PUBG: Black Budget Alpha Shows a Hardcore Extraction Shooter, Not a Battle Royale Clone
PUBG STUDIOS is deliberately pivoting from the battle royale formula to a more tactical extraction shooter, retaining only the zone shrinkage from its predecessor while building a distinct PvPvE identity.
Reporting from 1 source: 4Gamer.net.
KRAFTON's PUBG STUDIOS held the second closed alpha test of PUBG: Black Budget from June 26 to 29, 2026. The extraction shooter is set on Coli Island, a 2.5km x 2.5km map with anomalous creatures and a hardcore sci-fi atmosphere. Unlike PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, players prepare equipment before raids, and the game features PvPvE combat, zone shrinkage, and a reload system requiring loaded magazines. The alpha test offered a glimpse of a grounded, dark world compared to Crysis.
Players begin raids by selecting a general direction after matchmaking, then emerge from a submarine onto Coli Island. The 2.5km x 2.5km map has no vehicles but uses zip lines for movement. Up to 45 players in three-person squads compete in 30-minute sessions. Facility exploration involves keycard locks and alarms that attract creatures or reveal positions. The health system uses a single gauge with fixed healing, and reloading requires loaded magazines, though the mechanic is more forgiving than Escape from Tarkov. The game's hardcore sci-fi setting, described as grounded and dark, draws comparisons to Crysis.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.