Krafton Unveils PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS 2025 Roadmap—Here’s What’s Coming

Krafton, the studio behind PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, revealed its 2025 roadmap on March 18, outlining ambitious plans to evolve the battle royale title as it celebrates its eighth anniversary. The roadmap revolves around three key pillars: delivering fresh content, enhancing the live-service experience, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Here’s a breakdown of what’s in store.

New Content

• Major World Updates: Towards the end of 2025, Krafton will revamp existing maps like Taego, Miramar, and Erangel rather than introducing a new one. These updates will include the expansion of destructible terrain features, allowing players to dynamically alter the battlefield, alongside refreshed aesthetics to keep the experience familiar yet novel.

• Gameplay Enhancements: New player actions, such as expanded vehicle interactions and improved H-key functionality (e.g., pulling doors open or throwing items), are in development. Battle royale mechanics will see additions like camouflage nets for vehicles and an upgraded Flare Gun UI for better combat clarity.

• Collaborations and Modes: Expect partnerships with top-tier automotive brands and artists, bringing themed skins and events. A new roguelike mode, Project Cyclops, and the Contender character system for deeper customization are also on the horizon.

Live-Service Improvements

• Unified Experience: Krafton aims to streamline gameplay across Normal Matches, Ranked, and Esports by standardizing key elements like spawn mechanics while preserving each map’s unique flavor. This includes integrating Normal Match features into Ranked to bridge the gap between modes.

• Anti-Cheat and Security: Enhanced machine-learning models will improve cheat detection, with broader coverage and higher accuracy. Account security will also be bolstered to combat hijacking, ensuring a fairer competitive environment.

• Quality of Life: The roadmap hints at refining matchmaking, bot behavior, and ranked progression to make the game more accessible and rewarding for all players.

Long-Term Sustainability

• Unreal Engine 5 Transition: A shift to Unreal Engine 5 is underway, promising enhanced visuals and a scalable framework for future growth. However, this upgrade might not fully roll out until 2026.

• Next-Gen Console Shift: By late 2025, PUBG will transition to current-generation consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X|S), improving performance, FPS, and map loading times while phasing out support for older hardware like PS4 and Xbox One.

• User-Generated Content (UGC): A UGC system will debut with a Team Deathmatch mode in Custom Matches, empowering players to create and share their own experiences.

Community Reaction

Reactions to the roadmap have been mixed. PC players are excited about UGC and graphical upgrades, while console players worry about the eventual discontinuation of last-gen support, fearing longer queue times. Some players feel the roadmap focuses more on monetization than addressing core gameplay concerns, though others appreciate Krafton’s long-term commitment to the game.

This roadmap makes it clear that Krafton is determined to keep PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS competitive and relevant in the evolving battle royale landscape. More details are expected during a live Q&A with PUBG Director Taehyun Kim at the eighth-anniversary event in Seoul this weekend, which will be streamed on the official PUBG YouTube channel.