How PUBG: Battlegrounds going free to play could affect its player base

PUBG: Battlegrounds has been the biggest driver in bringing the genre of Battle Royale towards mainstream gaming. The game has been a massive success for the entire community and has created a genre of its own.

Since its release, there have been several mainstream titles from other houses that have built on its success.

One of the major reasons for PUBG's success, aside from its great execution, has been the price. It is available at an MRP of $29.99/₹999. Since its release, the game has been repeatedly available on discounts of 50%, keeping a steady inflow of new players.

With a decision that PUBG: Battlegrounds made at the end of 2021, the game could become bigger than ever in the months to come.

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PUBG: Battlegrounds will become completely free-to-play on January 12

At The Game Awards in 2021, the developers of PUBG: Battlegrounds had a major announcement that created a great buzz in the community. Starting January 12, the game will be available for free-to-play across all platforms. With this, PUBG: Battlegrounds follows its mobile counterpart in making the complete game accessible at absolutely no cost.

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The state of PUBG: Battlegrounds at the start of 2022

PUBG: Battlegrounds' player count has declined over the last four years. It once boasted a peak concurrent Steam player count of over 1 million players. The game’s player base reduction has been caused partially by competition, and partially due to its own mistakes.

The game's greatest complaint has been the rampant number of cheaters. Though PUBG: Battlegrounds has dealt cheaters strongly, they still remain a pervasive problem. Another reason has been the rise of competitors like Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone, that have the advantage of time and newer technology.

However, PUBG: Battlegrounds has a 24 hour peak concurrent player count of 332,000 players on Steam. The actual player count will be more if console players are considered. At the time of writing, the game is behind only two games on Steam - CS:GO and DOTA 2.

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PUBG's free-to-play model can breathe fresh life for the game

PUBG: Battlegrounds is not doing poorly by any stretch of imagination. There are complaints and issues, and some of them are legitimate. However, with the game now becoming free-to-play, there will be a lot of new players. The game doesn't require very heavy specifications and can run on devices that are not necessarily gaming rigs.

However, developers should be wary about the fact that with newer players, hackers will also arrive. This can ruin the game for both older and newer players. The issue of hacking is one that the devs of PUBG: Battlegrounds have to address if they want to keep the new influx steady and growing.