Late last year, it was revealed that PUBG Studios, the developer behind the game of the same name, was working on an ‘Escape From Tarkov rival’. Now, by way of information uncovered in a financial report, more details on that project have been released (thanks The Loadout).
In recent years, the extraction shooter concept has been explored by a few developers, but it’s yet to be fully fleshed out. It’s a niche that was pioneered by Escape From Tarkov, and since then, franchises like Call of Duty have hopped on the bandwagon that’s slowly gathering steam.
PUBG will be the next franchise to have a crack at the extraction shooter concept.
It’s Called ‘Project BlackBudget’
Well, it isn’t called Project BlackBudget, but that’s the codename for the game’s development project within PUBG Studios. In the financial report released by KRAFTON, PUBG’s publisher, a few key pieces of information were revealed, including a description of the base concept of the game:
An ever-changing PvPvE open-world and satisfying gunplay that deliver unpredictable and exciting experiences.
In KRAFTON’s words, they’re challenging themselves to popularise the extraction shooter genre. It’s an odd statement, given that Escape From Tarkov has already done that, and when Call of Duty jumped on board with 2022’s DMZ, the popularisation wave peaked, to some extent. It was finally introduced to the mainstream gaming community.
It was also revealed in the financial update that the game will likely launch on PC, consoles, and mobile – much like PUBG itself.
If you’re totally unfamiliar with the concept, an extraction shooter sees a player – either alone or in a team – enter a large, open map with one clear goal: escape. However, what happens between them entering and them leaving is up to them, and typically, they’ll loot items and resources, solve tasks, and fight (and hopefully kill) other players and AI opponents. Then, when they’re ready to leave, they extract from the map, taking with them everything they’ve accumulated thus far.
It’s a high-octane, intense genre that isn’t for the faint of heart because traditionally, death brings about a total loss of everything that the player a) took into the game with them, and b) found while in the game.
There are expectations that KRAFTON and PUBG Studios would release Project BlackBudget in full in either late 2024 or early 2025.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the leak uncovering Call of Duty 2023.
