After over 5 years of being a premium title, PUBG PC a.k.a PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has finally become a free-to-play game. This decision was announced in early December last year and has finally come into effect today. Previously, it would cost Rs.999 to purchase the game on Steam.

In this article, we are going to showcase how to redeem and play PUBG PC on Steam, alongside the reason why the game became free-to-play.

1. How to redeem and play PUBG PC

Firstly, you need to create a Steam account. This is completely free and only requires an email. Afterward, navigate to the PUBG store page by browsing for it on the search bar at the top left corner.

PUBG PC
PUBG PC's store page on Steam.

Just click on "Play Game" to download and play PUBG PC. You would need at least a mid-tier PC to run the game, as the system requirements of PUBG PC demand at least 8GB of RAM and 2GB of VRAM.

PUBG PC
The game was pretty demanding in 2017 but in 2022, these requirements are average.

Minimum System Requirements:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD FX-6300
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB / AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 40 GB available space

Recommended System Requirements:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 50 GB available space

2. Why did PUBG PC become free-to-play?

PUBG is still an immensely popular game, with about 20k average players every day. However, this is a far cry compared to their previous records a couple of years ago. Lots of people have moved on to newer, shinier battle royales, leaving PUBG behind.

By becoming free-to-play, PUBG PC will be revived with the influx of extra players, which is actually more beneficial in the long run.

Playerbase
PUBG PC's player base is nowhere near as big as it once was.

3. Battleground Plus

Apparently, PUBG is going to use the same system as Counter Strike-Global Offensive: The game is free to play but to play its Ranked mode, players need to pay for a pack called the Battleground Plus. It is a one-time payment of $13 and contains the following:

  • Bonus 1,300 G-COIN
  • Survival Mastery XP + 100% boost
  • Career - Medal tab
  • Ranked Mode
  • Custom Match functionality
  • In-Game items, including the Captain’s Camo set, which includes hat, camo mask, and camo gloves
Battlegrounds Plus
The free set in Battleground Plus

Players who have bought PUBG before it becomes free will receive a Special Commemorative Pack, which contains Battleground Plus and various extra cosmetics.

>>> Read more: Free Fire VS BGMI, Which Is The Better Battle Royale To Play In 2022?