PUBG – or PUBG: Battlegrounds, as it’s now called – is free to play on PC until next Monday.
Yes, PUBG, the artist formerly known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is now called PUBG: Battlegrounds. Yes, even though the “B” and “G” in the PUBG acronym are short for “battle” and “grounds”. Yes, that does mean it’s now technically called PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: Battlegrounds.
(We think it’s to help distinguish between the mobile game and, presumably, other spin-offs in the works, but keep that consistent “PUBG” branding on everything. And yes, it is stupid.)
But it’s still a good game! Well, it’s still a formative battle royale classic, at least.
I must confess, I haven’t played PUBG in a long time to know if it’s still “good”, and presumably, the same is true for plenty of other people. Why else would they be hosting a free-to-play week on PC, if not to get more bodies on the plane and boots on the ground?
The PUBG free-to-play week applies to the Steam version of the game, so if you’re not playing on Windows PC, you’re out of luck. You can download the game and get cracking right now from Steam, and your free access will remain until Monday, August 16.
Get ready to down some supermarket own-brand Red Bull, hide in some bushes, get sniped from half a mile away, then – just when you feel like you’re about to pack it in because it’s so frustrating – beat eight people to death with a pan and feel like a superhero. It’s not a highbrow gameplay loop, sure, but it works.
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