Krafton Announces PUBG: Ded.net at Gamescom
Contents
- What was shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live
- Developer and genre
- The world of Cascadia and where the name Ded.net comes from
- Platforms
- Closed-test registration
- Krafton’s booth at Gamescom
- What has not been announced yet
- Why this is not a replacement for PUBG: Battlegrounds
- Frequently asked questions
- The short version
At the end of August twenty twenty-six, at Gamescom Opening Night Live in Cologne, Krafton and PUBG Studios announced PUBG: Ded.net — a new multiplayer first-person shooter with roguelite-style progression set in the PUBG universe.
Here is a breakdown of exactly what was shown, who is behind the game, and which details the developers have kept under wraps for now.
What was shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live
Krafton and developer PUBG Studios unveiled PUBG: Ded.net at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the large evening showcase that traditionally opens the Gamescom expo in Cologne. The reveal took place on the twenty-fifth of August, twenty twenty-six. GamesBeat reported on the announcement from the event itself.
For the PUBG franchise, this marks a notable step: rather than another expansion or mode bolted onto the existing PUBG: Battlegrounds, Krafton introduced a separate, standalone title in the same universe.
Developer and genre
PUBG: Ded.net is being made by PUBG Studios, the same team that maintains and develops the original PUBG: Battlegrounds. The new game is described as a multiplayer first-person shooter in which progress carries between runs: what a player achieves in one match feeds into the next, rather than resetting every time a round ends. In other words, it layers roguelite-style progression on top of a multiplayer shooter.
That is a meaningful departure from the classic battle royale format that PUBG: Battlegrounds is built on, where every match traditionally starts from a clean slate with no progression carried between games. PUBG: Ded.net instead offers persistent progression that builds up from run to run.
The world of Cascadia and where the name Ded.net comes from
PUBG: Ded.net takes place in a fictional region called Cascadia. The name of the game itself, Ded.net, comes from the English expression Dog Eat Dog, which literally describes a brutal struggle for survival where everyone has to rely on themselves. That expression sets the overall tone for the upcoming game: a hostile world where players have to fight just to stay afloat.
The developers have not revealed any details about the story, characters, or history of the Cascadia region — GamesBeat only reports the existence of the region and the origin of the game’s name.
Platforms
Krafton confirmed three platforms for PUBG: Ded.net: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The company has not announced an exact release date — that is stated directly in the same GamesBeat report. It is not yet known whether the game will launch simultaneously on all three platforms or whether one of them will get it ahead of the others.
Closed-test registration
Alongside the announcement, registration for a closed test opened on the official game site, ded.net. Players can sign up through a Krafton account: logging into an existing Krafton account or creating a new one and submitting an application is enough to join. The official site does not yet specify how many players will take part in the test, exactly when it will happen, or whether it will be limited to certain regions.
Krafton’s booth at Gamescom
Beyond the Opening Night Live reveal, Krafton also showed PUBG: Ded.net at its own Gamescom booth at the end of August, twenty twenty-six. That is according to Invenglobal, in a report covering Krafton’s booth program at the expo. The source does not name a specific hall or booth number, and those details are intentionally left out of this article as well, since the source itself does not provide them.
What has not been announced yet
It is important to keep in mind that PUBG: Ded.net is strictly an announcement, not a release. Plenty of practical details remain unrevealed. Krafton and PUBG Studios have not stated a release date, have not announced a price or monetization model, have not disclosed how many players will be in a match, and have not shown any specific maps or weapons. All of that is likely to surface in future material and future statements once the developers choose to reveal more.
For comparison, the long-established PUBG: Battlegrounds already has well-known weapon classes, maps, and game modes — but none of those elements have been officially confirmed for PUBG: Ded.net specifically. The original game, meanwhile, keeps evolving on its own track: a recent weapon-balance update, for instance, reworked the light machine gun class. PUBG: Ded.net is a separate, new project in the same universe, not a replacement for or another patch to PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Why this is not a replacement for PUBG: Battlegrounds
A multiplayer shooter with roguelite-style progression and a classic battle royale are different genre approaches, even within the same universe. In battle royale, a player starts from nothing each match and relies purely on the loot found during that round. Roguelite-style progression, by contrast, is built around achievements and upgrades that carry forward, with every subsequent run building on the last. That suggests PUBG: Ded.net is likely aimed at a different play experience, and possibly a different audience, than the classic PUBG: Battlegrounds — rather than being meant to replace or displace it.
Frequently asked questions
What is PUBG: Ded.net? PUBG: Ded.net is a new multiplayer first-person shooter set in the PUBG universe, featuring roguelite-style progression that carries over between runs. It is being developed by PUBG Studios.
Where and when was PUBG: Ded.net announced? The game was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live in Cologne on the twenty-fifth of August, twenty twenty-six.
Who is developing PUBG: Ded.net? The developer is PUBG Studios, the same team behind the original PUBG: Battlegrounds. Krafton publishes and owns the franchise.
What platforms will PUBG: Ded.net release on? Three platforms have been announced: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Krafton has not named an exact release date yet.
Where does the name Ded.net come from? The name derives from the English expression Dog Eat Dog, which describes a harsh fight for survival. The game takes place in the fictional region of Cascadia.
Can players already sign up for a PUBG: Ded.net test? Yes, closed-test registration is open on the official game site, ded.net, through a Krafton account.
The short version
Krafton and PUBG Studios announced PUBG: Ded.net at Gamescom Opening Night Live at the end of August, twenty twenty-six — a multiplayer first-person shooter with roguelite-style progression set in the fictional region of Cascadia. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, no release date has been announced yet, and closed-test registration is already open on the official game site through a Krafton account.
Frequently asked questions
What is PUBG: Ded.net?
PUBG: Ded.net is a new multiplayer first-person shooter set in the PUBG universe, featuring roguelite-style progression that carries over between runs. It is being developed by PUBG Studios.
Where and when was PUBG: Ded.net announced?
The game was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live in Cologne on the twenty-fifth of August, twenty twenty-six.
Who is developing PUBG: Ded.net?
The developer is PUBG Studios, the same team behind the original PUBG: Battlegrounds. Krafton publishes and owns the franchise.
What platforms will PUBG: Ded.net release on?
Three platforms have been announced: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Krafton has not named an exact release date yet.
Where does the name Ded.net come from?
The name derives from the English expression Dog Eat Dog, which describes a harsh fight for survival. The game takes place in the fictional region of Cascadia.
Can players already sign up for a PUBG: Ded.net test?
Yes, closed-test registration is open on the official game site, ded.net, through a Krafton account.