Krafton Ends Development of PUBG: Black Budget
- Krafton has cancelled PUBG: Black Budget, the extraction shooter announced nearly a year ago.
- The decision followed an internal review regarding the game’s long-term viability.
- Black Budget was the second PUBG spin-off to be cancelled, following PUBG: Blindspot in March.
Krafton announced today the termination of development for PUBG: Black Budget, an extraction shooter spin-off that was revealed nearly a year ago. The confirmation was made via Black Budget’s Steam page, where Krafton explained that the decision stemmed from an internal review of the project. “After reviewing the project’s development status and future direction, we concluded that its current direction would not allow us to deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term,” the company stated.
The publisher continued, “We have therefore made the difficult decision to end development of PUBG: Black Budget. We sincerely thank everyone who took the time to participate in our closed alpha tests and share their feedback.”
PUBG: Black Budget was first introduced in November 2025, intended as a significant addition to the PUBG universe that combined extraction shooter mechanics with elements from battle royale games. The game was set on an island caught in a time loop, featuring unique weather phenomena and other anomalies designed to create varied gameplay experiences.
This cancellation marks the second instance of a PUBG spin-off being dropped, following the cancellation of PUBG: Blindspot, a 5v5 top-down tactical shooter inspired by Rainbow Six Siege, which was terminated in March after two months in early access.
Since its initial announcement, Black Budget underwent several closed testing phases, with the most recent and largest test occurring in June. The game had been under development seemingly for years, first noted in a 2023 Krafton financial report, with the publisher previously indicating plans for a release in the latter half of 2024.
Krafton has not provided details on what the team will focus on next. In their statement, they mentioned, “PUBG Studios will carry what we learned from development and testing into future projects, continuing to listen to players as we explore new gameplay experiences.”
The next PUBG spin-off, PUBG: Ded.Net, was announced at Gamescom in August. Developed by Krafton’s Madison, Wisconsin studio, Ded.Net is characterized as a multiplayer shooter featuring an 80s aesthetic and roguelite elements, setting it apart from previous titles in the series.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
