“PUBG Player” Count Keeps Growing – Are We Witnessing the Return of OG Battle Royales?
PUBG’s recent surge in popularity can be attributed to new content, esports euphoria, nostalgia, and streamer boosting. Player numbers have peaked at their highest point in over three years, but Krafton, the game developer, should not take this rise for granted.
PUBG recorded an impressive peak of 587,705 (24-hours Peak) players yesterday, but the game has been steadily growing for over five months. Part of this growth can be attributed to some sound decisions by Krafton, such as dealing with cheaters and implementing positive gameplay changes. However, a substantial portion of the returning player base can be credited to the all-time high nostalgia for the original Battle Royale experience.
With Fortnite Season OG making a splash, and the dipping interest in faster-paced games like Warzone and Apex Legends, players are yearning for a nostalgic “calmer” world of old school Battle Royales with a slower game pace.
The PUBG Global Championship, which garnered significant attention due to QMs plight, as well as the release of a new patch and map, have also contributed to the game’s resurgence.
Impact of Streaming and Current Statistics
The return of famous streamers like Shroud, Summit1G, and Dr Disrespect to PUBG over the past two weeks has added a considerable boost to the media cycle, further elevating the game’s popularity.
With a steady increase in player counts expected to last for at least a month, Krafton’s efforts to swiftly ban cheaters and release new content may result in sustained growth well into 2024. Interestingly, PUBG recently hit its highest peak player count since adopting a free-to-play model in January 2022, with 587,647 players online simultaneously.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
To maintain this growth, there are two suggestions for PUBG’s developers: enable easier server hopping and introduce PUBG ranked solo queues for players. Allowing EU or NA players more freedom to move around or play no-bot solo ranked could make the game even more inviting.
Many existing fans, including the author and their “boomer” friends, hope that PUBG’s grand comeback will attract even more players and solidify its position as the Battle Royale of choice for different generations.
