PUBG’s extraction shooter project has been officially scrapped.

In 2025, Arc Raiders made waves in the gaming scene, sparking a surge of interest in extraction shooters. This prompted Krafton, the studio behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, to announce its own entry into the genre with PUBG: Black Budget.

PUBG: Battlegrounds debuted in 2017, riding the wave of the battle royale craze that dominated online multiplayer gaming. However, as the hype faded, players began exploring other online experiences. Last year, the spotlight shifted back to extraction shooters with the launch of Arc Raiders and the full release of Escape from Tarkov. Eager to join the fray, Krafton set out to create PUBG: Black Budget. Despite conducting Closed Alpha tests in December and the following June, the team felt the game wasn’t meeting their standards. Consequently, a year later, Krafton made the tough decision to cancel PUBG: Black Budget.

Throughout its development, Krafton organized several closed tests for PUBG: Black Budget, allowing players to experience the game and provide valuable feedback for improvements. Unfortunately, this effort wasn’t enough to salvage the project. In a post on the game’s Steam page, Krafton announced the end of development for Black Budget, stating:

“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. 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 Studios will carry what we learned from development and testing into future projects, continuing to listen to players as we explore new gameplay experiences.”

While PUBG: Black Budget remains on Steam for wishlisting, this is likely the last update on its page. This isn’t the first time Krafton has ventured into experimental projects that didn’t succeed; PUBG: Blindspot also faced an untimely end.

On a brighter note, PUBG enthusiasts can still look forward to an upcoming title. Although there haven’t been any recent updates on PUBG DED.NET, a multiplayer roguelite showcased at Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, development is ongoing. Here’s hoping it finds a more successful path than Krafton’s previous extraction shooter attempts.