Previously known as PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, it was announced today that PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, the PC version which started the battle royale boom, will go Free-to-Play on 12 January, 2021. There will be a premium one-time purchase DLC option for new players, called BATTLEGROUNDS Plus, at USD 12.99. Other than cosmetic items, this will unlock the Rank Mode and Custom Match functions.
According to the dev team, restricting the 2 functions to BATTLEGROUNDS Plus will help to prevent cheaters and hackers from disrupting gameplay. Existing players of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, all whom previously purchased the game, will automatically receive the PUBG – SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE PACK, which includes a free BATTLEGROUNDS Plus upgrade and various rewards. More details can be found here.
