By Sagar V. Mankar 
Krafton has revealed plans to expand its most lucrative IP, PUBG, with four new games that will extend the battle royale’s universe across different platforms and genres. The announcement came during the company’s recent financial results, where Krafton highlighted PUBG’s consistent annual growth rate of 20%.
According to the financial report, Krafton sees the PUBG franchise as its crown jewel and aims to transform it into a broader universe with varied experiences. The four new titles – Black Budget, Blindspot (ARC), Valor, and an unannounced project – are designed to leverage PUBG’s popularity while attracting new players to the ecosystem.
Blindspot ARC (PC)
PUBG: Blindspot is a fast-paced, realistic 5v5 military shooting game for PC that offers a unique top-down shooting experience. The game features two primary modes: Team Deathmatch and Demolition, and includes 10 distinct characters.
Players will have access to familiar weapons from the PUBG battle royale, such as the Mk14, AWM, and P90, along with gadgets like Blue Zone grenades, recon drones, and proximity explosives.
While the genre includes notable titles like Helldivers, Alienation, SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising, and Hotline Miami, they have not achieved significant commercial success. Meanwhile, Helldivers 2, which transitioned from a top-down to a third-person perspective, found huge commercial and critical success.
A playable demo of PUBG: Blindspot will be available on Steam starting February 21, 2025. The full release date has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be sometime in 2025 or 2026.
Black Budget (PC)
Black Budget takes a different approach as a PvPvE extraction shooter. This genre remains relatively unexplored by major esports companies, potentially giving Krafton an opportunity to carve out a new niche within the competitive shooter space.
Games like Dark And Darker, Marauders, Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, and The Cycle: Frontier have attracted a dedicated player base and have shown that there is a growing interest in this type of gameplay.
While Counter-Strike (CS:GO) briefly experimented with an extraction mode [Operation Riptide update], it never achieved the popularity of its core 5v5 gameplay.
Valor (Console) and the Unnamed Project (Mobile)
Less information has been revealed about Valor and the unnamed fourth project. Based on promotional materials, Valor appears to be a console-focused PUBG spinoff with a more violent theme, as suggested by its 18+ rating and red-tinted graphics. Meanwhile, the unannounced project is reportedly aimed at mobile devices and will offer a more family-friendly, hybrid casual experience within the PUBG universe.
As reported by industry sources, Krafton’s strategy seems partly motivated by PUBG’s limited success on PC and consoles compared to its mobile dominance. These new IPs could help the company capture a larger audience across all platforms while ensuring the core PUBG Mobile continues to receive regular updates.
This isn’t Krafton’s first attempt to expand the PUBG universe. Previous efforts included NEW STATE MOBILE (formerly PUBG: New State), PUBG Lite for low-end PCs, and The Callisto Protocol, which was initially announced as part of the PUBG timeline but later developed into its own independent world. While NEW STATE MOBILE has maintained a strong presence since its global launch in November 2021, other projects like PUBG Lite shut down in 2021 after failing to match the original’s success.
The company has also faced setbacks, including the cancellation of PUBG: Cowboy, an open-world survival game set in a dystopian era within the PUBG universe that was announced in 2021 but never released.
Beyond games, Krafton has discussed creating animated series and TV shows set in the PUBG universe, though specific details and release dates remain unconfirmed. These media projects form part of the company’s long-term vision for growing the franchise beyond gaming.
Industry observers note that Krafton’s multi-pronged approach to expanding the PUBG universe reflects both the IP’s enormous value to the company and the competitive pressures in the battle royale and shooter markets. By diversifying across platforms, gameplay styles, and media formats, Krafton aims to secure PUBG’s position as a leading gaming franchise for years to come.