PUBG devs reveal new extraction shooter “Black Budget” with alpha hitting in December

Krafton have revealed PUBG: Black Budget, an extraction shooter spin-off to its popular battle royale franchise, and the first playtest is happening this December.

The extraction shooter genre has been blowing up in recent years. After Escape from Tarkov first pioneered the high-stakes loop of fighting for loot and escaping before you lose it, plenty of other games have followed suit, from Gray Zone Warfare to Arc Raiders.

Now, PUBG is putting its own spin on the genre with PUBG: Black Budget, a new game described as “a tactical extraction shooter built around tension, survival, and the unknown.”

According to its Steam page, you play as a Contractor who has been sent on a secret mission to a dangerous island in the middle of nowhere, which also happens to be stuck in a time loop. Your goal is to infiltrate, find artifacts, and uncover the mystery of the supernatural anomaly, all while surviving against both real players and AI enemies.

KRAFTON Inc

According to the devs, the island becomes more “unpredictable” with every loop, and staying there for too long makes surviving increasingly harder. In between runs, you can craft new gear and upgrade your characters at your personal base, which can be upgraded using materials you find on the island.

If this sounds like it’s up your alley, there’s an early playtest taking place in December for Steam users.

How to play PUBG: Black Budget Closed Alpha Test

The PUBG: Black Budget playtest runs from December 12 until December 22, 2025, giving Steam users access from Friday to Monday across both weeks. Here’s how to sign up:

1. Head to the PUBG: Black Budget Steam page.
2. Click ‘Request Access’ under the heading that reads, “Join the PUBG: Black Budget Playtest.
3. If you are selected, you’ll receive an email from Steam.
4. Accept the invite and drop in on December 12.

If you miss out on an invite, there will also be keys handed out through Twitch Drops nearer the time. The playtest also isn’t under NDA, so you’re free to share any of your best clips online.

After popularizing the battle royale genre all the way back in 2017 with PUBG: Battlegrounds, fans will be eager to see how the series handles the switch to an extraction shooter.