day settings. Krafton is now steering things somewhere a bit different. According to PC Gamer, there is a new PUBG game in the works, and it is set in the 1990s, trading modern military gear for what the outlet describes as a grunge-era aesthetic.
That is a genuine curveball. The original PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds helped define the battle royale genre when it launched in 2017, and while plenty of successors tried to build on that formula with futuristic settings or colorful cartoony styles, Krafton’s own franchise largely stayed close to its realistic roots. Pulling the timeline back to the flannel-and-Doc-Martens decade is a different kind of swing.
What the Grunge Setting Could Mean for Gameplay
The 1990s framing is more than a coat of paint, at least on the surface. PC Gamer framed the announcement around the grunge aesthetic specifically, suggesting the visual and tonal identity of the game leans into that era rather than simply adding a retro filter over familiar mechanics.
For battle royale as a genre, a ’90s setting raises some genuinely interesting questions. Firearms technology and military gear from that period have a distinct character compared to the modern loadouts players are used to. Whether Krafton leans into that hardware authenticity or keeps the setting mostly cosmetic is something that remains to be seen, but the premise alone sets expectations that the moment-to-moment feel of the game could be pretty distinct from its predecessors.
The grunge era also carries a specific cultural weight in the US, the region where PUBG first exploded in popularity on PC. Kurt Cobain, flannel shirts, Pacific Northwest gloom. Whether a battle royale can genuinely bottle that mood is an open question, but it is hard not to be curious about the attempt.
PUBG’s Expanding Universe
This new title fits into a broader pattern for Krafton. The South Korean studio has been expanding what the PUBG name can mean beyond its flagship game. PUBG: Battlegrounds itself has seen significant updates and seasonal content over the years, and Krafton has released other titles under and adjacent to the PUBG banner, including the mobile versions that became massive hits globally.
A 1990s-set spinoff suggests the studio sees room to treat the PUBG franchise more like a brand capable of supporting different tones and subgenres rather than a single ongoing live-service title. That kind of franchise thinking is something studios like Activision have done with Call of Duty for years, though it comes with its own risks around brand dilution.
For battle royale fans who have felt the genre stagnate a bit, a setting change this specific at least signals Krafton is willing to try something with a genuine point of view rather than another round of incremental updates. Whether the execution matches the concept is the only thing that really matters in the end, and that will have to wait until players get hands-on time with whatever this grunge-era brawler actually becomes.
What is the new PUBG game set in the 1990s?
Krafton has announced a new PUBG spinoff title set in the 1990s, taking the battle royale franchise into grunge-era aesthetics and themes, as reported by PC Gamer.
Is the new PUBG 90s game on PC?
Based on current reporting from PC Gamer, the game appears to be targeting PC players, consistent with the PUBG franchise's primary platform history.
How does this new PUBG game differ from the original?
Rather than the original PUBG's contemporary military setting, this new entry leans into 1990s grunge culture and aesthetics as its defining backdrop, according to PC Gamer.